Potty Training - Helpful hints to help you and your child!
One of the most stressful times in any parent’s life is when their child is potty training. I am in the process of potty training my third child, and it doesn’t get any easier. My first child, a boy, potty training wasn’t fully complete until he was age three and a half, and even then he had an accident or two. My second child was a girl, so I was expecting that common old adage to be true—“girls are easier to control potty training than boys”—not true, at least not for me. She showed interest earlier than my son, but again wasn’t done potty training until she was three and a half. Even then, she knew when she was wet; she had problems doing a “number two”. Finally, my third child, another girl, is potty training right now. She turned three a couple months ago and showed no interest in potty training until about one month ago. She is doing well, although most of the time she doesn’t stay dry and clean at bedtime. I have noticed the one thing that was consistent in the potty training process for each of my children was that they began to tell my they had gone potty after they had done it. That was the first sign I had that they were ready to begin potty training. Some other advice I would offer regarding potty training are:
•If your child shows interest or asks to sit on the potty, let them do it. However, don’t expect anything to happen the first few times. Give them praise or a small gift for trying.
•Buy your child “big girl” or “big boy” underwear, or better yet, let them pick them out. If they show interest in wearing them, let them try them on, or even wear them for a while. Keep the potty close by, of course! If they have an accident, don’t scold them. Make sure they understand that accidents happen and it’s okay.
•Give small rewards or keep a sticker chart to show their progress. This gives them extra incentive to keep going back to the bathroom instead of their diaper.
•Don’t begin to potty-train if your family is going through a stressful or very busy time, such as moving to a new house, going through a divorce, or if you are pregnant or have recently had another child.
•Don’t put pressure on your child; let them take the lead. They tend to do better with privacy. It’s ok to give them some helpful tips or information, but most likely, they will learn it on their own.
•Relax! Don’t get stressed out about your child’s potty training progress or lack of progress. Each child is different and comparing “your baby” to other children will only add more stress.
Celebrate this milestone in your child’s life!