Potty Training

While crawling, sitting up, walking, and talking are the basic skills which every child has to learn, they don’t start and end with these. Potty training is a learned skill that is just as crucial. However, certain abilities and skills have to be in order before actual learning can take place.

There is no specific age that is best for potty training. Children show readiness at various ages. And while learning to use the toilet typically starts during the toddler stage, there are times when infant potty training or IPT is also possible. Although early potty training babies is highly contradicted in most cultures, there are parents who still think that the earlier babies learn this skill, the better it is for them. There is really no appropriate term for infant potty training since infants are not capable of sitting on the potty, and the act is more of teamwork between the mother and the baby. Hence, a more suitable definition used to describe it is “elimination communication” (EC).

Usually, potty training begins when children are between 18 and 36 months. However, the child’s age should not be the only thing that parents should watch out for. Babies are actually smarter than we think. Thus, parents should be aware of the subtle hints which suggest that their children are ready to take on the potty. The most common signs include: increased bladder capacity means the child stays dry longer than usual; the child is aware when he needs to eliminate; the child has learned how to pull his pants down and up; the child is able to follow instructions, even those not related to the toilet training; the child can sit for more than a few minutes and not easily get distracted; the child can walk and run well; and most importantly, the child shows real desire and interest in learning the skill.

Since potty training can be tedious and is a huge challenge to both the parents and the baby, it is important that the parents have the patience to encourage their babies to acquire the proper skill. Also, babies need to have the necessary support so that they will have the positive attitude towards this fairly complicated endeavor.

For starters, never force the child’s readiness to potty train. There are a lot of telltale signs which will give you an idea that he is truly interested to say goodbye to his diapers. Encourage him to sit on the potty but never force him to do so. Forcing an unwilling child may only cause him to resist more, and can even make him have negative vibes about the restroom.

If your child is going through some stressful times, it is advisable to postpone the toilet training sessions just yet. Wait until things have settled down. The child will be more apt to learning when usual flow of activities is taking place.

Potty training is one learned skill that is not supposed to be time-constrained. That is, don’t give your children deadlines. In fact, the training could go on smoothly without you setting time expectations. Each child has a unique temperament, and a deadline will not bring out his individuality.

Also, while most people think that potty training baby girls are easier than potty training baby boys, this rule does not apply to all girls. Since children respond in various ways, there are times that baby girls are harder to train than baby boys.

Potty training is actually a two-way learning process. Babies learn the importance of support from their parents, and parents realize the importance of patience from their babies. And only then can the training reap its success.