Let’s Talk: Potty Training
As your baby grows into a toddler and beyond, there are many ways they will become more independent. While reaching milestones can be exciting, potty training might require more of your patience and attention.
Every child is different, so it can be tricky to know which potty-training approach will work best for your child. In order to successfully teach your child good bathroom habits, they must first be able to sense the urge to go, understand what this feeling means, and verbalize it.
For help on beginning your child’s bathroom journey, we have compiled a list of tips and tricks to encourage your child to go.
- Make sure your child is ready. Try not to rush the process and start training too early, before your little one has the ability to achieve success.
- Buy “big kid” underwear as a sign of encouragement. Explain to your child that once they learn how to use the potty, they can wear the fun, big kid underwear.
- Get your child involved in choosing the potty. Shopping for a potty chair or seat together will allow your child to feel more included and create excitement when using their new potty.
- Create a potty-training song. If your child seems nervous about using the potty, musical encouragement can help them feel more relaxed and get into the groove.
- Don’t punish mistakes. Although potty training struggles can be frustrating at times, resist the urge to get angry or punish your toddler. Instead, let them know it is okay and they can try again later.
Keep in mind, the order and speed for each of these skills to be mastered may differ from child to child. It is impossible to compare one child to another when determining if their progress is “normal.”
Do not get discouraged throughout this process. Your child will make progress and use the potty when they are ready! For more tips and tricks on how to incite potty-training habits in your child, click here.
