Potty training is an exciting milestone for your child. It’s another step toward independence, but it takes a lot of work to potty train a little one. Potty training can be quite the task for parents to accomplish as it can be challenging and messy.
By the time your baby is old enough to walk and keep their balance, they are at a place where they want to run around and won’t stay still. This can make the potty training process complicated. But it is necessary and honestly, the earlier the better! Would you believe it that by now your baby must have used up to 4,000 diapers!
When To Start Potty Training
Potty training is a big change for your baby and there is no point in forcing them to start the process if they are not ready for this big step. Readiness is an important factor for your baby’s potty training success and the age at which your baby may be ready is completely subjective.
The American Academy of Pediatrics generally doesn’t recommend potty training before 2, but there are a number of things to take into account besides your child’s age.
But how can you tell when your toddler is ready to put on their big kid pants? One obvious sign is that they are able to pull down and pull up their own pants, that is, their diapers.
- Staying dry for periods of two hours or more- Staying dry for naps and/or overnight- Removing his diaper when it is wet or dirty- Telling you when he has gone or is going in his diaper.
Another important factor to note is that boys do take a bit longer to potty train than girls and that this is completely normal.
Pull Ups Versus Underwear
Many experts suggest that your child skip the pullup phase and switch directly to underwear while potty training and there are good reasons for this. In addition to the gray areas that using pull ups can create, overcomplicating the process for your baby, underwear is favored more also because it is more uncomfortable while wet whereas pull ups are more absorbent which may demotivate your baby from potty training.
If you don’t think your child is ready to wear underwear all the time, he may not quite be ready for potty training yet, in which case, pull-ups can be a good starting point. Pull-ups can also be helpful for kids who go to daycare, where they have the option to use the bathroom on their own.
Potty-training tips
One of the biggest keys to potty training success is taking it on when you and your child are both ready. That said, here are a few more potty training tips:
Your child is a visual learner as all kids learn through observation. So the best way to teach your childs how to do something is to show them, and yes this extends to potty training as well. If your son is having a hard time learning how to aim or using the washroom maybe dad could show him the ropes.
Another good idea is to get a little potty for your child’s doll or teddy as well. Show them how teddy sits on the potty and how he washes his hands after he’s done. All of this will make a huge difference.
You can even have their doll sit on their own potty while your child sits on theirs, even if it’s just to practice. This will also help them feel less lonely or isolated in learning this new skill.
How to deal with potty-training accidents
Your little one is trying to learn something new and is doing their best. Potty training takes time and patience so don’t rush them. If they want to stop and are not ready for this big leap, that’s completely okay. You can always try pull ups and get back to potty training at a later date.
Your little one is trying to learn something new and is doing their best. Potty training takes time and patience so don’t rush them. If they want to stop and are not ready for this big leap, that’s completely okay. You can always try pull ups and get back to potty training at a later date.
Potty training your child is no joke. It takes time, energy and patience. So be sure to take on this task only when you and your child are up for it. No need to hurry them along. Happy parenting!
