Potty Training: The First Step to Toilet Train Your Baby

Potty Training: The First Step to Toilet Train Your Baby

Our babies can't keep using diapers forever, now, can they? But the thing is, how do we do it? As parents, we get really eager for the day that our little ones would stop using diapers. It's a milestone for our children when they finally know how to go pee or poop. It's a celebratory moment when the need for diapers is gone for good.

However, potty training is not something every parent is ready for. Sometimes, when our kids are ready for potty training, we aren't and that's where the problem lies. The average age potty training boys and girls start at age 2. That's when they can already feel the urge to pee and that is when they can begin to feel and control their pee. Some children can already start as early as one year old or as late as four or five. So, at what age do you start potty training? How to potty train a stubborn boy or girl? We are going to talk about everything that has to do with potty training.

When should we start to potty train baby?

Potty training isn't something you should force on your child. You should always look for the signs when your little one is ready! But how will you know if your tot is ready for potty training? Here are some key points you need to understand before starting your potty training:

• Age Range.

The right age in teaching your little one how to be potty trained varies. There is a wide age range because some children learn as early as 18 months old and some can even be potty trained by age three or even as late as age five. There are too many factors for consideration. But in reality, a toddler can already feel that they have a full bladder by their first birthday or a little afterwards.

• Firstborn? Second? Third?

This is a major factor that affects your little one's ability to potty train quickly and efficiently. Firstborns have the tendency to take their tie in potty training compared to second borns or third born children. That is because first born kids don't have an older child to imitate especially in using a potty chair.

• Toddler Readiness.

Our children are easier to train when they can already walk and stand and move freely around. They would also show signs of readiness when they seem to stop what they are doing and you can notice their peeing or pooping face. It means that they are able to recognize the movement that they freeze and concentrate on doing it.

• Parent Readiness.

Even if your child is ready but if you're not, then it would be a difficult task to do it. You should prepare yourself for a messy series. You have to understand that some children will potty train in a couple of days but some would take a couple of months. It depends on your child really. But if you cannot commit, then you should leave potty training for another time. You need to understand that 'accidents' happen. You are at the stage where you are teaching your child to control their pee or poop until they get to the toilet.

How will you be ready in toilet training your toddler?

The best potty training starts with your point of view and not your child’s. You have to know that toilet training your tot is not just about your toddler but has a lot of 'you' involved in it.

• Be positive.

Always look at the progress! Don't ever discourage your child in training how to potty but rather expect your child to make mistakes and always look at it in a positive light.

• Patience! Patience! And more patience!

Your little one is very sensitive about potty training, if you want your little one to potty train quickly, you should be very patient. Potty training can take time and when we say time, it can take you months! So be patient!

• Ready to be down and dirty.

Potty training 101 tips to remember: it is a messy job! You need to clean the potty you need to prevent accidents. You need to wipe and sterilize the floor and everything else.

• Get the right equipment.

Don't buy so many unnecessary things. You can get a potty chair or a potty toilet seat that will fit any regular toilet seat. You can also get a step stool or a stepladder if your child is already three years old and above. If you have a late starter, you can skip the potty chair altogether.

How to potty train a toddler?

Now that you are ready to toilet train your baby, there are plenty of potty training tips out there that are effective in teaching your child how to do the doo-doo dance. Here are toilet training tips that will be of great help to your little one:

• Tell them where it came from

When changing your baby's diaper, you tell your child if your little one did a poopie or a peepee. Point where pee comes from. And point where poop comes from. If your toddler is still learning words and pee and poop sounds exactly the same, you can be creative in using other names like doo-doo or two-- for number two-- or wee or whatever makes you and your child comfortable.

• Mock Train

When you think your child is emotionally and physically ready to toilet train, then you can start setting a schedule in teaching your little one. Let your toddler sit on the potty every ten to fifteen minutes fully-clothed. This will allow your child to understand that peeing or pooping has a place beyond their booty.

• Do by Example

Showing by example how to sit on a potty or on a toilet will make your little one know what those potty chair or potty seats are for. A better way of demonstrating the use of a potty chair is by getting your older child to show your tot. If he/he is your first born, get a familiar playmate or cousin or relative that your child likes and have them demonstrate.

• Explain! Encourage!

Your toddler needs to know what is going on. You have to show and tell. Show them how it's done and tell them what it is. Other than that, you always have to encourage your child. Let your little one know that peeing and pooping in the toilet is a big kid thing!

When they do have an 'accident', do not get mad. Don't ever shout or punish their accidents and never raise your tone on your little one. You should be encouraging, they feel bad enough they dirtied themselves; they don't need to feel worse by you shouting at them. Tell them it's ok and that next time, they should do it in the potty. You should also show them how to clean it up and explain that if they keep doing it everywhere then it would be difficult to clean up.​

• Let them tattletale

Being a tattletale is not a good thing unless they tattle on themselves. Encourage them to tell you if they had an accident. Praise them when they tell you but don't give them a reward since they did have an accident. Tell your toddler that you appreciate them telling you that they peed or pooped elsewhere.

