At that moment, when the baby understands why the pot is needed, he will become much more independent, he will learn to control his urges and discover the time when to ask for the pot.
If you wonder when to start potty training, keep reading and we will tell you many interesting details.
How to Prepare a Child for a Potty?
Even in the process of training a child to go to the toilet, at first, you still need diapers. However, their number will decrease, and later they will be needed only during a night’s sleep and on a walk. So do not hesitate to use diapers at night while potty training, just make sure you choose the best overnight diapers.
These useful potty training tips will tell you how you can teach your child to ask and sit on the potty:
At the beginning of the training, all the family should be healthy and in a good mood. It is recommended to start training in the warm season since if necessary, it will be possible to take off clothes and set the little one comfortably. The first acquaintance with the pot is essential. To do this, choose such moments in which his bladder will be full (after day or night sleep, after eating).
If the baby succeeded, do not forget to praise him loudly, hug him, and demonstrate your joy in every possible way. If, at first, you are unable to achieve the desired result, do not get upset and show it. Swimming lessons is also essential for your kids in his/her early stage.
During training, if you have carpets at home, upholstered furniture, you need to remove them as much as possible or protect them as much as possible from probable “accidents.” If you want to abandon the diapers when walking on the street, first of all, it is essential to develop the skill of walking on the pot automatically at home.
The hardest thing for a baby is to control urination during day and night sleep. Therefore, it is normal if the child is wet for up to 3 years.
Potty Training Rules
If you set out to teach your child to walk on the potty, it is essential to get acquainted with the basic rules before starting, and throughout the difficult period, try to follow them.
The stages of learning will be as follows:
In the first stage, you need to get informed. To do this, just put the baby on the pot and do not require anything else from him. However, you can’t play with the pot.
Settle the baby at the moment when, as it seems to you, he wants to use the toilet.
Pay attention to how the child behaves before going to the toilet. Maybe he becomes moody or, on the contrary, very quiet, tries to hide, thinks. In the future, it will help you to catch that very moment.
It is essential to consolidate this skill. Even if the baby goes by, there is no need to despair. It is necessary to explain to your child how to do it and ask him to show where the toilet is.
Never shout on your child, even if, as you think, the baby gets wet on purpose. Only as a result of long and persistent training, rewards, convictions, a good and right attitude, it will be possible to reach the desired goal quickly and without harm to the psychological and physical condition of the child.
To quickly learn with a minimum of mistakes, it is crucial to fix a specific sequence of actions in the baby’s mind. For example, a baby wakes up, takes his mother by the handle, and sits on a pot. You can try it after eating before going to bed and walking.
The Best Age for Potty Training
Many parents care about the question of how old a child can be taught to use a potty. First of all, you need to understand that the time for this should be optimal, everything should happen naturally, without tears, scandals, and pressure.
According to experts, it is harmful if the training began very early or very late. For determining the appropriate age of the child, it is vital to consider three main physiological factors:
- Psychological. The little one begins to understand what exactly you want from him, and what he needs to do;
- Physical. The muscles of the urethra begin to harden. The ability to control natural need is being formed;
- Emotional. At the request of parents, the child should not express and experience negative emotions. If he is ready, he will not be capricious, cry, and refuse to satisfy the request.
The so-called adulthood and readiness should be traced to all three points described above.
Conclusion: If we talk about generally accepted standards, as the American Academy of Pediatrics claims, maturity and readiness of children for accustoming is formed no earlier than 18-24 months. It is believed that just at this time, kids begin to understand and realize what their parents and others want from them. They are already capable of listening, memorizing what has been said for several days.
All physiological factors are formed no earlier than 12 months, so trying to accustom a baby to the pot before this time is not just not justified, but also dangerous. Such pressure can negatively affect the physical, emotional, and psychological state of the child.
Have you tried going back to diapers after potty training and why? What age do you consider the best for potty training? Please do not hesitate to share your experience in the comments below.