Potty training toddlers is not for the faint of heart, as it can be a real chore.
Many parents cannot wait for their children to start using the potty, as this will do away with the expense and mess of diapers.
The process is never cut and dried but there are some tips that can help the make the process as painless as possible.
Is it time?
The biggest mistake parents make when potty training toddlers is starting before the child is ready. Most of the time a parent will be ready to get rid of diapers before the child will.
A child is usually ready to start potty training when they have an interest in the toilet, when they are able to voice their need to have a bowel movement, and if they know when they need to urinate.
Even if they are still using diapers, if they are doing these things chances are that potty training can begin because they have expressed and interest and they recognize the signs from their body.
Patience, Patience, Patience
When potty training toddlers you have to go in knowing that there are going to be accidents. You need to be patient and understanding when this happens.
It is easy to get upset at your child when he or she does have an accident, but this will not help. Instead, explain to your child that you are proud of the progress that they have made and that accidents will happen.
Even if you are frustrated, don’t let your child see that in your behavior or your body language as it might cause them to regress in their training.
Keep it Consistent!
Toddlers do best when they have a routine and when they have a set of consistent expectations. With this in mind, you need to carry this over to the potty training process.
Decide how you will potty train your toddler, get a good potty training guide, explain the process, and keep it the same every time.
You will want to reward them when they have succeeded, so figure out ahead of time what this reward will be.
Will they get a sticker?
Have a book read to them?
Sing a song?
Rewarding your child for successful attempts will help to encourage them to continue, but when potty training toddlers this reward system as well as the set of expectations needs to remain the same each and every time for it to work.
