Five easy potty-training tips · Dr Dad
Tags: Moms, Dads, Pregnancy, Baby, Children

Potty training for kids appears like a very complicated task. But, if parents follow the right step at the right time as per their child’s behavior, it is not as complicated as it feels. Parents should give foremost importance to the fact that they should not force their kids to go to the bathroom every time they feel the urge in their initial period of potty training. Putting too much pressure on the child to potty train would make the task difficult, as they might feel irritated every time they are taken to the bathroom.

1. Parents should make their children understand in their child’s most favorite way why it is needed to use the bathroom and let go of the diapers. They can read them stories or books on potty -training. Parents need to make them believe that it is a fun thing to go potty or make it a game to enjoy the training time.

2. Kids are often fascinated when they are addressed as ‘big boy’ or ‘big girl.’ They are interested in doing things that elders do, like putting on their mom’s makeup or heels, putting on dad’s shaving cream, etc. Parents can potty train effectively by making them believe that this is what elders do and not using diapers would make them a ‘big boy’ or a ‘big girl’.

3. Not all kids are ready to get potty trained at the same age. Parents should observe the behavior of their children and gradually approach it. If any child is going through any other training, they should postpone it until it is done. Too much training can irritate the child. Parents should continuously keep up conversations about it to get used to it and consider it a normal thing to do. Kids would also get the idea that they need to inform when they need to go to the bathroom, though they are still in diapers.

4. Kids need to be relaxed and stress-free when potty training. If there is any chance of discontinuity like a vacation, outing, function, etc., parents should delay it until everything gets over. Training should be done continuously until the kids get used to it. To make it a fun thing for them, parents should read out to them potty-training kids’ books or let them watch a cartoon on it. They should feel free and willing when asked to go to the bathroom.

5. During potty training, kids may not always be successful in doing it right. Parents should not make them feel discouraged or let them understand that it’s dirty. They should be given applause or rewards for every small step they take. This will make the kids willing to do it right and give their effort.

There is no such perfect step to it. Each parent should start their kid’s potty training as per the kid’s behavior towards it. The training should begin according to the pace of the kid’s interest. Pressurizing can build in fear among them, leading to a change in the bowel timing, affecting the child’s health. Children, along with potty training, should be taught proper hygiene. They should be taught the need to wash their hands. Also, at times, kids may get bored going to the bathroom and want to put on diapers; parents should handle the situation with ease and never allow them to get back to diapers, which might lessen the habit.

Kids get fascinated by the movie characters they watch. They often try to mimic them. Parents, if they fail to potty train the kids in a usual way can use this alternative. They can make up stories to make them believe that diapers are for babies, and they need to let it go. This will create interest in them and will ultimately make the training much more manageable.

It is advised to the parents to get their kids potty trained before their kindergarten. Staying in diapers for too long is not a healthy option, and if already potty trained, they should be made comfortable to go to the bathroom on their own. This is where hygiene matters; they should be able to clean themselves and properly wash their hands.

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Toddlers are those babies within the age group 18–36 months, though it may vary. They are very active as they toddle around throughout the day. Babies at this age are most active and curious about their surroundings. They are at the age where they can slowly start expressing what they feel in their way. As they are not lying down or sitting at a single place, they start feeling the diapers’ heaviness and uncomfortableness when moving around. Parents must observe the changes in their behavior and decide the right time to get rid of the diapers.