How To Successfully Toilet Train Your Toddler

By : Logan Smith

Potty training or toilet training a toddler poses a challenge to parents. In some situations it the process is smooth and in others it turns into a battle of wills.

The key to successful potty training is that both the child and the parent need to be ready to give it a go. Often a child will show readiness but the parents are not prepared to deal with the unpleasantness that comes along with the training period. The potty training period is never convenient and always involves some degree of mess.

But the good news is that with a consistent approach - training can happen quickly and then families can return to their normal routine.

Before beginning the toilet training process you must make sure that your child shows some interest in the potty. He or she will give you some cues like sitting on the potty and talking about using the potty. They may even have a few "successes". A parent can encourage these successes by seating the child on the potty in the morning, before bath, and at any other opportune time.

Once both parent and child are ready to embark on toilet training, a parent must be steadfast in their decision. Potty training doesn't happen overnight, a week or two is a reasonable expectation. Given this timeframe, the first few days can be difficult - with several "accidents" occurring. This is ok and parents should remain positive and supportive of their children. If you stop the process early on your toddler will experience confusion.

Diapers and diaper-type toddler underwear are a no-no! Resist the temptation to switch back and forth between regular underwear and diapers. If a child knows that they have a choice they will choose the easier road. Only use diapers at naptime and bedtime. The rest of the day is regular underpants. Try to clear your schedule for a week so you can stay home or have your child stay home with a patient caregiver during this time. This will make it easier on both you and the child. Sometimes you just can't stay home, so try to make your trips short and make use of the plastic type of training underwear that go over the cloth underpants. Also take a potty along in the car for convenience.

Patience is important. Be patient and supportive of your child. This is a big milestone for him or her. And lots of positive encouragement will pay off.

Sometimes a child really isn't ready - but don't abandon the process immediately. Give it at least one to two weeks of consistent process and carefully evaluate your decision. "Accidents" will occur more frequently during the first week and then miraculously taper off.

Although your child may train quickly for daytime - it may take much longer for success during the night.

Keep your child's emotional well-being in mind at all times. Frustration and stress on your part will hamper the toilet training process. Always show love and understanding to your toddler as take this big step in life.

More Articles

Five Easy Steps To Help Your Child Prepare For A Global Future Even When You Speak Only One Language

... it really make sense to totally remove that comfort level and language out of the picture as a new language is introduced? Some still try to force immersion on our young children while others have embraced the benefits of higher self esteem and the strong point of reference for both child and parent that ... 

Is It Okay To Let My Baby Watch TV?

... with your baby while watching is key. Besides that, you should ensure your baby watches no more than one hour of TV per day. To start off with, you might like to keep it to 15 minutes at a time - your baby will probably find it hard to pay attention for any longer. You can increase the duration later, ... 

Baby Car Seats Are Not An Option

... is more to it. During the time when you need to have a car seat for your child they will go through several different sizes as each is designed for different times in their life and more specifically their weight and size. That being said, you need to pay attention to the size of your child and the needs ... 

Baby Clothes: Top Five Criteria

... it gets rid of any germs that come from being handled by some many shoppers in the stores. Cute If possible, it is nice to find cute outfits as well. Obviously, no parent will be looking for or buying ugly clothes if they can help it, but most clothes end up in the closet just because they are functional ... 

Top Secrets To Develop Gross Motor Skills

... of a child motor development. As a child develops better control of the arms and legs, she begins to develop fine motor skills. They are able to grasp, touch, feed themselves, etc. By the time they reach two years old, almost all children have developed gross motor skills such as standing up, walking ... 

Why You Should Buy And Use A Baby Breast Pump

... feed your baby. Although it's not always the easiest thing to do, health specialist are unanimous in saying that breast milk is the best food for a baby. The milk is full of nutrients that you simply cannot find elsewhere and scientists are constantly finding new benefits of breast feeding. If you do ... 

Babies Reading - And Loving It!

... of Felicity, we see a baby clearly demonstrating knowledge of the meanings of many words. In the first video, Felicity pronounces 2 words out loud and gestures to indicate the meanings of 12 others. In the second video, she reads aloud 11 words (including 2 in Chinese) and gestures the meanings of 5 words. ... 

A Baby Falls: The Gift Of Near-Disaster

... age of eighteen months? Will she meet the postal worker, get to know her angel? Hopefully, at the very least, she will carry around a little shock and awe and gratitude that will serve her well in life. Maybe she, too, will keep her eye on windowsills for adventurous babies. Now let us consider the third ... 

Parenting Tips: What To Do When Your Kids Cry ?

... away:---Earache. 3. Feel her temperature with the back of your hands:--Fever due to any infection. 4.Examine the skin from head to foot:--Eruptive disease,nappy rash, measles, vesicles, allergy etc. 5. See the nose for any discharge:--Coryza. 6. Move the head gently to feel any neck stiffness:--Meningitis,head ...