Potty training for toddlers is an extremely important part of their training. Some children are very stubborn and may tax their parents. Boys usually take more time to become toilet trained then girls.
Children like to follow adult kids, so if they see toilet trained big kids, they will try to follow toilet etiquette. Adequate toilet training will help not only your children, when they grow older. They may have to spend lot of time at home when you are at work, so proper toilet training will keep them clean.
Children take long time to get potty trained, so do not expect quick results. It may be months before they open up to you and start learning the process.
If your children are stubborn and refuse to follow rules, here are some potty training tips on how to start potty train your child
- Tip One: Children fear the entire potty process. If you sit with them and discuss all details, alleviate their concerns about sitting on toilet, they will be more inclined to follow potty rules. If your child has siblings, help him / her watch elder siblings, so that he/she knows it’s safe. Once your child sees that other kids have tackled their fears, there is some motivation for them. Talk about flushing to clear any doubt in your children’s mind.
- Tip Two: At times constipation, urinary tract infection may also make your children fearful of potty and they may not take to training nicely. You need to take your children to a physician for examination. Children can’t always explain their physical complaints very well, so a medical examination may be necessary. Once children are treated using medicines, they may respond very well to potty training.
- Tip Three: You should not start potty training for toddlers before 18 months of age. When your kids are from 18 months to 3 years of age, they are most ready to tackle potty training. Younger children may have more difficulties.
- Tip Four: At times children see potty training as removal of their freedom. They resent it as they can’t be free anymore. You can give them freedom by allowing them to choose their own underwear. They will be more then happy to throw their diapers if they get this freedom.
- Tip Five: Sometimes, children just do not want to do anything, you try and tell them to. So when you introduce a change in their potty schedule/ process, use subtle ways. You can passively try and train them, rather then actively pursuing potty training.
If you observe that your kids are stubborn about the entire toilet training process, try to investigate the reasons. It may be a medical reason, or some fear in your children’s mind. When you talk to your children about it, they will open up and voice their concerns. This will help you on how to start potty train even the most stubborn children.
If you have some good ways on potty training for toddlers, how about sharing with us your potty training tips by leaving us a comment. Thanks in advance.
This article was first published in Today’s Motherhood Magazine Feb 09 issue Page 11
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I totally disagree with the implimentation of potty training after 18mth. Babies are smarter than u know. There is such a method call Elimination Communication which babies can be trained since birth and can be fully trained before their 1st birthdays. Not a new idea since most of our grandmas and mothers usually practise by bringing the potties to babies in the mornings or after meals. They can be conditioned since young or signal/ make sound when they got the need. Who like to sleep/ eat with soiled diaper.
Hope there are more researches before publishing this article. This is only one theory. To start after 18mths is so late and difficult!
Hi Rachel,
I think it depends. I started training my boy before 18 months and it was frustrating. He is not ready at all and thre tantrums all over. Sometimes he will rather constipate.
In the end, we had to stop and try again after 20 months and he is potty trained faster.
With the bad experience, we only started training our daughter after 18 months and things are so much easier and she was potty trained within weeks.
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