Potty Training 101

The process of teaching a child to control his bowels and bladder and use the toilet is called “potty training“.

For most parents, this a daunting task and one that is dreaded because of its complexity and stress level. Add this to the mix of conflicting information about the issue and you have a recipe for a parent melt-down. The good news is it doesn’t have to be a task at all and with a few simple guidelines, parents can achieve potty training relatively quickly and easily.

Different Learning Curves

The goal of potty training is for the child to be able to use the toilet or potty chair on her own. However, children learn at different rates, so the time it takes to potty train a child will differ from case to case. A child goes through different stages before being completely potty trained. Your child’s mental as well as physical development will also play an important role in how quickly your child learns to use the toilet.

For Best Results

Keep your early potty training efforts simple and relaxed. This may well be a long process, so keep your expectations reasonable. Watch your child for signs that he or she is ready to begin potty training. Things like curiosity about the bathroom and staying dry for longer periods of time are good indicators.

You can buy equipment to help such as potty chairs or potty seats, although many parents potty train very successfully without them. Let your child pick out his own new underwear and help him feel involved in the process. Make sure you have worked out a system of rewarding your child that will help in reinforcing his successes.

Don’t forget to let your child’s other caregivers know he has begun potty training and make sure they know what methods you are using, what words your child associates with potty training and what rewards he will expect. It is critical that the potty training efforts be consistent.

The key to potty training is to accept your child’s learning pace and adapt your expectations accordingly. Just like learning to walk and talk, your child will learn to use the toilet at her own pace.