• Positive reinforcement

You don't need to buy them something or give them a prize when they are successful in peeing or pooping. Remember that children crave your attention so much! Your praise and recognition are better than a tangible reward. Besides, there is a con to giving prizes; they would expect you to keep giving them a prize when they are successful in going to the potty.

• Booty time!

It's good to just dress your little one in just a shirt or a dress. Let them have their booty time. Letting then go around half naked isn't bad as long as you don't make them feel bad about it. It lets them run to the potty much quicker and believe it or not, they become more aware of their bowel movement that they will, in turn, learn to control it until they get to the potty.

Research has shown that toddlers will learn to be disgusted with their own pee in time. When they get to pee or poop on themselves, they will find a place where it's supposed to be put and that means away from their legs but definitely inside the potty.​

• Have fun with potty training

Have fun in everything. You always have fun learning new words and nursery rhymes, so you should do the same with potty training. Learn how to do potty training tricks that will make it fun for your child. You can involve your other kids as well as other people in the fun. Teach your child not to be disgusted with their own pee and poop but instead be aware of it. Here is a potty training idea that helps, have a potty song. It helps your child become comfortable in the toilet if they have a familiar song they can sing or dance with while on the toilet seat.

One interesting potty idea that proved to be helpful is by sticking glow in the dark stickers up in the ceiling. Your little one can go see the pink or blue or yellow stars if they pee on the potty. This is a good potty training trick to help toddlers from peeing on the bed at night.​

• Read on

Get potty training inspired books that you and our toddler can read on. This will make your little one easily relate to being potty trained. This lets them have an idea that other people experience potty training too.

• Communicate with others

How to potty train a late starter? Well, you can do the following routines we have suggested but this time, you need to let other people know that your little one is potty training, especially if they go to school. Let your teacher know that your toddler is still learning 'how to do potty train'. You should also pack in extra pants, big kid underwear and in case, a diaper, if all those clothes happen to be soiled.

Let your other family members know it too. So if in case your little one tells someone else they need to go to the potty, then anyone can assist your little one before it’s too late.​

How to potty train a boy? How to potty train a girl?

Potty training a girl is relatively easier than potty training a boy they say but the reality is it really depends on the child and not the gender. And potty training a toddler has something to with it too. But here are potty training tips for girls that you might find handy:

• Teach to sit and wipe.

Teach your daughter to sit her entire booty on the potty. Make her feel very comfortable with the seat.

• Make it really fun for her.

You can try dropping in a few drops of food coloring and let your child be amazed to see that she can magically change blue to green or red to orange.

Teaching little boys can be a bit more difficult since they are generally easily distracted. Here are some fun and better ways to potty train a boy :​

• Redirect his attention towards potty training.

That's why we really love having our sons to put his attention towards peeing. You can encourage your little on by getting a cute urinal or an interesting toilet seat.

• Shoot some hoops.

Teach your little one how to practice his aim. He can be a little distracted by something else so try dropping in some round cereals or treats and let them aim for it. If you are a single mom having trouble with your little one, let him learn from uncle, grandpa or cousin.

• Play a game of no spills.

Tell him he will get a prize every time he shoots his entire pee in the toilet without toilet seat drips or with as little drips as possible. And don't forget to include in the routine to always remember to put the toilet seat up when peeing and down afterwards.

How to switch to night mode?

When your little one has mastered potty training by day, you can level up with your child to potty train at night. Always set a routine that you should commit to sticking. Never forget this routine until it sticks.

• Prep time.

When your little one is new to sleeping with the big kid underwear, don't over fuss about it. Let your little one know that it is time to get rid of diapers and that you should encourage them that they can wake up dry and comfy. Lay a sheet of plastic underneath the first thin layer of bed sheet. You can lay the comforter underneath it. They can also suggest trying to do it themselves. Try it out for about a week and see if they can sleep dry about five days. This means they are practically ready for it.

• Before bedtime.

Always let your child goes to the potty before he/ she sleeps. Try to limit liquids at night especially an hour or two before bedtime.

• Waking Up.

Once your tot wakes up, let it be routine to go to the toilet and pee first before brushing his/ her teeth. This is a good daily morning routine that will make night mode much easier for you. This happens your little tot is already able to hold his/ her pee for a long period of time.

Potty training a toddler doesn't have to be difficult. You just need plenty of encouragement and a whole basket full of patience. Potty training can be a breeze if you learn tricks on your own and communicate well with your child.

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