Your first goal during potty training is to help your child stay dry through the daytime hours. Night time dryness will come a little later since they won’t be in control of their bodily functions while they’re sleeping.
Explain the situation to your child
Now that you decided to start the training, you should start with a talk to your child.
- At the start, explain to your child that from now own he or she will need to put their “pee-pee” and “poo” in the potty.
- Explain to your child how to do that. Tell them that when they feel the need to go they should hold it in just long enough until they get to the potty. Teach them how to sit down, and start peeing or pooping.
- Explain to your child that it is very important that they will tell you, when they need to go.
- You should also explain to your child about the advantages of getting rid from the diapers: no more diaper rash, no more interruptions for diaper changing, and the pleasure of being clean and dry.
- Explain to your child that training as an important stage of growing up.
- Show to your child with his/her favorite doll or action figure how to seat on the potty.
- Make a ceremony about throwing away your child’s diapers. Let your child throw their own diapers in the trash and give them a special crown or treat!
- You can start reading “potty” books to your child or watching potty videos. In fact, books and videos can really make the whole potty process a lot easier!
When potty training…
The important thing here is to let your child to take charge with a natural learning process. At the end, your child will need to realise by himself when to go.
It is important to keep a regular schedule. Put your child on the pooty chair or adapter first thing in the morning, before naps, after naps, after meals, after being dry for two hours, and before bedtime.
Be with them while they’re trying to do their business. You can read to them or just talk. Yes, books about potty training are great. You should keep them in the bathroom.
It is also a good idea to make them help you clean up if they has an accident. Don’t get angry but remind them to pee and poop in the toilet.
Help your child to let go
A routine will help in making your child more confident and comfortable during potty training. In fact, having your child on a schedule before potty training time can actually make the transition easier.
These regular diapering times will prepare your toddler for a regular potty schedule in the future. This doesn’t mean that you have to maintain a rigid schedule for years, but your toddler should know that he or she has a regular, natural pattern to each day. This sets your toddler up to succeed when the time is right for potty training.
Praise them during all the progress. For every child a progress will be different. At start it can be sitting more than 10 seconds. If nothing happens while your child sits, you can try turning the water on. Running water is a great way to inspire your child’s bowels to let go. Just remember not to push them to hard. If nothing comes out that’s OK. You’ll try again later.
Let them drink as much as they can. The more a child drinks, the more a child will need to urinate and respond to body signals. Occasionally say to your child, “It’s time to try now.”
Set a timer to remind your child when it’s time to go potty rather than doing all the reminding yourself. Use the reminder as a “before” condition: “After you use the potty, we will …”
It is important to maintain the same routine for several weeks. Keep in mind that even children who have mastered the bathroom procedure may wet their pants during the day for several weeks or months.
If you follow our guidance and still see no success, stop! Try again in a few weeks or months.
Whatever you do don’t go back to pull ups or diapers during the day!