Many new parents are hesitant to start potty training; They talk to their pediatrician, read books, and ask friends for advice. You ask how to potty train and at what age to start potty training; this can be a bit tricky as each child develops at their own pace, however a recent study found that the average age to start training is 27 months. Some children start earlier, others later.
Potty training can be an exciting time for both you and your child; they are growing and learning something new.
Some things to keep in mind are:
- First, you need to teach your child words related to using the bathroom, such as pee, poop, potty, and toilet.
- The child must have a vocabulary of at least 900 words so that he can communicate clearly with you and let you know when he needs to leave.
- They should also be able to pull their pants up and down so they can go when they need to.
- The child should show interest in using the bathroom and may even be asking questions as well.
You’ve heard the horror stories about potty training and wonder if you and your child are ready to give it a try; If your child already shows an interest in potty training, then take advantage of this and start potty training.
It can help to teach your child potty lingo long before potty training begins. When you change her diaper, say the words, or make a face, she’ll associate the words with the action and make it a little easier when it’s time to go to the bathroom. Explain what you are doing and why when changing the child as well so they begin to understand the process of using the bathroom.
Introduce your child to the potty, but don’t put it on top; let him know what it’s for and that it’s his and his alone. Remember that this is very new for him, if he is afraid; don’t force him to use the potty. Once he expresses interest in it, you can start letting him sit on it with his clothes on. Once the child is comfortable with this experience, their pants can be pulled down and they can also sit on the potty that way to get comfortable with the experience. One of these times they may even go, which means explaining the feelings they had before going so they begin to associate that with going to the bathroom.
When he finally goes to the bathroom, make a big ruckus! Children love to please their parents and praising him will let him know how happy you are. Use a reward system when they leave. There may be a treasure chest to go to the bathroom to choose a toy when they are successful. This extra praise and reinforcement can go a long way in making your child want to use the potty.
Experts differ on whether or not to actually train your child to stand up and urinate; It doesn’t matter if you train your child to get up and pee or sit on the potty, it all depends on how comfortable your child is with potty training and if she wants to sit. It’s also helpful to let your son go to the bathroom with her father or another male role model to show him that it’s safe and that this is how ‘big people’ go to the bathroom.
It’s important to remember that potty training takes time and a lot of patience. Stay calm and remember that this is all new to a child and very exciting too. The more fun potty training is, the better it will go.