Have you lost yourself in the potty training problems? Then all you need is to read the potty training tips for boys and girls laid out in the article below.
Potty-trained children, by default, are safeguarded from diaper-related infections such as rotavirus, giardia, and diaper rash. That also translates to many benefits for parents, saving them time and money. Appropriate potty training helps prevent recurrent urinary tract infections. However, to most parents, especially the first-timers, potty training comes off as something of a catch-22. But the main reason why rapid results can prove elusive boils down to what strategies and secrets a parent deployed. This article is a pool of all the information you need to avoid getting lost at sea in potty training. By putting into practice the tips for potty training boys and girls laid out in this article, you'll be able to get over the pitfalls and frustrations inherent in potty training.
WHAT AGE TO START POTTY TRAINING?
There's no official figure for what age to start potty training. In fact, your child can learn how to use a toilet without a thorough-going potty training. He/she only needs to learn from others spontaneously. The rule of thumb for starting potty training is based on the physical and emotional readiness of the child to use a potty. Children cannot decide where and when to wee and poo before reaching the age range from eighteen months to three years. The muscles that bridle their bladder and rectum do not mature until they reach this age-range. So, the definition of what age to start potty training is predicated on the observation of signs of readiness in the child. If you go jumping the gun, you might end up causing accidents.
However, potty training your child at an earlier age has its advantages. Older children are usually less inclined to please adults than children under 18 months. Girls are typically ready to use potties at an earlier age than boys. Still, the question of what age to start training does not matter as much as that of how to go about it. For starters, you should never force your child to use a potty against his/her will.
POTTY TRAINING PROBLEMS
It's only natural for toddlers and older babies to find it hard to make a clean break from diapers. They've ignoring body signs throughout their lives, so they must relearn these body signs if they're to start using potties. Also, they might simply just resist change and cling on to diapers.
Another potty practice problems pertain to children who're just learning how to walk. To such kids, remaining seated on a potty chair might come off as being suppression to their new found lifestyle. To boot, babies this old have more odoriferous excreta, cleaning up after them is more unnerving.
Some children make a fuss over flushing away their excreta because they reckon their waste is still a part of their bodies. This is a significant potty training problem. In such a situation, a parent needs to explain to the child, using books and other media, what wastes are and why they must be expelled from the body.
It's also natural for children to urinate while sleeping. One way around this problem is to get the child to habitually use the potty right before going to bed and immediately after waking. Encourage him/her to call for help or to walk up to the potty if he/she feels like weeing during bedtime.
WHAT MAKES UP SIGNS OF TOILET READINESS?
Most potty training literature posits the minimum age for training falls between 18 and 24 months. Still, signs of toilet training readiness are contingent on the child's expression of the desire for independence. This is reflected in the child's propensity to:
hold off excreta until he/she reaches the toilet,
- pull his/her clothes up and down before voiding,
- wipe his/her bottom by himself/herself
- flush the toilet.
It is highly unlikely for a child to reach this level of maturity if he/she does not attain the age of three or four. But there are other minor signs of potty-training readiness that are evident in toddlers. The ability to understand verbal prompts, walking, and the ability to remain dry for over two hours at a go, all reflect subtle signs of a child's toilet training readiness.
While most of these signs need to come through before a child is deemed ready to receive potty training. It is not a good idea for a parent to wait passively for these signs to emerge first. A parent can instill most of these signs in a kid.
POTTY TRAINING TIPS FOR BOYS
According to some developmental researchers, boy's brains develop different neural pathways upon learning. It is unlike girls. One implication of this is that boys need to carry out the same activity multiple times to learn. But boys naturally abhor repetitions. As a result, it could be challenging to have them buckle down into potty training. But the following training tips show ways to get boys on track. Let's get down to brass tacks tips:
1. Don't lose your cool and go pushing things through
As previously noted, girls are naturally prepared for potty training at an earlier age than boys. When you realize your friend's daughter is entirely on top of her toilet habits, while your son, who's even older than she is, is adamant about using diapers, don't let it get your wires crossed. Simply continue encouraging him to indulge in positive habits, and he'll catch on to potty use in no time.
2. Begin with sitting then proceed to stand
This potty training tip for boys is a vital one. Since boys have to learn two different skills for the use of potties, giving them potty training entails more. They have to stand or sit, depending on their intentions. Most training literature advocates first teaching the child to sit for both pooing and weeing. The most important thing, however, is getting them to come to terms with life without diapers. It'll then be easier for you to teach them to know when to sit and when to stand on a potty.
3. Have him follow a lead
Single moms will find these tips very instrumental. It is impractical for a single mom to demonstrate her son how to stand and pee. Nothing beats a visual demonstration when it comes to potty training for boys. Get a male figure to help play this role and to help your son develop neural pathways for peeing while standing.
