Nyra was 2.5 years old when we started. I wish you all the best in training your child. Following are the pointers that worked for us and may help you:
- We had bought her a small potty from Costco that she would randomly sit on but never used. We realized it’s way cleaner & easier to use the big potty. So we started letting her use a stool to sit up on the big potty. We never needed an insert on the adult potty for her.
- Explained to her that using the potty will be much cleaner and that she must tell us when she has to pee or poop. We started explaining to her that she has to use the big potty. She was excited as she kept repeating ‘Naya bari ho gayi hai’ (I’m big now)
- She had already been using trainer pull-up diapers (Huggies) for a long time but since they stay quite dry, it’s hard to make kids understand that they have to tell us before they do anything.
- We bought training underwear (set of 5) from Amazon.ca. We bought the padded cotton ones. Many different types are available including the ones with plastic in outer layer. You can choose the best ones for your child. The idea of these is to make them feel wet (so that they can understand the concept of why-use-potty better).
- Best to potty train in summer as a lot of clothes have to be washed in those 10-14 initial days. Also (no cold water on the bottom) issues in summer while cleaning.
- It’s a new skill that they have to learn (controlling their bladder) & tell us before they pee/poo & understanding when they’re about to. So we must be prepared to be very cool and very patient. If we get angry at them, it’ll only make this harder for them (& us).
- We must also have a system in place for accidents before we start. We put away all the rugs in our apartment. We also started placing the leak-proof mat under her whenever she wanted to sit on a sofa. In the initial days, we would sit with her on a mat on the floor. Also keep sweeping, and washing items handy. Our washing machine was used every day in the first 7-10 days of her toilet training. We used the 15-minute cycle so we didn’t waste too much energy.
- Also, try to do it when you are not spending too much time outside (in those 2 weeks). They’re best trained at home.
- After about 3-4 incidents, she started getting aware of it as she also didn’t like the constant interruptions (play) & constant body washes.
- We kept reminding her to tell us when she wants to go. Or we would ask her if she wants to go? Kids get too involved in playing and almost forget to tell us. So we have to always keep an eye on them and ask whenever they seem like they’re up to something.
- We even had to promise her a treat. An incentive for them to tell us at the right time definitely helps. But I don’t generally like to give her chocolates or sweets much. So I bought a packet of bite-sized Kinder wafer chocolates and would give her one every time she had a successful poop mission. But I don’t like to give her a chocolate daily so slowly I stopped giving her unless she remembered.
- At night, during naps, or when going out, we still consider using her pull-up training diapers. This is because we can’t suddenly expect them to have perfect bladder control, esp while sleeping or when they’re outside & washroom may not be close or have a long queue (esp at parks, buses, walks etc).
- Remember, it’s not good to hold it in your bladder for too long as it can cause other serious problems. So we must explain to them that they must tell us ASAP.
- Slowly, you’ll find cleaner diapers and more control. Ultimately, we can let go of diapers completely. (we’re not there yet).
- But once they have been fully trained at home (it took us max 2 weeks), they’re so much better at telling us when we’re out also.
- A tip for when you’re out: I always give her a tour of the washroom in a new place (new library/new friends place etc), so she feels familiar and knows that she has to tell us when she has to go. Better chance of her telling us.
- I honestly wish we had potty trained her way earlier. Better for them, us, the planet, and our pockets. It was my first experience and honestly, I was kind of scared about the big move. But it was definitely easier than I had thought.
Hope these tips helped. Are you planning on potty training your kids & at what age? What in your opinion is the right age to do it?
When did you potty train your kids? Any helpful tips for those who are starting now?
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