Tips From Moms

Potty training most of the time is a long difficult process. Some kids start early, some kids start late, some kids catch on right away, some kids take what seems like forever. It's a good idea to make sure your child is potty trained before they start preschool. Here are some tips for potty training

Start at the right time - Introducing the potty at an early age ( around 1 years old ) is a good idea, sit your child on the potty, she may go she may not, if she does go on the potty praise her. Sometimes this age is still too young to potty train everyday.

Use a sticker chart - Make a chart ( below click to enlarge 5 week potty training chart example ). Decorate it with your child, put stickers and pictures. Every time your child uses the potty, give him/her a sticker to put on that day. If they go #2 in the potty give them a bigger sticker that they can put on that day. If they pull down their pull ups or whatever they are wearing by themselves to go potty give them 2 stickers to put on that day. Be sure to praise them when they've done good.

Be patient - Patience is key in potty training. Your child is going to have accidents it's unavoidable, the best thing you can do is tell your child that it's okay and that it's an accident. There is no point in getting angry with your child, every child will have accidents during this time. If you teach them they will learn. Be patient with yourself and your child, if you can't have patience your child will take longer to succeed.

Let them pick - Go to the mall and check out the kids isles and let your child pick out a potty. Remind them that this is their potty, just like mommies big people potty.

Make a shopping trip - Go shopping for big kid underwear and let your child pick out his/her own underwear. Remind them that it's not a diaper, tell them that it's time for big kid underwear and no more diapers. If they refuse, try a different day. It's a good idea to plan the trip around your childs schedule, make sure she/he is not hungry or tired to avoid a cranky meltdown.

Nighttime potty training - Some kids can hold the need for the bathroom all night, some can't. Nighttime potty training will be harder than day time potty training. It's a good idea to bring the potty to the bedroom at nighttime that way accidents can be avoided. If your child does wake up wet remind them that the potty is right beside their bed and they can ask for help if they need it. Do not get frustrated as this will only slow your child down.

Remember that all kids are different, the have different personalities and they develop differently. Some might do it early, some might wait until the age of 3. Eventually your child will be potty trained and the diaper changes will be done. Yes the cost of diapers will soon be over!