Potty Training Ideas For Toddlers

Potty training a toddler can be stressful – ask any toddler mom! You need to recognize the signs that your toddler is ready to say good-bye to the diapers – let’s figure out how.

Potty training basics are an essential routine to be taught to each and every toddler when they want to come out of their nappy phase. Children master peeing in the potty pretty quickly, but they take time to poop in it. Some children master it within days, but others can take several months. In general, the younger a child is when his parents start to toilet train, the longer it takes.

Signs That Your Toddler is Ready For Potty Training

1. Physical Signs

• He is well coordinated to walk and run steadily.
• He is urinating a fair amount.
• He has regular and predictable bowel movements.
• He has dry periods, for around 2 hours, during his naps. This indicates that the muscles of his bladder are mature enough to hold urine.

2. Behavioural Signs

• He is able to sit quietly in one position for 2-5 minutes.
• He is able to pull his pants up and down.
• He is able to give a verbal or physical sign, like a grunt, when he is having a bowel movement.
• He does not hesitate to learn to use toilet.

3. Cognitive Signs

• He is able to control his bowel movements and tell you before it happens.
• He is able to follow instructions, such as “open the door, sit down on the seat” etc.
• He understands the importance of putting things where they belong.

Effective Tips to Potty Train Your Child

• Understand your toddler’s cues to know when he is ready to start training. Some children start very early with potty training, when they’re about 18 months old, while others are not even ready till they’re 3. But usually, most parents begin training their child when he is about 2 and a half years of age.
• Buy a right-sized, comfortable potty chair for your child. Buy one with attractive colors and a fun shape, so your child would like to sit on it and explore it. You can pick one from a wide variety available here. If you’re buying a potty chair for your son, look for one without a urine guard or one with a removable one so as to avoid scraping his penis.
• Follow a routine. Potty training should be done once in the morning and once in the afternoon, every day. Parents have to sit patiently with the toddler for a few hours in order to train him. Demonstrate the process for your kid in a subtle way. He’ll learn faster by imitation, when things are shown to him.
• The habit of pooping in the potty chair should be fostered in your child. Explain to him, and teach him, that big kids and grown ups use only the toilets and potty seats to go potty. The next time he feels the urge to poop, he should ask one of his parents to help him on the potty chair.
• If accidents happen, don’t be harsh on your child and handle the set back gracefully. Remember, in the initial stages, the potty training procedure is tough on both you and your child.
• A toddler is still very immature, physically, to realize if he has to go poop or pee in the potty chair at night. So, the bed-wetting at night may continue even after your child is fully potty trained for the day-time.
• Make your child go to the washroom at night before bed time, and put a plastic sheet on his mattress, under the bed-sheet beneath him to avoid letting the mattress wet. Bed protector sheets come in attractive colours,  various sizes and prints. Make him wear an underwear instead of a diaper and ask him to let you know when he feels like pooping at night.

Keeping these simple tips in mind will help you potty train your little one efficiently. Also, remember to be patient with him. Every child does not follow the training session with precision, so if he is taking longer to learn, support him and do not lose your cool.