Parents are advised to start potty training their kids not earlier before two years of age. In fact, some leading pediatricians claim that the best time to start with the toilet training is after 30 months from the birth. That is the period when the child will be fit for the potty, both mentally and physically.
But, even if you start training your kid for using the potty, it still doesn’t mean that everything will go well. Some children are just reluctant to use it. Whether it makes them feel scared or uncomfortable, you need to find a way to introduce the potty to them.
There are many things that you can do in order to make the potty interesting to your kid, some of which we’re gonna discuss in later in the article. Furthermore, there is one thing that you must not do – keep pushing your child into using the potty even if it’s clearly not working. The reason is that the kid will start thinking of the potty as the enemy, which can delay the potty training even further.
So, rather than making your kid to use the potty at any cost, it’s much better to take it slowly. You need to observe your child’s behavior and look for some tiny clues that show when the child is ready to use the potty.
How To Know When the Child is Ready to Use the Potty?
You will know whether your kid is ready for the potty training or not, simply by giving it a try. A general rule is that if you notice that the potty training requires a lot of effort, both from you and your kid, it means that it’s best to give up on it for some time.
Basically, for your child, the process of learning how to use the potty is the same as any other learning process. In order to master it, the child needs to be ready, both mentally and physically. The kid needs to be able to recognize when it is time to go to the toilet. Apart from that, the child also needs to have muscles that are strong enough to hold it until the child gets to the potty.
How to Make the Potty Interesting to Your Child?
Despite what other parents might tell you, potty training is a process that requires time. There’s no magic formula for mastering this skill – your child needs to learn it over time. So, arm yourself with patience as potty training might take weeks. And even when the child learns how to use the potty, it doesn’t mean that no accidents will happen in the future.
The main reason why kids have problems with potty training is that they find this item very strange. But, it’s not just that the potty might seem weird, but using it seems as unnecessary work. One way of making this process interesting is to buy a funny-looking potty that your kid will love. Another way is to reward your child for each potty training séance completed. A reward system can be a great way for motivating your kid for doing a certain thing.
By making it an interesting game, the potty training will get much easier, not only for the child, but also for you, the parent. In fact, if you manage to eliminate the stress, we’re sure that the lessons will go without any problems. Speaking of the stress, it comes mostly from the outside factors, including grandparents, preschool, friends, etc. If they are putting a pressure on you to teach your child to use the potty, your child is bound to feel the levels of stress rising. That is why the key to successful potty training is eliminating all the stress and making the lessons fun and entertaining.
