How to start potty training
How to teach a child to use the potty? When is the right time for this? How to approach teaching this skill? Most moms ask these questions and look for advice and tips. Here we would like to share an article where you will find some tips on how to do this easily and stress-free.
First, we should not forget that learning to use a potty is a big life development for a child. Parents should arm themselves with patience, you’ll likely need more of it than you can imagine.
When is the right time to start potty-training?
The success of potty-training does not depend on a certain age, but rather on physical and emotional readiness. If your child was raised using disposable nappies, it is likely that he or she will start showing interest in using a potty at around 2 or 2.5 years or even later. Do not rush your little one. If you start potty training too early, it’s likely that it will take considerably longer.
Is your child ready? Here are some questions for you:
- ✔ Does your child show interest in the potty or the toilet?
- ✔ Can your child understand and perform simple tasks?
- ✔ Is your child able to communicate either verbally or through body language that they need to use the potty?
- ✔ Does your child remain dry during the day for 2 hours or longer?
- ✔ Does your child show dislike of wet underwear?
- ✔ Can your child take off and put on underwear by themselves?
- ✔ Can your child sit down and get up from a potty by themselves?
If you answered ‘yes’ for most of these questions, it is likely that your child is ready for potty training. If you answered ‘no’ for many of these questions, perhaps it would be best to wait a bit longer. It is also not recommended to start potty training if your child has recently faced (or if they are currently facing) big life changes, such as, moving to a new place, adjusting to a new baby brother or sister, etc.
How to start using the potty?
Arm yourself with patience and positivity.
Place a potty in the bathroom. If you are using a training seat on an adult toilet, make sure that when your child sits on the toilet their feet are firmly placed on the ground or a step stool. Their legs shouldn’t dangle since this makes it more difficult for them to do their ‘business’.
Encourage your child to sit on the potty. It does not matter if they sit on the potty wearing a nappy or without it. If your child has done a ‘number two’, empty the nappy into the toilet or the potty together so that the child can make a connection between the bowel movement and the result of it.
Let your child see other members of the family using the toilet.
When your child starts to willingly sit on the potty, you can start putting your little one on the potty without a nappy a couple of minutes per day. Boys should also be put on the potty. Later, when they become more confident in using the potty, they can start using it standing up.
When your child is sitting on the potty, give them a book to look at or a favourite toy. Stay with the child and don’t leave them alone.
If your child only sat on the potty but nothing happened, praise the child and later remind them that they could try again.
Act quickly! When you notice that your child might need to use the potty – wriggling around, squatting, fidgeting – act quickly. Ask your child or just tell them, that they might want to use the potty and then quickly take them (or carry them if needed) to the bathroom. Praise your child for informing that they needed the potty, even if they didn’t manage to get to the potty on time. Teach girls right from the start to carefully wipe from front to back.
Children enjoy flushing the toilet. Let your little one do that, this could be a bit of a reward for using the toilet.
Get your little one used to washing hands after using the toilet.
Get some potty training pants. These training pants are like adult underwear. Kids like wearing them because it makes them feel grown-up. They can easily put them on and take them off.
You can find such potty training pants on the GREEN ROSE store online. The inner part of our potty training pants is made from bamboo and the outer layer is made from a waterproof fabric. Bamboo fabric can absorb a lot of moisture and the outer layer keeps it from making your child’s clothing wet. However, the little one will still feel the discomfort of the inner wet fabric, which encourages learning to use the potty faster.
Choose light clothing that your little one can easily put on and take off. Avoid overalls, bodysuits, belts, and other clothing items take would make it more difficult for your child to take off their clothes independently and use the potty.
Forming Toilet Habits
If you consistently teach your child to use the potty, they will likely learn to use the potty during the day in 2-3 months. However, teaching to use the potty at night can take much longer – up to a year. For this purpose, you can use special bed covers or potty training pants that absorb more moisture (GREEN ROSE potty training pants are suitable for this).
If you’ve started potty training, however, you notice that your child does not want to sit on the potty, cries, or completely protests against using it, take a break of 2-4 weeks. After a break, try everything again from the start. If it is still unsuccessful, try again in a couple of months.
You will breathe a sigh of relief once you notice that your child can confidently use the toilet/potty. However, don’t forget that there will still be some ‘accidents’ for some time. Here are a couple of tips to avoid these ‘accidents’:
- ✔ Most ‘accidents’ happen when the child is preoccupied with something interesting. For example, playing. In that case, remind them and ask them if they need to use the potty;
- ✔ Regularly go to use the potty – in the morning after waking up, after every meal, and before going outdoors, going on a trip or going to bed;
- ✔ Avoid giving your child lots of fluids in the evening;
- ✔ When an ‘accident’ happens, stay calm. Do not scold them, rebuke them or discipline them. Simply say ‘this time you didn’t make it, but next time you will remember to get to the potty sooner so that you make it in time’.
- ✔ Be ready for ‘accidents’. When going away for trips or nursery, have some spare underwear or training pants. If ‘accidents’ happen quite frequently, carry some spare clothing too.
Occasional ‘accidents’ are not harmful, however, if they do happen very frequently, especially if your child is 4 years or older and you have reasons for concern, make sure to discuss this with your doctor.
How did the potty training go with your child? Share your experience and tips in the comments below!