Potty Training Tips

New parents are often nervous about potty training. Some frequently asked questions are: How do I know when my child is ready? How do I encourage this readiness? What do I do about accidents?

This is a venture which requires plenty of patience and a willingness to accept setbacks. Most children are ready to begin between 18 and 36 months. An early sign that a child is ready is indicating that he or she wants to be changed right away. The best time to begin training is when your child is letting you know, either by facial expressions or verbally, that he or she is about to go.

Let your child get used to sitting on the potty fully clothed. The potty can be left in the room where he or she typically plays to get him or her used to the idea of using it. Young children want to mimic their parents and older siblings, so if they are allowed to stay in the room when someone else is using the toilet, they’re likely to want to try too. When the child is ready, have them sit on the potty without the diaper on.

You can encourage your child's readiness by reading children’s books about the subject to them. There are also videos available.

Help your child see what he or she is trying to accomplish by emptying the contents of a dirty diaper into the potty so she can see where it goes. Let them flush the contents.

Encourage your child to sit on the potty for two to four minutes every hour, especially after a meal, snack or nap. If your child puts up strong resistance to doing this, it’s probably not the right time to start training.

When you’re striving for this milestone, it’s important to communicate to your child that accidents are ok and that you know he will eventually succeed. Most of all, don’t push and don’t punish. It can take three months or longer to successfully potty train a child. Ultimately it’s something that will come easily when the child is ready, and not a moment before.

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