As a parent, you likely crave the day that your children are out of diapers. However, that comes with the challenge of potty training, which can be far greater than any diaper change. You can’t guarantee that you’ll avoid mishaps and accidents, but you can make things more successful for both you and your children. These are some ways you can make potty training easier and more satisfying.
Go at Their Pace
You canlook for signs that your children are ready to start potty training to let you know when it’s time to start. These include wanting to take off their diaper and alerting you they need to use the restroom. However, not every child has these urges at the same time. Forcing them into something that scares and upsets them is not the way to go. Don’t let yourself get caught up in the comparison trap where you compare them to other children or siblings who got potty trained at a relatively early age. It shouldn’t be about when they get potty trained but that it happens at some point.
Don’t Punish Them
While punishment is important for misbehavior, not immediately taking to potty training shouldn’t be considered misbehavior. Learning to use the potty can be like learning to speak a new language for your children. Methods of potty training that emphasize child interest and cooperation avoid punishment for failure. You can give your children incentives to use the potty, such as small amounts of candy. You might be disappointed when they have accidents or other problems, but you don’t need to make them feel ashamed about this. Keep your unhelpful comments to yourself and work on building up their confidence.
Keep Your Patience
Just because your children have some accidents or are reluctant to use the potty by no means should lead you to conclude that your effort is for nothing. You could probably ask every parent who’vesuccessfully potty trained their kids and they’ll tell you how tough it is, including your own. Put things into perspective as well. If the worst thing that happens is that you have to clean up some accidents, then you should consider yourself pretty lucky.
Potty training is a major milestone for both parents and children. Even if they don’t know how to put it into words, it helps your kids to feel more self-sufficient. It can also help you to feel proud of your ability to educate your children. A positive potty training experience can be rewarding for the whole family.
Read more: Baby Care Anywhere: 4 Tips for Parenting on the Go