Print  |   Bookmark 

11/1/2008 - by Anne Marie Nielson
  
Potty Training

Potty training is a big step in a child's life. Some children are ready early, while others are not ready until much later. When both you and your child are ready to begin potty training, it will be time. Be sure your child is showing signs of readiness and that you have enough time and energy to devote to helping your child every day.

Before you begin, let your child become familiar with a potty chair. Set one out where he or she comes into contact with it every day. Let your child visit the bathroom while you are using it so they get used to what you do on the potty, and let them help flush the toilet.

Once your child is comfortable sitting on the potty chair while playing, allow them to try it out with their diaper removed. Don't force the issue; just let them get used to it on their own terms. You can help them associate the potty chair with their urine and bowel movements by showing them. Place bowel movements from their diaper in the chair, let them see, and show them how you empty it into the toilet.

Once your child is familiar with the potty chair, you can begin potty training. Keep your child in clothing that is quick and easy to remove. Whenever you see your child looking like they need to go to the bathroom, you need to move them to the potty chair as soon as possible. Your child may make a face, or tug on their clothing, or maybe place their hand near their genitals. If you see this kind of behavior, tell your child that these are signals that their body needs to go potty. It probably hasn't occurred to them.

You can also encourage your child to use the potty several times during the day, like an hour after eating or drinking. You may need to put them on the potty every 2 hours or less. The majority of children will have one bowel movement a day and will urinate about an hour after drinking.

Remain with your child while they are on the potty chair. Read a story, or talk about something you're both looking forward to. This will help your child relax on the potty. If your child is successful, praise them for their good efforts. If nothing happens, don't scold your child. Be patient and suggest maybe next time something will happen.

Potty training can take as long as three months of daily work. Many children continue to have accidents occasionally… don't punish your child if this happens. Many children can be potty trained during the day, and still not be ready to be night trained. It is perfectly normal for night training to take another year or more. Once your child wakes up dry repeatedly, you may think about introducing training pants at night. If your child is not having much success with potty training, it could be that they are not ready yet. Wait a few months and try again.

At From Pregnancy To Baby, we try to provide you with all of the latest information about going through your pregnancy from your first trimester to the first years of your new babies life. We also provide the highest quality books and products to help you through that time.

Source: http://www.frompregnancytobaby.com/Articles/Potty-Training.html