Planning for potty training a child is diferent for every parent.
You probably envision putting your child on the potty with new Batman underwear as step one-through 10. “I have the perfect potty chair and brand new underwear – Voila!”
Done, right?
Wrong.
Training your child takes preparation. And properly planning for potty training can ensure that it is a relatively pain free process. The pre-potty information and the time invested in learning together means trial and error, accidents, bunched up pants (often on backwards), and Mt. Everest sized piles of toilet paper.
The long and short of it is eventually your child will learn and everything works itself out.
However, the events between pre-potty and full on toilet training are the steps that many parents seem to miss. Yet it would be like asking your child to walk before they could crawl. Don’t you think the experience is worth planning for?
Potty training is good old fashioned hard work, but the two most important tools a parent needs in the process is a sense of humor and pre-potty preparation. Instead of putting the pressure of expectations that this process will be over after 3 diligent days of potty training immersion (that might end up feeling like 3 weeks), focus on small pieces that help you prepare.
Your attitude will help you achieve your altitude and if you are positive and encouraging then you can expect your child to internalize your feelings to begin down the road to successful potty training.
Here are 6 questions to ask yourself if you are Properly planning for potty training.
1) What is the duration of time between wet and dry diapers?
2) Does your child wake up dry after naps and in the morning?
3) Do you put your child on the potty after waking up, before or after bath, before bed time just to see what might happen?
4) Does your child follow 1-2 step directions at a time?
5) Does your child ‘s facial expressions or posture change when a bowel movement or urinations is about to start?
6) Does your child articulate, “I’m dirty.” “Please change me” or take his diaper off and hands it to you?
If your answer is yes to half of these questions begin having practice time with the potty in preparation to fully potty train.
This will not be a fast process, but it is a good time to build up excitement.
Additionally, the act of pulling up and down the pants, making an association that the elimination of fluids and waste goes in the potty which is in the bathroom, and and washing our hands while we sing our ABC’s is all a part of the preparation for milestone of being potty trained.
Many people rush the process, skip these steps and forego the basic planning for potty training that could help them guarantee their own success.
Our children didn’t come out of the womb speaking in complete sentences. You have immersed your child in language to reach the goal of hearing those beautiful syllables MaMa, (even though it is usually DaDa first).
The same is true for potty training.
Immersion in the pre-potty steps is just as important for success in the potty training process.
Planning for potty training means preparing for victory.
