Easy Potty Training

Most parents dread potty training, especially because most of the advice they are getting about it is contradictory. The good news is, potty training does not have to be hard if parents follow a few simple steps.

A Team Effort

Before beginning potty training, parents need to agree the time is right. They also need to agree on the words to be used to discuss potty training with the child.

After the parents have made the decisions regarding methods and words to be used, be sure to inform other care givers who will need to help your child use the bathroom.

Show and Tell

Educating your child about her body and its functions is the first step in easy potty training. She needs to learn how her body works and what the feelings coming from her bladder and bowels mean.

This doesn’t need to be highly scientific, keep your conversations with her at her level and use the words you’ve chosen for her training.

The next step is to let your child go to the bathroom with you. She’s probably been doing this anyway, so use the time to explain to her that everyone goes potty.

Children are naturally curious, she’ll ask plenty of questions, answer them plainly and simply. If your child hasn’t been following you into the bathroom already, you may feel a little invaded at first.

It’s important to relax so she gets the message that using the bathroom is a natural process and everyone does it.

Praise Praise Praise

Praise all her efforts and reward her successes. She will be eager to do it again. One of the best rewards are stickers she can put on a potty chart to celebrate times she used the potty or had a dry night.

All in all, your child is just as eager to be potty trained as you are. She’s starting to see the difference between babies and big kids and wants to be one as quickly as possible (because they have all the fun!).

Let her learn at her own pace and your diaper days will soon be over.

http://www.pottytrainingtips.us provides articles and information on How to Start Potty Training for new parents.

The Right Age For Potty Training

One of the most frequently asked questions by first time parents is “what is the right age for potty training?” The short answer to that is There isn’t one.

Regardless of what you may hear from well-meaning friends and relatives, the right age to potty train your child is when your child is ready. Attempting to potty train a child who has not shown any signs of readiness will frustrate both you and the child and very possibly make him resistant to potty training in the future.

Helping Your Child Get Ready

You can help your child get ready for potty training by encouraging his natural curiosity. Let him follow you into the bathroom and explain that you’re going potty. Let him learn how the toilet works. If his natural curiosity leads him to start happily flushing everything in sight, a simple toilet lid lock from the hardware store will save your sanity and your pocketbook.

You can also help him recognize that he goes potty. Ask him if his diaper is wet. When he starts to tell you on his own that he needs to be changed, he’s getting close to being ready for potty training. Switching to cloth diapers at this point will also help since the cloth diapers don’t wick the moisture away from his skin, he will be more able to feel wet.

Be Ready Yourself

Prepare for potty training by having the things you’ll need on hand. If you decide to use a potty seat or potty chair, have it ready. Your child will need training pants or underwear which you can let him choose. He may decide to give it a try if it means he gets to wear his special new Superman underwear.

Get Your Team Ready

Anyone who interacts with your child needs to be prepared to support your potty training efforts and methods. Daycare providers, relatives, friends or anyone who may need to help him needs to know what words he’ll use to tell them he needs to go potty and what do to help him.

He will become frustrated with the process if he tries to tell someone he needs to use the bathroom, and they don’t understand what he means or what routine he’s expecting. If you are using a sticker chart or other reinforcement/reward system, he will be very put out if he uses the potty and doesn’t get a sticker from grandma.

The only one who can tell you when your child is ready for potty training is your child. By being ready yourself, you’ll be able to act quickly and take advantage of the window of opportunity when it presents itself

http://www.pottytrainingtips.us provides articles and information on How to Start Potty Training for new parents.