Everyone knows that toilet training your child will take lots of time and patience on your part as a parent. It also will involve a reasonable amount of cooperation and motivation from your child as well. You might be wondering how to start potty training and when is the best time to potty train your child. How do you know if they are ready?
Some toddlers are ready between 18-24 months while some are well past their 3rd birthday before they agree to potty train. Child experts state boys take longer than girls to potty train and as a mom of 4 kids, I tend to agree with this. The boys are more active and generally, like to play more, and so the thought of stopping and using the potty does not occur to them. In short, do not rush your son into potty training. If you start too soon, you will land up finishing at the same time but with a lot of stress and tears. Always wait till they are ready and showing signs of wanting to potty train!
3 Tips For Potty Training Success
If your child is showing signs of interest in using the potty like watching you or their siblings use the potty or even asking to use the potty, then it’s time to start potty training. The following are some simple steps for you to start potty training your toddler without stress!
Let him watch and learn– Potty training begins with seeing. Toddlers love to imitate adults around them. Your son will notice that Daddy uses the bathroom in a different way than Mommy. Take this chance and explain how body parts work. Be precise with names and do not use a silly name for the penis or else he will believe genitals are an embarrassment.
Buy the right potty size– Buying the right potty size is essential for your son. His feet must touch the ground, and to make bowel movement easy, he should lean forward. Child experts say one of the biggest tips on how to potty train your son is to buy a child-size potty that he will claim as his own. It will make him feel secure enough to sit on the potty. Toddlers are scared of sitting on full-size toilets as they believe they will fall down the hole. This fright interferes with potty training. You have the option of buying adapter seats or a potty seat that sits on top of the regular toilet seat to make it a better size for your child. Be sure to buy a stool so that he can climb up and sit securely. When you buy a potty for your son, avoid ones that have a urine guard or choose one with a removable guard. While they are designed to prevent urine spills and splashing, it tends to bump into their penis every time they sit down on the potty. It might also scrape the skin and cause pain. If your son is in pain every time he goes to the bathroom, it will interfere with toilet training.
Watch videos and read picture books together – You and your son can watch videos and read picture books together on potty training. My favorite is Potty by Leslie Patricelli. Reading potty books with your child will help them grasp the concept and retain the new information. Seeing pictures of other little kids on the potty helps them feel more comfortable with the potty. This is not the time to be a prude! Watching you or siblings sit on the potty will make your child feel more familiar with the potty and less scary too. Take time and do not pressure him. With regular practice and encouragement, he will start using the potty.
So if you wish to start to potty train your child, follow the above three simple steps. I also recommend reading The No-Cry Potty Training Solution by Elizabeth Pantley.
Just remember that each child will learn when THEY are ready, not you! Trust me, after 4 kids, I have learned that they will only learn how to use the potty when they are ready and you can’t force them a minute sooner. It will only cause you stress and tears for them if you try to force it too soon. Don’t try to rush it and you’ll have a great potty training experience!
