Potty training is a welcome milestone for any parent. No one that I know wants to be changing diapers much past the child’s second birthday.
However, children vary greatly in their adoption of the potty routine which is influenced by a child’s innate ability and maturity.
However, there several tips and techniques you can use to hasten the blessed day when your toddler says: “Mommy, I did potty by myself”.
Potty Training Does Not Be Stressful
Potty training your child could be a big challenge, especially if it is your firstborn. You may be a little nervous wondering if you are doing everything correctly to ensure the process goes as smoothly as possible.
Potty training is a natural part of a child’s development and can be made easier just by understanding factors that indicate your child is ready to begin learning the task.
There are ways to take care of your kids without always getting stressed out. Here is a list of techniques that a person can use to help manage their daily stresses and anxieties while taking care of the kids.
5 Must-Ask Questions Before Potty Training
If you are thinking about starting to potty train your toddler, there are a few questions you should ask yourself before you begin potty training. Being well prepared for this challenging transition from diapers to potty is one of the best things you can do to make this as easy as possible on your child.
1. Is My Child Ready?
You want to start potty training at just the right time. You will know that your child is ready when he or she gets more interested in you going to the potty, tells you right away when the diaper is wet or pulls on it and seems uncomfortable with it.
Give potty training a try, if your child doesn’t seem ready despite the signs, wait a few weeks and try again.
2. Am I Ready?
Just as important as your child being ready is that you are ready. Prepare yourself mentally for the transition from diaper to potty for your child.
You will need a lot of patience and understanding. There are going to be resentment, tears and the occasional accident. Make sure you are prepared for this so you can stay calm and supportive for your child.
3. Do We Need A Potty Chair?
A regular toilet is very intimidating for a child. The seat is rather large and your child will have to hold on to avoid falling in. In addition “things” vanish in there when you flash – which can be a pretty scary thought for your child. Many kids are more comfortable with a potty chair at first.
After a few weeks you should be able to move on to a potty seat insert that fits on your regular toilet eliminating the potty cleanup.
4. Should I Use A Potty Doll?
A potty doll is not a necessity when it comes to potty training, but can be a great tool.
A potty doll will pee like an actual child and usually comes with diapers, panties and a potty chair. The doll can help tremendously during the pre-potty training phase when you are getting your child used to the idea of going in the potty instead of the diaper.
You can illustrate what’s supposed to happen on the doll and let your child warm up to the idea by playing with the doll in the same fashion. When you are ready to potty train, put the doll on the potty right next to your child.
5. Should We Use Potty Training Rewards?
Before you start potty training, you should decide if you are going to use some sort of rewards as encouragement for your child, or if you will simply make your child feel great about his successes by being his cheer leader. Simple potty training rewards can include stickers, candy like a few jellybeans or M&M’s, or you can use some sort of tracking chart for bigger rewards.
Using simple rewards can be a great potty training tool, but it isn’t by any means necessary as long as you get the message across to your child that you are proud of him.
Take a few minutes to answer these potty training questions for yourself and go over them with your spouse as well to ensure you are on the same page before you start potty training your child. It will help you give your child a clear picture of what you are both trying to accomplish and will cut down on any confusion.
Potty Training Is Not For The Faint Of Heart
If you’ve determined that your child is ready for potty training, it’s time to take the plunge. It’s not easy, but don’t despair, your child will master potty training some time before kindergarten. It’s important to make sure you’re ready, too, because potty training requires a lot of commitment on the part of the Mom.
First, you need to make potty training a project.
If your child is really ready, and you make the commitment to focus on it, many children can be trained in about a week. But, you’ve got to stay on top of it to make it go quickly. Here are some tips to help you out.
Use the timer
Tell your child that when the bell rings, it’s time to race to the potty. Then set the timer for 20 minutes. When the timer goes off, race to the potty with the child and see if she can go. If not, set the timer for another 20 minutes and try again. As you determine the right interval, you can wait longer between alarms. But 20-minute interval is a good place to start. This makes a game for you and your toddler.Iit ensures that you won’t forget to ask if she needs to potty. Success breeds success here. If she can go for a long time without wetting her diaper, it will encourage her to remember. But, at first, you’ve got to remember.
Offer rewards
Offer some sort of reward every time your child goes in the potty. Double it if she tells you she needs to go and then actually goes. Every success should be wildly celebrated. We do our happy dance, sing our song and get stickers, each and every time.
Let the little one go naked
This tactic works best for those without carpet. Your child will really get the picture about how potty training works if he has an accident while wearing nothing on his bottom.
It can be messy, but you’ll probably find that it really speeds up the process. It seems to work especially well with girls, as they really don’t like the feeling of wetness.
Fortunately, there are lots of tools that can help you, like books and dolls with their own potty.
But the number one factor in succeeding quickly is simply making potty training a priority, so get prepared. Plan ahead of time to make this week “potty training week” and then stick to the plan. Stay home as much as possible to make training easier. Before you know it, you’ll be kissing those diapers goodbye!
Dealing with Constipation
Some children don’t like having bowel movements, perhaps because they have felt pain before, and now resist going. This resistance can cause constipation as the feces become hard and compacted, making bowel movements even more painful.
Here are some questions you can ask to determine whether your child is constipated or not.
- have they had a bowel movement in the past few days?
- have they had less than their normal amount of bowel movements this week?
- were their stools hard and dry?
- was it painful for them to pass?
- do they have stomach cramps or a distended stomach?
- are they complaining of being nauseous?
- are they losing weight?
- have they been vomiting for no apparent reason?
- are their underpants regularly soiled with claylike or liquid feces?
If you have answered yes to several of the above then you’ll know you need to take action and help your child. You can’t make your child have a bowel movement so what can you do?
Get your child to drink more fluids, preferably water.
- If they are severely constipated and over nine months of age then some prune juice mixed with water should sort them out overnight.
- Make sure their diet is high in fiber – try giving them some dried fruit or grapes and reduce the amount of dairy they have.
- Reduce their sugar intake
- Licorice can have a laxative effect and is a better option than medication which should only be given with your physician’s approval.
- Make sure they are getting enough exercise – it may be reflection of a sluggish metabolism.
- Encourage them to go as soon as they feel the need.
- If they just don’t like it then talk about the importance of having regular bowel movements and how everyone does it.
- Encourage your child to sit on the potty for ten minutes an hour or so after each meal to see if you can encourage some regularity.
- Make sure your child can rest their feet on a stool or the floor so that they feel stable and balanced and can easily push.
- Try to make having a bowel movement more pleasant for your child by encouraging them to read a book or listen to music while they sit.
If constipation doesn’t go away then it is best to see your family doctor for advice as it may be indicative of something more serious.
