The Top 10 Tips for Potty Training Your Child

What parent feels knowledgeable and confident about potty training their
child? Potty training is one of the greatest challenges that both children
and their parents face in the first few years of a child's life.

1. Dress your child in underwear at about 28 months of age when the child is
at home.
Today's disposable diapers provide almost no feedback to the child about
when they are wet. Your child will feel uncomfortable in their 'big kid'
pants when they are wet and may therefore feel motivated to try the potty.

2. Allow your child to run around naked when you are at home.
Having to deal with the urge to eliminate will be much more noticeable to
your child when there is nothing to catch it in but the potty-chair.

3. Look for signs of potty training readiness in your child.
These signs of readiness may include: telling you when they are peeing or
pooping in their diaper, requesting that you change a poopy diaper, keeping
their diaper dry for hours at a time, showing enthusiasm for their potty,
etc.

4. Begin potty training at an appropriate age.
Potty training becomes less difficult as your child gets older. Potty
training prematurely can make a child feel misunderstood, alone, and
rebellious. It is often best to wait until the child is three years old to
focus on potty training.

5. Make potty training fun by giving your child little rewards for sitting
on the potty with no diaper on.
You could use stickers, crackers, small, inexpensive toys, etc. Using candy
could produce sugar cravings and tooth decay.

6. Purchase a couple of potty training videos designed for toddler viewing.
The research shows that the best way to teach any behavior is to have role
models demonstrating the behavior. (Live models are more effective than
video modeling.)

7. Pour cheerios or crackers into the toilet for little boys to take 'aim'
at.
This challenge taps into a little boy's natural interest in hitting targets.

8. Purchase several toddler-level books about children being potty trained.
Potty training feels more natural and less stressful to a child who has been
exposed to the process at "storybook time".

9. Consider allowing other trusted adults to help you to potty train your
child.
Many pre-schoolers respond more quickly to input from grandparents, aunts,
and trusted babysitters than they do to input from their parents in the area
of potty training. Some parents report that a grandparent was able to potty
train their child in one weekend away.

10. Make potty training a top priority on a consistent basis when you have
the emotional and physical energy to do it.
Even if your child shows signs of potty training readiness, you may not be
ready for it as a parent!

About the Author
This piece was written by Dr. Clare Albright, author of "100 Tips for
Parents of Two-Year Olds", Psychologist and Parenting Coach. Dr. Albright