Helpful Potty Training Tips for Girls & Boys
Helpful Potty Training Tips for Girls & Boys
As your little one approaches the toddler years, everything begins to change. Clothes get bigger, cribs go away, walking turns to running, and soon you wonder, is it time to start potty training? There is no strict timeframe to start potty training, but generally your child will be ready to move away from diapers to a big kid toilet between 18 months and 3 years old. Some signs to look for might be them asking you to change their diaper right after they pee or toddler sized poops that just don’t fit in baby diapers anymore.
Everyone has different opinions about how to potty train your child, but remember to stick with what makes you comfortable. We’ve pulled together some of the basic methods to help you get started.
1. Quit Cold Turkey
If your child is showing basic interest in the toilet and doesn’t seem to have any fears around going to the bathroom, then your best bet might be to block out some time and give potty training a go. Show your child how to use the toilet and give them some time to understand this new idea. Then, pull on their new big kid underpants and wait. Most parents report a few accidents at first, but the discomfort caused by doing it this way usually convinces their children to start using the toilet within a day or two.
2. Gradually Get Them There
Another popular potty training method is placing your child on the toilet once or twice a day when they’re getting dressed in the morning or before bed at night. This gives your child the opportunity to get used to sitting on a toilet and eventually might convince them to try peeing there. Once this step is achieved, you can encourage them to do it on their own. Many parents find this method successful because once their child starts going on the toilet they often don’t want to stop.
3. Set A Timer
One technique, often used by daycare centers and nursery schools, is to put your child on the toilet every 20 or 30 minutes to limit the accidents they might have and encourage them to go while they’re in the bathroom instead. Over a few days, increase the time to 40 minutes, 60 minutes, 90 minutes and hopefully by the time you reach almost 2 hours, your child will understand to go to the bathroom when they have to pee rather than in their diaper. This method works well if you have a few full days to dedicate to it, though many parents say they’ll find a bathroom for their child after 20 minutes even when they’re out and about in public!
4. Peer Pressure
Luckily, you are not alone in having trouble potty training your little one. Be sure to chat with other parents about what works and doesn’t work for them (without judging your own methods), and encourage your child to be inspired by their friends who are already using the potty like a big kid. A lot of times, if your child is afraid or being stubborn about going to the bathroom, having another kid their age or even a sibling close in age demonstrate can help push them to really want pee on the potty themselves.
5. The Bribe
If your child is being especially resistant, there is nothing better than a good old-fashioned bribe. From stickers and candy to Batmobile beds, lots of parents find luck in using praise, treats, and rewards to finally get their child out of diapers. You can promise your child M&Ms for a day without accidents, or give them a nickel for their piggy bank every time they pee. It also can help to take them shopping and let them pick out their very own big kid underwear with their favorite characters.
Whatever mehod you end up using to potty train your little one, remember that staying positive and talking with your child about what may or may not scare them really helps to make the transition easier on the whole family. There are lots of resources to help make this happen – including books about kids who go to the bathroom for the first time and singing pottys that light up and make potty training fun. With dedication, praise, and a few bad accidents, your little one will be peeing and pooping like a big kid in no time.
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