Today, from the number of books available, it seems that mothers dread the idea of potty training. You may have heard stories from your friends, of disasters all over the house, damaged new carpets, and embarrassing moments at friends’ houses or in public places.
Yes, some accidents are unavoidable in the first few days, but with a little advance planning and common sense, most can be avoided. Get ready is the motto here. Always pack spare pants, clothes, and wipes when you go out, or you could use pull-ups for the first few days, and reduce the hassle of occasional mishaps when you go out or when baby takes a nap.
. For the times when the worst happens and there is a small accident, do not scold or criticize, be in a good mood and take it easy. In hindsight, these accidents can seem quite funny!
The stories I have heard are of a beautiful and expensive cream carpet across the floor repeatedly christened. Well, for the first few days of training when you start with plastic sheeting in earnest you could have covered the carpet or closed doors in certain rooms, it’s like giving a puppy access to everyone’s shoes and then being surprised when they chew on them. Don’t laugh at the time, in front of your child, you probably won’t want to too, but it would create mixed messages.
If the worst happens, carpet cleaners are inexpensive and effective. In fact, I cared for one of my grandchildren during her early years and when she was first born suffered from projectile vomiting after meals. It wasn’t until we were advised to hold her in a sitting position for half an hour after feedings that we were generally able to prevent it from happening. Yes, and we also had cream rugs!
3 reasons to delay potty training
- Even though you’ve decided that your little one is developed enough and ready to begin potty training, there are times when your plan to start his program in earnest should be delayed.
- If a child is constipated, delay their training or they may associate the potty with discomfort, or delay its action and make constipation worse. If they are teething or sick, they are unlikely to want to cooperate. They may also have loose stools, which could make them difficult and could alter them with any mishap.
- If you’re too busy to spend time watching and playing with them, wait until a more convenient date.
With a little planning, potty training isn’t that difficult. Ideally, when your baby is sitting comfortably, sit him on a small potty next to his legs after meal or bath time and share a book or toys for a few minutes to get him used to sitting on the potty. Sometimes it will get results and make training easier when he or she is older when baby is familiar with the potty. Be patient with your little one, it’s a new learning curve.