Potty Training

Potty training! The way it sounds, makes potty training seem like a whole science. If you do some research on the internet you will surely agree with my feeling, as there are countless sites presenting potty training theories, approaches, methods and materials, equipment, etc. Besides the moms and dads who share their experiences in the field of potty training, there are also specialists, among which pediatricians and psychologists, who write and explain the dos and don’ts of potty training and the related phenomena and situations. 

Successful potty training requires a positive attitude and an incredible amount of patience on the parents’ part. Besides and more importantly, it requires also cooperation and readiness on the part of the child.

Trying to train a child who is not physically or emotionally mature will not only be unproductive, but it will also cause unnecessary stress for both parents and children. Therefore, before deciding to start potty training, you should make sure that your child is ready for this process. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, although between the ages of 18 and 24 months most children show signs of being ready for potty training, there are still children who reach this stage only when they are 30 months old or even later than that. How do you know that your child is ready for potty training? Well, there are signs, of course.

You may notice that your child shows some interest in using the toilet or potty; the child starts making faces and changing his/her posture or telling you when it is time to urinate; sometimes children want to be changed soon after soiling their diapers; or they can speak well enough to be able to tell when they need to use the potty. All these, and others, are signs that the time for potty training is here.

Now, once you noticed that the child is ready for potty training, there are a few things to know about actually ding it. Maybe the most important is how to start potty training. Obviously, the first step is buying a potty chair which is smaller than the regular toilet. The size makes the child feel safer while potty training. Get the child to sit on the potty during the times when s/he is likely to urinate or have bowel movements.

To convince the child to sit on the potty longer, you may want to read to him, sing a song together with him or simply talk. Anyway, potty training does not mean forcing the child to sit there too long or against his will. While potty training, you should also avoid physical aggressiveness or verbal violence.

The opposite, encouraging and rewarding or praising the child during potty training will always help.