Wee-wees Galore! (Potty Training Tips)

Member Name: pearlydewdrop

Product:	Potty Training Tips
Date:	01/06/08 (100 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Potty training is a pivotal stage in a childs development. It is a great achievement.

Disadvantages: Hard work, time consuming, a bit whiffy at times

I'll be honest with you, potty training wasnt all that traumatic, and actually left me with a real sense of achievement as my little girl gained some pride aand independence. My daughter was keen to learn, and happy to be rid of nappies, so it was actually quite a pleasure to train her! However, the process of potty training has its moments, even days of frustrations and setbacks, so its quite important to remain focused throughout. Here are tips on potty training for anyone who is about to embark on this mission!

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~What is Potty Training?~

Potty training involves teaching a toddler independent toilet habits. Nappies are exchanged for the potty (or po, as we call it at home), or perhaps even an adult toilet with a padded seat and step stool. Potty training is most viable if your child shows certain signs of emotional and developmental 'readiness', for example:

1. *Regularly Dry Nappies*

Your infant may have a consistently dry nappy after naptime during the day, or perhaps even during the night. They may get through less nappies in one day. This indicates a degree of bladder and bowel control.

2.*Hey Mummy Ive Wee-weed!*

Your kiddie may be pointing out to you the fact that they are about to wee, or are in the process of weeing. Again this shows an awareness of their toilet habits, and that their nervous system is developing.

3.*Good Language Skills and Comprehension*

Im not suggesting they need to be ready to sit the civil service exams, just that they are able to adequately express their needs and feelings to you! They should ideally be at that stage in their development when they are willing to accept instruction, and are responsive to praise and incentives to please. You should be able to identify privaledges that might show them they are doing well, ie: a sticker chart with a gift at the end of the week, or if theyve 'performed' really well (voluntarily weed in their potty perhaps). Or, maybe you could buy them a magazine as a treat, take them to the park, invite a playmate round, or even buy a little toy?

3.*Are they 18 months Plus?*

This is just my opinion, but I honestly feel that toddlers need to be 18months+ for potty training to be a true success. Of course every child is different, but I just dont see the point in pushing them unnecessarily too early-I wanted my daughter to be mature enough to do well with potty training, and I didnt want to be chasing a 10 month old about when I had enough on my plate to deal with at this stage; like climbing, snatching, grizzling etc...
Also if setbacks occur at 12 months for example, youve only got to tackle it at a later date, and you may feel negatively about it as a result of your earlier experience.



~What Do I Need for Potty Training to Begin?~

1. *Ideally a 'Free' Week to Devote to Potty Training*

With potty training, its good to have a week of freedom from outside commitments. This is why potty training should be ideally started before toddlers start preschool; that way, interuptions to the routine are kept to a minimum, and the infant has consistent instructions. Day 1 and 2 are usually the most difficult days, with may accidents and much prompting/reassurance to be given. On these days, you may want to stay indoors. You can then venture out for a little walk on day 3 maybe.

2.*Two Potties*

If you are in a house, Id recommend two potties. One for upstairs and one for downstairs. That way you will have one to hand, wherever you are with your child. Travel potties are also available from places such as Mothercare, and can be put in the boot of the car for outings.

3.*Wet Wipes/Toilet Rolls*

Keep a pack of wet wipes or a roll of toilet roll especially for your toddler. One for each potty. Tell them its their big girl/boy toilet roll, just for them to wipe their botty.I kept my daughters potty in the lounge for the first few days of training, with her wipes.

4. *Star Chart for them, Diary Sheet for You*

Make up a simple star chart with the days of the week down one side, and mark up the times they do a wee/ ask to do a wee. Then add a star when they 'perform'. Add these up at the end of the day/week and give a reward as you see appropriate. Cuddles go a long way in the encouragement stakes too!!!
Also, draw up a little diary sheet for yourself, so that you can keep track of the major events of the potty training week. As you note down the successes and setbacks/accidents (and times), you may see a pattern emerge as to when they are most likely to go to the toilet. This will help you to read the signals in weeks to come and enable you to prompt when necessary!

5.*A Cushion Wrapped in a Plastic Bag*

This sounds mad, but its actually a very good tip of mine. By day 3, when you're bored of being indoors and wish to pop to the shops or whatever, you dont want a wet buggy if your toddler has an accident. So, put a small cushion into a carrier bag or two, wrap it up, and place in the seat of the buggy. That way, the little one feels confident they wont make a scene, and you can relax knowing the buggy wont stink of wee! Also, the carrier bags are easily disposed of and replaced for subsequent outings.

6.*Plenty of Pretty Girls Knickers/ Funky Boys Pants*

You will need plenty of knickers/pants, and make sure youve a nice empty washing machine and lots of soap powder for the week!I bought about 20 pairs of knickers from Primark, because they are cheap and I could let my daughter (she was 25 months old) select which ones she wanted.

7.*An Abundance of Good Humour and the Patience of a Saint*

Ha! If only.......No seriously, the key to potty training is heap on the praise, try not to focus on the accidents (just say nevermind, and let them choose a fresh pair of underpants), and plenty of indoor games to play. To be frank, this is where the tv and DVD selection become invaluable! Just make sure you've got a nice array of toys, books, and DVDs to hand- with the potty, so that you dont rush off to fetch them at an inoppotune moment! If you have a garden, then let them play outside in the warm air (summertime), but keep the potty outside too.

8. *No pressure*

Children are almost always clean (not pooing in their nappies) before they are dry (not weeing in their nappies), so be patient. Also, I kept my daughter in nappies at naptime until at least 30 months. I only got her out of pull up pants at night at 3 1/2 years. Like everything, take your time, and the achievements and rewards will come rolling in for you and your child!
Potty training is usually successful after a week or two, and accidents become less and less frequent as the kiddie takes responsiblity for their own toilet habits.If you feel that progress is slow, speak to your GP or health visitor.Youll soon find it all cliks into place.

Good luck everyone!

Summary: Go for it! Once its done, you can congratulate yourself and your kiddie on a job well done!