Potty Training: Top 10 Must-Haves
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Patience: Potty training takes patience. It is a developmental task just like walking. When your child took the first two steps and fell, you smiled and picked him back up. Harder to laugh when he poops on the floor but smile just the same!
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Dedication: You can wait until your child is 3-3.5 years old and do the 3 day method. But this creates a lot of diapers for the landfill and possibly a very resistant child. Start now but be dedicated to finishing. Consistency with taking your child to the potty and incorporating it into your activities of daily living is important! Your child knows what the crib is, what the high chair is, teach them about the potty chair.
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Parent-led approach: Readiness in a child for potty training is too often confused for willingness. Start when you notice your child has a dry diaper for several hours or shows interest by following you into the bathroom. Don’t wait until he’s perfected the word “no.”
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Attention to your child’s cues: Being attentive to your child’s cues when she is peeing or pooping is key. If you know your child’s signals it's easier to point them out to your child and take her to the potty.
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Buy-in from daycare and family: Once you start potty training it's important that everyone around is committed to taking the child to the potty. Mixed messages will thwart your best efforts.
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Potty chair: Potty chairs have the advantage of being able to move them to any room of the house for ease of use. Your child will become comfortable sitting on it with and without clothes.
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Potty seat for the toilet: Each child is different and some children only want to sit on the toilet! If sitting on a toilet, it's important to put a stool under the child’s feet to help with pooping.
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Potty Duck: Potty Duck has the advantage of preparing your child for potty training by teaching your child what a toilet is for and where pee belongs. It's a fun toy that teaches through play. Children learn through imitation with the duck in the tub and then outside the tub by sitting on their potty with Potty Duck sitting on its potty nearby.
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Birthday suit: I’m a believer in having the child go without bottoms whenever possible to help train. After being in a diaper since the moment the child is out of the womb, 24/7, anything next to the bottom signals to the child it's ok to pee.
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Cleaning supplies: Necessary if you try the no-bottom approach as accidents will happen! And when they do, remember to smile!
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