10 Best Potty Training Tips

Potty training is a milestone achievement for every parent and their child. It needs persistence, patience, and dedication. It can be a handful of work, but will bring convenience and benefits in the long run. Think about your tot beginning to develop independence and confidence. They'll learn to take care of themselves and practice good hygiene. They'll also be able to tell when they need to go. 

Once they learn when to go to the potty, we won't worry about them getting rashes and infections. Your child will have a clean, healthier bum. There won't be any washing or changing of nappies, which is less work and mess. It'll also be much cheaper, and we can save more. You may have questions like, "What is the potty training age?" or "Is there separate potty training tips for boys and girls?" We are here to answer all your questions by providing the ten best tips for potty training your child.

1. Readiness

Determine first if both of you are ready to start the potty training journey. Ask yourself if you are willing to devote your time to engage in a potty training routine or practice. Also, it is best to prepare yourself as it will take a lot of patience to train your child. Make sure you are good at controlling your temper, especially when a pee accident happens. Punishment will not do any good as you are teaching a toddler. And be consistent.

To know if your child is ready, consider these things:

• Can follow simple directions
• Able to sit on a potty or toilet seat for a long time
• Shows interest in using a potty
• Understands words that pertain to the potty
• Able to tell if they will pee or poop
• Able to pull down training pants or underwear
• Can keep their training pants fry for more than 2 hours.

2. Potty-training stuff

Start by getting your child involved in choosing a potty or a toilet seat. Let them choose their favorite color or a character they like to make them more excited. Make sure the potty is stable, comfortable, fits their bum, easy to clean and use. If you are using a toilet seat, there are toilet seats in the market that include a ladder stool for your child's convenience. Place the potty in a bathroom or in a place where your child mostly spends their time. You can ask them to try it out first by seating on the potty comfortably. Let them be familiar with it. Explain what it does and use potty terms that they can understand easily.

You can also let your child wear training pants in mid-training. It is absorbent and made for leaks. It can be used for a gradual transition from diapers to underwear. Your child can easily pull it down when he feels the need to go. Also, wear them clothes that can be easily removed.

3. Hygiene

Teach your kids proper hygiene when using the bathroom. It is good to start them young so they can practice good hygiene. For girls, you can teach them to wipe from front to back after peeing. Explain that this can keep them clean and avoid bacteria. They may not do it properly now, but what matters is they grasp the idea of how to make themselves clean. As for wiping their bottom, you can teach them how to do it. Tell them that they can wipe their bum repeatedly until the tissue shows its clean. Your child may be hesitant to do it for now, and that's alright. Hold their hand while doing it for them so that they can start creating those muscle memories. Time will come, when they are ready. Introductions for wiping are good for now.

Also, remember to always wash their hands after using the potty or bathroom. Teach them about using soap, wash hands for 20 seconds, make sure all are covered, rinse then towel dry.

4. Establish a routine

What can make the training consistent is by establishing a routine. Place them in their potty every morning when they wake up, after naps, or after meals. Consider potty intervals after 2 hours. Sit them on their potty for a few minutes. Do not force them. If they want to leave their potty, let them be. Tell them that they can always try later.

Also, be alert when they show signs of wanting to pee or poop. Squatting, discomfort, crossing legs, holding their genital area are a few of those signs. Explain that they need to tell you about it when they feel to pee or poop. Tell them they need to stop what they are doing, and they need to go to their potty. Praise them for telling you and for using their potty. After a few weeks of successful potty breaks, and if your child can stay dry for 2 hours or more, you can get rid of the diapers and start with training pants. 

For boys, it is best to train them to pee by sitting on the toilet seat or potty. Teaching them about aiming and peeing standing up is often done after they learn bowel training and when they are a bit taller.

5. During night

It can still be hard for toddlers to go to their potties during nighttime. They may not get up when they feel the urge to urinate, and most times, they may end up wetting the bed. It's best to use training pants at night and use mattress covers for their bed. A way to avoid this is by asking them to pee before going to bed or make them drink fewer fluids. If they hesitate, ask them to at least try so their bed won't get wet while they're sleeping. You can also explain that if they feel the urge to pee, they should get up and go to their potty. Make sure they have nightlights to light their way.

6. More encouragements

You can create a chart and put stickers on it every time your child will pee or poop in their potty. They will feel good and confident and be encouraged to continue what they are doing. You can read books to them about potty training while they are on their potty. Or use their favorite teddy or doll and do the potty scene, where the doll acts out going to the bathroom to poop or pee. You can also ​buy them their favorite character underwear and explain to them they can wear it once they learn to pee or poop in their potty

7. Accidents are okay

Potty training needs a lot of time and effort for you and your little one to succeed. Along the process, there will be times that your child will not be able to make it on their potty resulting in a mess or soiled clothes. It is important to show them your support and not lose your temper even though you feel stressed out. Patience is the key to make this work. Do not punish them. Give it a few weeks or a month, your hard work and perseverance will eventually achieve this milestone.

8. Positivity

Choose your words when you talk about things related to potty. Some kids are scared to poop since they can feel pain due to constipation. They may link pooping with pain. If your child is like this, let them eat high-fiber foods like fruits, fruit juices, veggies, and whole-grain foods. Tell them that they do not have to be scared and explain that pooping is natural. You may use positive words like peeing or pooping can make their body clean as it removes body wastes. Avoid using negative words like stinky and dirty. They may think that it will be dirty and stinky when they poop and be discouraged.

9. No progress

The age for potty training is between 18 to 24 months. It is okay if your child hesitates to use the potty or shows no interest in it. It just means she's not ready yet. Do not force them as it can lead to frustration. Take a break or give it a few months, and they will eventually become ready.

By the age of 3, your child should be eager to be potty trained. If they still refuse, figure out the root cause of their hesitation and try to address it. Assure them that using the toilet and potty is safe and that you are there to accompany them until they master the skill.

10. The right timing

Potty training is a big adjustment for our little one, so it needs our focus and attention for it to succeed. It also needs to be consistent, so it is best to hold off the training in some situations like moving to a new home, traveling, the birth of a new baby, if your child is sick, or if he still under a different adjustment (room-sharing to sleeping in their own room.) Make it easier for your kids and help them not to be overwhelmed with changes.

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