Easy Potty Training: A Guide to Success
Potty training is not a race, and there is no evidence that early potty trainers are more successful or happy as adults compared to those who potty trained a bit later. So give yourself permission to take the time to understand your child and understand the best things he can do to make the process easier. Potty training is something your child should want to do. Help your child get comfortable on the potty by letting him sit on the potty fully clothed while he talks to you about the toilet, what it is for, and when to use it. Potty training is not an area to get into any kind of battle. You will always lose; everyone involved will lose. Toilet training is a problem that parents really have no control over. You have to make the child want to do it, instead of forcing it. Potty training is enough to drive even the most patient parent to exasperation. Help is only a few dollars away when you can buy anything from musical potties to colorfully shaped diapers that disappear when wet.
Potty training children is particularly difficult for mothers due to the anatomical differences that exist between mother and child. Many mothers find it helpful to seek the advice of other mothers who have potty-trained children to see what worked for them. Training boys is a much longer process than potty training girls. Children are less motivated and therefore less cooperative during potty training.
Potty training girls is easier than training boys. The evidence to support this thinking is that moms are often the ones to potty teach, so since they have the same anatomy, little girls can pick it up quicker. Some also believe that this is so because more often than not, mothers are the ones doing the potty training at home.
Potty training charts are very easy to use and can help motivate your child to use the toilet. The way a potty chart works is pretty simple: every time your toddler uses the toilet or potty, you can put another sticker on the chart. These charts are a helpful potty training incentive because your child can see tangible evidence of her achievement! Potty training charts are used by daycare providers and child psychologists. You can put your child’s name on the potty training chart and use a smiley face sticker every time your child is potty trained. Success in toilet training improves self-image and the ability to concentrate in school and in therapy. Successful toilet training is really a management problem. Nowhere is good management more helpful than during home training.
Remember that accidents are part of the learning process, as well as attention seeking behavior. The result is that your toddler has caught your eye! Accidents happen no matter what method you use and how quickly your child learns. When you do, clean quickly, doing very little.
Reward stickers and potty training charts are a great way to mark each success. Books in the bathroom, favorite treats for a job well done, a run to the park if they’ve been at it all day are all great ways to motivate them. Rewarding the child for potty training is a highly recommended course of action that will be found on the advice of any expert. Verbal praise is great, but using a visual aid, like a potty training reward chart, is even better.
