Help with Potty Training

Potty Training – The Dreaded Task
By Tina Lovell

Does the thought of potty training your child both excite and exhaust you at the same time? It did me! I was very ready to move out of the diaper stage. Let’s face it, disposable diapers are expensive, messy, and not good for the environment. Yet the thought of potty training my first son was a bit overwhelming. I believed it would require a lot of time, patience, being attentive to the clock and so forth and so on. That was overwhelming. After all, potty training is a difficult task to master… or at least that’s what I thought. I am here to tell you it really doesn’t have to be all that bad. Let’s explore that idea and talk about potty training in general.

Before you begin potty training, you will want to look for signs that your child is ready. These include:

1. Your child is able to keep their diaper dry for two hours at a time or more.
2. Can pull their pants up and down.
3. Can follow simple instructions.
4. Understands when they are urinating or “going potty. ”
5. Can sit still for a couple of minutes without being upset by it.
6. Can walk or run fairly well- sometimes a quick trip to the bathroom is necessary.
7. Shows an interest in potty training, the toilet, “big kid underwear” or what you are doing when you go potty. You can help peak their interest by talking about it or pointing certain things out- like the potty, underwear, using the toilet.

If your child is showing these signs, then it’s time to begin the process. If you have already begun and are not having success, or have never potty trained a child before and don’t know where to begin, then the next step is to begin educating yourself as to the best way to go about this. That is exactly what I did and was able to potty train three of my sons in 3 days. I have one more to potty train, but he’s not quite ready yet. However, I now face the task with great confidence because I know it is easier than I thought.

Tina is a happily married WAHM of 4 boys, a freelance writer and advocate for families and parents. She enjoys encouraging others in everyday family life and is willing to share what she has learned along the way. She has a lot of experience when it comes to raising children, especially boys.

For more tips in parenting in general or for helping to potty train your child, visit her at: http://www.squidoo.com/Potty-Training-That-works or at http://www.Parenting-Toddlers-Children-Teenagers.blogspot.com

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