|
My oldest daughter started using the potty at two years old, but my nephew was three and my cousin’s son was closer to four. Kids all have their own personal schedules when it comes to toilet training, but when the time does come, there are some really simple strategies that can help them to acquire that skill.
One of the easiest plans is to simply have the child go without diapers. This requires a bit of bravery on the part of the trainer. Keep the potty close, either in the same room as the child or make sure that the child's potty room is kept free - they may have to make a run for it. The next step is to wear as few clothes as possible. A pair of underpants - not those paper diaper trainers that defeats the whole purpose - and a t-shirt work well. Nude might work even better – this is obviously something you have to work on when you have time at home.
You want it to be as easy as possible to get to and get on the potty. Keep clean up supplies handy and try not to sweat the accidents. They are an inevitable part of the toilet training process and you don't want to dwell on them. The negative attention can make a child feel unsuccessful and that will make the whole process take longer.
The next step is to make up a reward poster. The poster can be as simple or as complicated as you want. You could use an inexpensive calendar and put stickers on the each day's square or you could make a chart with little boxes that you color in. I like the simple route, chances are my daughter is going to pull the poster down and carry it around the house anyway. I want it to be accessible to her - that's the whole point of it being "her" reward chart. She is proud of the accomplishment and it is also a fun activity.
I cut a picture of a little guy sitting on a potty chair and glued it to some colored construction paper. I wrote "Sarah Can Do It" across the top. Whenever she is successful, I give her a sticker to put on the poster. Then, we give each other a high five, but any kind of "happy dance" would work just as well. She laughs, she smiles, she feels successful! Sarah can do it!
Another idea is to pick up an inexpensive doll that wets. You take the dolly into the potty room, feed it some water from a little doll bottle, and then it "wets" into the potty chair. Oh, look at dolly using the potty! What a big girl! It's an old idea that will probably never go out of style, because it works! My mom used this on me, my sister, and my younger brother.
The most important thing to remember, no matter what strategy you decide to try, try not to apply too much pressure. Kids will not potty on demand. They each have their own time table and if they feel unsuccessful it will just make the process take that much longer. Applaud their successes, overlook the accidents, and don't forget that high five.
| 
