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PrintHooray! The End of Diapers!
Potty training is something that most parents really look forward to. It means the end of changing diapers, not to mention the end of the cost of diapers, or the end of washing diapers, whichever the case may be. It is also the beginning of countless hours in the bathroom and cleaning up bathroom “misses,” both in your house and outside of it. There are many options and even more opinions concerning how to potty train your child. Be prepared for advice from everywhere and anyone. Also get ready to hear from your own parents about how horrible or wonderful it was to train you, and rest assured that neither will necessarily be the case with your child.
Know What You’re Getting Into
Before embarking on this new adventure in parenting, take a moment to consider what is typical and expected with potty training. Children generally potty train between 18 months and 3.5 years of age. Differences in diapers (children who wear cloth diapers tend to toilet train earlier, in case you needed another reason to “go green”), temperament, parenting style, overall health and development, or any combination of these and other factors can affect the age of potty-training achievement. In addition, once potty trained, children often continue to have accidents during both the day and night. Daytime accidents are typical until roughly the age of 5. Nighttime accidents can continue throughout elementary school. In other words, expecting a perfect or near perfect performance from your child is unrealistic.
Wade Through the Options
Let us also not forget about the countless potty training books, videos and other media that are sure to amuse children, though not always their parents. Some choose to make use of the many potty-training videos available, featuring familiar characters such as Bear in the Big Blue House and Barney. There are also many cute books available for children and their parents to read together that describe how to use the potty, making associations between being potty trained and being a big boy or big girl, and even covering basic hygiene practices such as wiping and hand washing and closing the door for privacy.
Get Your Child Involved
Child-sized potty chairs and toddler seats for placement on top of standard-sized toilets can make potty training easier for some parents and children. Parents may opt to take their child to the store and allow him or her to pick out their own potty/seat to further involve the child in the process. Other parents prefer to train their child to use the standard toilet from the start. This is a decision that is unique to each family and situation. Whatever your preference, rest assured that while we are familiar with children falling into toilets, we are not aware of any getting flushed down them.
Lose The Expectations and Opt for Experimentation
There are books that provide you with instruction on how to potty-train your child, including “boot camp” instructions that guarantee your child using the bathroom in a single day. Many advocate for a longer process that starts with introducing your child to the bathroom, allowing him or her to explore the bathroom area supervised, culminating in allowing your child time to play or run around without a diaper so that he or she makes the association between what he or she feels and what happens (hopefully not on your floor, carpet, or furniture – we suggest old table cloths or shower curtains). While one approach may appeal to you more than another, keep in mind that every child is different, and what works with one may not work with another – including siblings! You may want to knock out the whole process in a single Saturday afternoon; however, your child may have other ideas.
This is a major milestone, and like all milestones, your child has to be ready to do this. Attempting to force this process on your child before being ready for it will only backfire. It will likely create fear of the process and anxiety concerning what is to come. Additionally, the child may feel like he or she has done something wrong if not able to potty train according to your schedule. Some of the common signs that a child is ready for potty training include telling you when he or she needs a diaper change, expressing interest in what goes on in the bathroom, showing curiosity in the toilet, and wanting to try the potty even when he or she doesn’t have to go. By waiting for your child to signal to you that the time is right, you can be your child’s cheerleader on the road to greater independence.
