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Potty Training – Easy as 1-2-3 First thing you need to know is that I do not claim to be any kind of child expert. All I can do is tell you what worked for me – several times. Granted I only have one child, but I have potty-trained three kids all myself and helped train about an additional twenty kids. I used to teach preschool so right there makes me highly qualified, right?
There is great debate as to the “right” age to start training your child. In
my opinion, there is no “right” age. While I am not one of those extremists
who thinks that your three month old is ready to be held over the potty, I
also think that by age three your child should be potty trained, at least
during the day. That is also assuming your child has no special needs or
issues that may delay their development and/or their ability to be potty
trained. Two-years-old is a good place to start. Some may be ready a little
before, some a little after, but it gives you a starting point. Usually when your child is approaching readiness, they will do any of the following: 1.Tell you
they want to sit on the potty. One thing to note, if you decide both you and your child are ready to start potty training, make sure you have the time to devote to it. Don’t try it for a week and then go on vacation. Wait until you get back home and get back into your normal routine. It’s very difficult to start something, drop off and then pick it back up later.
I usually start by setting a timer for twenty minutes. Yes, I know, it sounds excessive to do this EVERY twenty minutes, but in my opinion it helps to limit accidents. The timer is just as much a reminder for me as it is the child. Once your child gets the hang of what's going on and doesn't have many accidents, try expanding the amount of time between trips to the potty.
Potty Preference My son was a breeze to train. I trained him in a week between summer and fall sessions of school. It was warm outside so I just let him run around naked and we stayed at home for an entire week. If we were outside he just peed outside. Now I understand that isn’t for everybody, but there was some sort of novelty about being able to pee outside. Another thing that made it easy was that I would always put him on the potty right after he got out of the bathtub. Nine times out of ten he would pee after a bath. I have no idea if there was some sort of physiological reason, but all I can say for sure is it worked. Every time he peed in a potty, I gave him a Skittle. You don’t have to use a Skittle, any small treat will work. Don’t use a larger treat, like a Hershey kiss. That can get to be a lot of chocolate in a day. If my son pooped, then I gave him two Skittles. Once he really got the hang of the whole thing, I just weaned him off the candy. Stickers or little trinkets can also be effective. We would only do one Skittle for a poop and none if he peed. We also read books and saw videos on the subject. The library has some great resources for potty training.
I also would take my son to the potty every 30 to 45 minutes. Even if he
said he didn’t have to go, I would tell him he had to “try”. That was not
negotiable.
Underwear Remember to always have a change of clothes and underpants for your little one. You never know when they might have an accident. You may be out at a department store or in the car and you’ll be glad you have a change of clothing. At Night Limit what your child has to drink in the evenings before bed, especially milk. Keep in mind, however, some kids, especially boys, are unable to stay dry all night long. So even if you are limiting liquids at night, they can still have accidents. Some kids just can’t go all night. It’s not a big deal and it’s completely normal. Something else I should mention is that I am not a fan of Pull-ups. First of all they are more expensive than diapers. Second, I think they aren’t really that different than diapers. I feel that Pull-ups are more an invention for parents to make themselves feel better that they’re kid isn’t in diapers anymore, as though there is some sort of “promotion” with Pull-ups. Not the case. I would recommend using either diapers or training underwear at night. If you or your child has an aversion to diapers at night then go the training underwear route. One recommendation I do have is the must-have waterproof pad. They are sometimes hard to find but I found them at Amazon.com:
These pads are great because they protect your mattress. I put mine on over the mattress pad, but underneath the fitted sheet. If your child wets the bed, just toss the fitted sheet, pajamas, underwear, and waterproof pad in the washer. No big deal at all. Troubleshooting If your child just throws a fit time after time and it becomes a power struggle, give it up and try again in a month or so. It isn’t worth the stress and hassle. If your child says they don’t have to go when you tell them it’s time, tell them it isn’t a choice and take them by the hand and put them on the potty. Tell them after they try, they can get down. I know some people disagree with me on this, but once again, I am just sharing what has been effective for me. If your little boy is standing to pee, but has trouble aiming for the potty, try putting Cheerios in the potty and have your son hit the Cheerios. There are also potty "targets" that you can purchase that are bio-degradable. Hopefully this has helped get you pointed in the right direction. Good luck!!!! About the Author Jennifer Anderson is mother to nine-year-old Jake and currently is a foster parent. She created and maintains her own parenting website, http://www.kidsandkaboodle.com. She has worked with children for twenty-five years and continues to be an advocate for children. You can reach her by e-mail at info@kidsandkaboodle.com.
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