A Look at Various Potty Training Techniques

There are many stories out there about parents who successfully potty train their children before the age of two or even younger! Other parents may tell you that their potty training experience was effortless. Regardless of whether or not these tales are true, they can be discouraging to say the least. The truth of the matter is that experts in the field of child studies and potty training suggest waiting until the child is ready to be potty trained rather than forcing it upon them. A child that is forced into being potty trained usually does not do so successfully and has long term negative effects from the ordeal.

There are many different potty training methods out there. But before listing some suggested methods it is important to specify which tactics do not work and should be avoided:

•Never spank, yell or threaten your child when potty training them. Associating potty training with negativity sends the wrong signal to your child.

•Avoid using food as a reward for potty training. There is no natural correlation to the satisfaction of receiving food and relieving oneself.

•Never force a child to potty train too early or to spend excessive amounts of time simply waiting for something to happen while sitting on the toilet.

Now here are some potty training methods that may be helpful to you as you start training your little one to use the toilet like a big kid.

Dedicate one hundred percent of your time to potty training – If you can, plan at least two weeks where you can stay at home or always be very close to a bathroom. Do not frustrate your child’s desire to go when he needs to by making toilets inaccessible.

Make it fun – Kids love positive reinforcement and are definitely motivated by it. Create a reward system for potty training that involves fun activities, stickers, and other rewards (not food, candy, or drink).

Make a big deal – When your child is successful at using the toilet make a big deal out of his accomplishment. Call grandma and show your child that you are so excited you just have to tell someone else.

Use a calendar to chart your progress – Decorate the days when your child successfully used the potty and look back on the calendar together to review the progress that has been made. Give your child something to look forward to if he is able to use the potty for a set number of days.

Different techniques for boys – Boys tend to be more difficult to potty train because they must learn how to aim into the toilet. Some suggest throwing a few cheerios in the toilet to use as target practice.

Monitor your child’s digestive process – By keeping your child on an eating schedule you will begin to see a pattern in when and how often he will need to use the restroom. In order to promote staying dry through the night avoid giving your child anything to drink two hours before putting him to bed.

Accept the help of others – Some children simply respond better to being potty trained by grandma or an aunt or uncle. There is nothing wrong with allowing someone else to help you potty train your child if they offer to help.

Consider the season – Potty training your child in the summer months is a good idea for several reasons. In the summer time your child can avoid the burdens of having to shed layers of clothing and waste precious time when they feel like they have to go. Simply wearing a diaper or big kid underwear makes getting to the potty fast and easy.

Do not become angry – Your child will have accidents and it will be very inconvenient for you as a parent, especially if you have other responsibilities to attend to. However, the last thing that you should do is become angry at your child. It is very common for frustrated parents to stress their toddler out to the point that the toddler holds in their waste for fear of getting in trouble again. Such practices are not only hazardous to your child’s health, but they will also be a considerable setback to accomplishing your potty training goals.