I know that I should not compare, but a few friends have said that their kids are potty trained and my 2.5 year old is not yet. Should I be worried?
Let’s shake it up here and change how we look at teaching your child how to go potty, while also taking some pressure OFF. I like to call it “teaching the art of pottying,” as opposed to potty training. You are not really training, you are mentoring your child in an important life skill and step.
First you want to get your child interested in using the potty. Buy some books, let them pick out a potty (they come in a variety of colors and designs), and, if you are comfortable, let them see you potty so that they know that it is a part of everyday life. It is what we all do.
Once you have the potty, make sitting on it part of the diaper changing routine. When you change your child, have her sit on the potty. If she is resistant, she can sit on it with a diaper or even fully clothed. The idea is for your child to get comfortable with the experience.
As you move forward, have him sit on the potty and “try” after each diaper change. If he sits for a moment, that is fine. This is a process. You will find in a few weeks that your child will be going on the potty like a pro. Oh, and when she does, get excited – like really excited. Like won-the-lottery excited.
Sure, your child might not be pottying in 24 hours, BUT the experience will be done without tears, yelling, tantrums, and stress (on the part of BOTH parties). Go forth and mentor the art of pottying.
P.S. Be sure that your child is ready to potty. Here are a few ways to know:
- Be sure that your child can follow basic directions. There are a lot of steps to going potty, think about it and you will be amazed.
- Does your child stay dry for about 2 or more hours?
- Can your child pull up and down most pants?
- Does your child seem interested? If not at ALL, and each time is a fight, hold off for a month and then begin again.
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Brandi Davis, ACC, is a professional Parenting Coach, Parent Educator, and Author of O.K. I’m A Parent Now What? She can also be found on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and be sure to catch her parenting podcasts on iTunes. The goal of Brandi’s practice is to bring respect, calm communication, teamwork, and FUN into the home or classroom. To discover all that Child and Family Coaching can bring to your family stop by www.childandfamilycoaching.com.
The views and opinions expressed on this blog are purely the blog contributor’s. Any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer or provider. Writers may have conflicts of interest, and their opinions are their own.