4. Begin with sitting then proceed to stand
Have other kids hook up with your son frequently and get them to play and poo together. Toddler boys are very much open to peer influence. Potty training under such circumstance is bound to be more fun for everyone. You should also let his class teacher know he's undergoing potty training at home. As a result, the teacher can help complement your efforts by making your child practice potty use alongside his classmates.
5. Turn the end into a means
Have him aim at something while weeing, then reward him for clean shots. You can place colorful fruit loops or ice blocks into the potty as targets.
6. Throw in words of encouragement
Spice up moments in training with words of encouragement. Let your kid know you’re pretty pleased with their behavior, and that he’s in line for greatness and plenty excitement in life. This is one of the tips for potty training boys. Get people around to chime praises every time your son uses the potty successfully. Nothing aggrandizes a kid’s self-esteem like attention from people around. But you also need to be smart about how you dish out praises.
7. Throw in rewards randomly
Always keep handy reward items like single M&M, stickers, and bubbles. Anytime he hits a milestone, take him to stores to pick potty prizes such as his underwear and toys. You can also give him food prizes like pizza parties and ice cream.
POTTY TRAINING TIPS FOR GIRLS
Even though girls show readiness for potty training at an earlier age than boys, potty training for girls is no easier feat. The following potty training tips for girls show how to trump the natural resistance in girls to potty training.
1. Get the timing right
The first and most important of all potty training tips for boys and girls pertains to timing. You shouldn’t go pushing things through if your daughter does not show willingness and readiness to train.
2. Don’t hesitate to lift her spirit
Take her shopping and let her choose her underwear and toys. You should also allow her to select the color of her potty and toilet paper. The idea is to make the training environment as colorful and attractive as possible.
3. Put her at ease
Another crucial tip for girls concern the level of attention you give your girl while she uses the bathroom. It's never safe to leave a toddler or an older child alone in a bathroom. It’s normal for kids to hate sitting still on the potty chair, but your presence can help assuage their anxiety.
4. Establish a routine
Girls are more susceptible to bladder infections caused by bacteria harbored in the waste residues left in the bladder. Creating a timely bathroom schedule could help your daughter keep alert about the right time to void into a potty.
5. Don’t ever lose your cool
This potty training tips for girls couldn’t be recommended highly enough. Keeping a calm and casual air while instructing your daughter about potty training. This improves your chances of successfully instilling the skill in her. Read her books about potty training and reward her with praises and prizes as frequently as possible.
POTTY TRAINING METHOD - How to potty train a toddler?
In some countries, potty training is usually carried out when a baby isn’t even four months old. A common strategy deployed by parents in such countries is called elimination communication. This method entails keeping a weather eye for signs of a forthcoming wee or poo, and placing the child in a potty at the nick of time. But this practice is not acceptable in the eyes of many health practitioners who hold that this strategy eventually brings more problems down the line. How to potty train a toddler is the matter of time and patience. But if you remember the tips for potty training, it will make your life a lot easier.
An acceptable Potty training method
These are some easy ways to potty train. Through this you will overcome most of the potty training problems:
Frequently Asked Questions about potty training
Ques: How best to go about transitioning from diapers to underwear?
Ans: There’s no big deal to how quickly you ditch diapers for underwear. But it is expedient that you stick to underwear once the potty training ensues. This’ll keep the child from getting confused or latching on to habits associated with diaper use.
Ques: What works best: A kid potty or the toilet?
Ans: There’s no point in making a fuss about this as it’s only just a matter of preference. But you can make your kid get used to the big potty from the get-go. This eliminates the need to retrain the kid to use the big pot down the line after he/she outgrows the kid potty.
Ques: Is walking a vital sign of toilet training readiness?
Ans: That really depends on your goal. Some parents are keen on seeing their kids walk to the bathroom by themselves, and that is when the ability to walk is crucial to toilet training. Apart from a goal as such, you can count walking as a secondary sign of readiness.
Ques: Why is peeing easy but pooping a challenge for the kid when overcoming potty training obstacles?
Ans: Such a challenge is usually found in the potty training for kids. It’s more difficult to train your kid to poop than to pee. You need to discuss things in full details with your kid. Ask him/her questions to find out any source of fear.
CONCLUSION:
Hope you find potty training tips for boys and girls is effective. Don’t get worried about what age to start this training. Potty training at an early age is recommended for children suffering from any urinary tract disorder. It is also crucial that you don’t put the cart before the horse. Set toilet training goals according to your child’s abilities. We hope the above the tips for potty training will help you avoid any sort of potty training problems. A child who’s is free from any urinary tract disorder, open to changes, and cooperatively is pretty primed for potty training. Also, in order to keep the nighttime potty training effective, it is expedient to avoid giving the child drinks or milk shortly before bedtime. When you go outdoors with your kid, be sure to visit places that have public restrooms, and to always carry along spare pairs of pants and wipes.