Sunday, August 17, 2008

10 simple tips on how to potty train

Over the years we have learnt some little tricks to help you potty train they are:

  1. Try to be positive and upbeat show the change as something exciting.
  2. Give lots of praise whenever your child manages sit on the potty. Stress how grown up and clever they are like their dad or sibling.
  3. Don't rush things. Sometimes if you start teaching later, it takes less time. Toddlers over two and a half may learn almost overnight.
  4. Expect to have setbacks and don't make a fuss about them. Learning to use the toilet is just like other skills your toddler learns it takes time.
  5. Give your toddler clothes that can be pulled down or up easily. You may also want them to wear training pants at first, to cope with those inevitable accidents.
  6. Take your child to pick out the potty and toilet seat, make it a treat.
  7. Never force your child to sit on the potty. This will only upset them and won't make the process any faster.
  8. It always takes longer for a child to learn to stay dry at night. When they start having the occasional dry nappy in the morning, it's a good sign that the time is right to try going without a nappy.
  9. Get a mattress cover for your child bed when you put them to bed without a nappy for the first time. When they have an accident in their bed they will often be very upset by it, we wouldn’t like waking up in a wet bed either, so try to be sympathetic and tell them it doesn’t matter and that they can try again another day
  10. Remember to get your toddler to wash their hands afterwards, so that using the potty or toilet is associated with hand washing from the start.

If your child really isn’t getting it and every time is an accident after a about a week give up and try again in a month or so, it maybe that they are just not ready and it is very stressful for them if they are making a mess every time