Best Tips to Start Potty Training Your Child

When it's time to start potty training your child, it's normal to feel uneasy, especially when your child is starting school for the first time. In this article, you'll learn some tips to help you get through this.

Potty training your child can be a slow and complicated process, for the child, parents, and teachers involved. There isn’t a set age for kids to stop wearing diapers and start using the toilet. Every child is different and learns things differently. Keep reading to discover helpful tips to start potty training your child.

By age 3, children start school and this adds more pressure to their parents. Their children will have to start facing things on their own. Trying to potty train your children is no easy feat, but the tips in this article will help you get there.

How can I start potty training my child?

Start potty training before school starts

This is less concerning than you’d think. Before starting school, children should know how to control their sphincters, otherwise, they’ll have a hard time.

The good thing is that they’ll have a teacher, and that teacher will be aware of your children’s needs, so your children don’t need to know how to use the potty on their first day. Likewise, be aware that they’ll be experiencing new things and they’ll be as nervous as you are.

Teach them basic potty talk

First, your children need to connect words with actions. Teach them what a diaper is, what a urinal is, when it’s clean, when it’s not, what’s pee, etc. This way they’ll be more aware of what they’re doing and what to ask their teacher.

Second, show them the toilet and explain to them that this is the place to do their deeds. Sometimes, children dislike toilets and that makes them hate going to the bathroom. If this is your case, there are some ways to help your children adapt to a toilet.

• Get them a colorful adapter for the toilet.
• Buy them a baby potty (let them choose) so it’ll be more fun to go to the bathroom.

Dress them in comfortable clothes

Even though appearance doesn’t seem important, certain clothes can help you start potty training your child better than others. Right about the time that children stop wearing diapers and start going to the bathroom alone, dress them in the most comfortable clothes you can find.

Use elastic waist pants so they just have to pull them down. Right now, zippers or buttons will give them much trouble. This type of clothing is great for school, because your children may feel more pressure here.

Read them stories related to diapers and potties

Another simple but entertaining way to deal with the subject is through books. Nowadays, there are many children’s books related to diapers, bathrooms, or sphincters. These stories will get their attention and they’ll remember them, they might want to copy the protagonists of these stories.

Also, if you find a book with sounds or a pop-up your child can interact with, you’ll get there far more easily.

Don’t pressure them

It’s worth noting that you shouldn’t scold or punish your children if they wet themselves. If your children see you or their teacher are angry, they’ll get scared, and this will make it harder for you to start potty training them.

Make them feel calm and trusting. If they’ve been successful once, assure them they’ll do it again. Don’t scold them, but don’t reward them either. Going to the bathroom by themselves is a basic need they have to learn.