Potty training your toddler can be one of the most stressful experiences you have as a parent. You can expect plenty of accidents, plenty of tantrums and plenty of tears but once you’ve cracked it, it will seem like it was all a doddle.
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Take Their Lead
Far too many people make the mistake of not letting their child take the lead when it comes to potty training. If a child isn’t ready, they aren’t ready and boy, will they let you know about it. You may see some success at first but this can often be a fluke and they don’t quite understand yet what they should be doing. They won’t want to do what you want them to do and there will be tantrums and lots of tears.
If you follow their lead, you will find that you crack it really quickly as your child is showing you that they now feel uncomfortable in nappies and prefer using the toilet. Whether you use a potty, toilet seat or let them perch on the actual toilet, let them show you their preferences and let them guide you.
Praise Them
When they have a potty training success, make a big deal out of it. Praise them so they see how happy you are at them doing something. Reward them with something – a sticker on their chart perhaps – and then when they achieve a certain amount of stickers, let them choose a reward.
Don’t Have A Day Off
Once your child has shown signs of being ready for potty training, you have to be consistent. Some people crack potty training in just a couple of days and this is because they are consistent with their efforts. Make them try sitting on the toilet or potty a few times a day and if they have an accident, don’t make a big deal of it – just clean it up and remind them to try and use the bathroom instead
Sometimes You’ve Got To Be Tough
Wees are super easy for children to crack but poos are a different matter. Many children experience poo anxiety where they are just too scared to go for a poo. Try to remain encouraging and praise them when they do something but if they refuse to do it in the toilet and only do it if a nappy is on, it will come to a point where you need to remove nappies from the equation – even if it is just to force them to use the toilet for their number 2s.
You may still want to put a nappy on them at night but perhaps don’t put it on until they’ve used the toilet for both a wee and a poo. If your child still won’t do it on the toilet, then please consult a doctor.
Once you’re in the swing of things, potty training can be super easy and over in a matter of days. Consistency and following their lead is key – you’ve got this!
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