Potty training is a significant milestone and at the same time, it can be challenging for both parents and the kids if not done the right way or at the right time.
Every activity we engage in is connected to our brain and certain milestones like potty training is a lot easier when the child is ready which is a sign of that child’s development.
It’s important parents do not put themselves under pressure especially when the child is not ready or isn’t showing signs of readiness which will be discussed in this article.
Every child is different but some children may show signs of readiness around 18-24months while some children may require more time. So it’s important to avoid comparing your child with another child, your focus should remain your child so you’re not under pressure.
How ready is your child for potty training?
- Can your child follow simple basic intructions?
- Is your child able to stay dry for up to one or two hours?
- Can your child pull down his or her pants and pull them back up again?
- Is your child interested in using the potty?
- Does your child freely walk to where the potty is placed?
If your answers to these questions were mostly yes, your child might be ready but if you answered mostly no, you may need to wait a bit longer
How to get started
- Plan ahead and be patient with your child
- Choose simple fun words to describe stool and urine
- Place the potty where your child spends most of their time
- Encourage them to sit on the potty with their clothes and diaper on before progressing to use the potty without diaper
- Praise your child frequently even if they sit on the potty for a very short time
- Encourage your child to sit on the potty without a diaper first thing in the morning or after a nap
- Read fun storybooks together on potty training
- Teach basic hygiene such as hand washing and for girls, gradually teach them how to wipe from front to back to prevent germs from the anal region to the vagina and urethra
- Gradually ditch the diapers after a couple of weeks if your child can stay dry during the day
- Nighttime training usually takes longer and most children can’t stay dry all night without assistance to get up to go use the potty until they are about 5 to 6years of age. So setting alarms at intervals to help them use the potty at night is important for nighttime training
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