How to Prepare to Potty Train Your Toddler in the Best Way
As your baby grows older, they achieve new milestones every day. One such essential milestone for toddlers is potty training. First-time parents often have a lot of questions about how to potty train a toddler. And so, we have brought you some expert potty training tips to help you prepare your little one for potty training.
When to Start Potty Training Your Toddler?
Usually, toddlers develop the motor skills and emotional maturity needed for potty training by two years. But some children may need a little longer. As parents and caregivers, you must be patient and supportive when potty training your toddler.
There is no perfect age to start potty training. Still, most children may show signs of interest by asking questions about the toilet, underwear, and potty seats. We have compiled a list of ten super-tips for parents to prepare their toddlers for potty training. Here they are:
- Make it Fun
It can be difficult getting your toddler interested in a new habit unless you make it fun. If your toddler thinks of potty training as a fun activity, they look forward to it instead of being scared of it.
- Pull-Up Disposable Pants
Switch to pull up underwear that’s simple to take off and wear for the baby on their own. Use disposable pull-up pants to begin with. They are absorbent and can be helpful in case of an accident. Once your child is more confident about potty training, move on to reusable potty training pants.
- Keep Up the Motivation
Remind your toddler that using the potty means growing up and being a big girl or boy. In the beginning, keep tangible incentives, like a good-job star or a penny in a piggy bank to motivate your child.
- Don’t Deny Drinks
Some parents opine that by rationing their toddler’s intake of liquids, they can reduce the chances of their toddler having an accident. But reducing a child’s intake of fluids is unhealthy and unfair. Experts advise increasing your child’s fluid intake to give them more chances to succeed.
- Teach them How to Use a Potty
For adults, using a potty seems pretty straightforward. It may not be the case with your little one. Talk to them about the proper way to use the potty, let them know that the training potty is not a toy but something for them to use.
- Create a Routine
Making a routine will give your child more chances to succeed in potty training. Make them sit on the potty a few times a day.
- Changing Diapers in the Bathroom
Regularly changing diapers in the bathroom will help your child build an association with getting cleaned up in the bathroom. It will make them comfortable with the space and help them understand what it means to go to the bathroom.
- Celebrate When Your Child Communicates the Need to Pee or Poop
Let your little one know that they have done a wonderful thing by telling you they need to pee or poop. It will create a positive association in the toddler’s mind about going to the bathroom and using a toilet.
- Night-Time Training
Training your child to sleep without a diaper usually takes longer. Until your child starts staying dry through the night, use reusable diapers. These are absorbent leak-proof pants that help your child transition to a diaper-free life and prevent diaper rashes.
- Be Patient
We cannot say this enough. Children need your support and patience when potty training. Your child may take up to several weeks to learn potty training. Don’t scold or punish them in a bid to make them learn faster. Stay calm and let your toddler know that it’s okay to have a few accidents as long as they keep trying to learn.
Don’t underestimate the struggle of the potty-training process. Look for signs of readiness for pottytraining in your toddler before you begin. A life without diapers comes with patience and perseverance, both from your toddler and yourself. Sooner or later, your little one is sure to get the hang of it and outgrow diapers. Good luck!
Author Bio
Neha Divan, a toddler-mom works as part of the content team at SuperBottoms, a baby product brand that develops innovative and sustainable products, like the No.1 best-selling reusable cloth diapers in India. She is passionate about empowering parents with her content to help make parenting a little easier and a lot more fun. She often writes from firsthand experience and has a knack for presenting her ideas clearly which lets her readers connect with her content. Art & craft are her things and she also loves coming up with fun and healthy recipes for kids.
