Toilet: How to potty train your toddler?

Apart from all the new things that your child is learning, learning to use a potty chair is one major accomplishment that is expected from a toddler. This is one very basic skill that your baby will require to be able to start school successfully. 

When is the best time to potty train?

Your baby should feel comfortable sitting on the potty chair by the time you decide to train them. Most of the time, this turns out to be somewhere between two and two and a half years of age. It is not necessary to rush your baby. Some babies might take up to 24 months and some take till 36 months to be potty trained. Keep in mind that if you start the potty training earlier than 18 months, they might take longer to adjust than they would take after they are a little grown up. 

Preparing your toddler for a potty training

• Firstly, decide on what you are going to call the potty. Stick to a particular set of words so that they will associate those words with the action of going to the toilet. You might call it something short and cute such as “poo” or “poopie”. Decide on whatever makes you and your child comfortable. 
• Initially to encourage your child to just sit on the chair, don’t take their clothes off and let them just sit on the chair. 
• Let your child know how to communicate with you whenever they have wet or soiled their diapers. Ask them with the same specifying sentence everyday. 
• Set aside a specific time of the day to engage in potty training to set it as a schedule. 
• Use the words that you both decided and ask them questions using those words only. 
• Slowly move to disposable training diapers that you can dispose of after they pee or poop in the toilet. 
• You can take your child to the toilet and show them that they are supposed to use it just like you did. Explain to them about what you are doing and you can also make them sit alongside you. 
• Make them sit 15 to 30 minutes at a time right after meals. If you make them sit after meals, the tendency for them to have bowel movements will be higher than at other times. 
• If your child wants to go to the bathroom, ask them to use the potty. 
• Inform the care providers about the routines and the progress of your baby. 
• Dress them in comfortable clothing that is easy to take off. Babies should be able to undress themselves when they are using the potty. 
• Getting the opinion of your child while shopping for the potty might also make things interesting for them. This will encourage the usage of the potty. 
• When you are first teaching them how to use the potty, keep it at places that are comfortable for both you and your baby. 
• Engage them while they are sitting on the potty. Give them a book to read or you can give them pictures to look at. 
• You can also opt to teach your child to use the toilet instead of the potty. Make sure to use a stool to help them maintain a balance. 
• You can tell them stories about poop or bowel movements to make it a common thing. It shouldn’t be a big deal and your child should be comfortable letting you know about it.