The decision to have your own child and to bring them into this world is something remarkable. It may well be most people’s happiest moment in their lives. It is a very rare occasion filled with all kinds of emotions. But, all of us know that even though becoming a parent is a magnificent feeling, it is still quite scary. The obligations that you suddenly have for your child are scary. That is completely normal. Most people have never even found themselves in a situation to care for someone. One month you’re a kid yourself and the next one you are suddenly a parent to one.
However, with enough reading and advice from all of your friends or family members, you can easily become a great father or mother. So, I don’t think there is a reason why you should worry. But, when it comes to potty training, things can get a bit more complicated. You’re not working with a baby anymore, you now have to deal with a toddler and you must teach them how to do potty.
Don’t worry though, after reading through this article, I believe that you won’t have any trouble teaching your kids to go to the bathroom.
Do it every day
One of the first things you have to understand is the fact that you will have to do this every single day if you want them to learn how to go to the bathroom. Why is this so important? You and many other parents in this world are probably asking themselves the same thing.
Well, by teaching them to be independent in the bathroom, you won’t have to bother about changing their clothes or putting diapers on them anymore in your life. This may seem like something significant, but just imagine how much time you spend every single day to change your baby’s diaper. It could be half an hour or maybe it could even be two or three hours.
This is why I recommend starting toilet training as early as possible and doing it every single day. By doing it every day, you teach them that this is something that they should do on their own and they shouldn’t rely on you or your partner.
Everyday training will help you build that habit in a short period of time.
Be patient
Potty training may be the first difficult challenge you will face when trying to teach your kids. This is probably the first time that you are treating your kid as someone with a mind of its own. You have stopped treating them as a baby and now they are a toddler that is able to be a bit more independent.
During this time, it is essential to be as patient as possible. Because believe me, at first they will look at you like you’re talking in some alien language. They won’t understand anything you’re saying and they will do everything wrong. Looking at your kid failing hundreds of times can and will be frustrating. Don’t worry, you are not a bad parent just because you feel this way. This is quite normal.
However, a good mother or father will not show that frustration to their child. Keep calm, stay patient, and explain to them the steps of the party training again and again until they finally learn.
If you ever feel like your technique or approach is not working which can get you a bit more frustrated, you could read more online about different approaches or techniques to help your children learn better about going to the bathroom.
Don’t forget to praise
Many people believe that the best way to teach children is through reprimand, getting mad, or yelling. This is very far from the truth and you should never do this to your children. The best way to motivate your kids to do more and to learn faster is by praising them as much as you can. At first, it will seem very silly to praise them for the most basic things, but it is very effective.
So, every time you go for potty training and they do a certain step right, give them praise. Reward them with nice chocolate milk after that or a cookie or anything else. By doing this, they will be inspired to try harder next time to get that same reward again. Through love, you can achieve great things with your daughter or son, but through anger, you will just cause chaos.
Make a routine
The easiest way you can help your kids build a habit of going to the party is by scheduling the training for every single day. Whether it is in the mornings or before bed, it doesn’t matter. Just make sure to create that routine which will help them learn better and faster.
Another thing you can do to improve that routine is to combine it with some other daily activity. For example, do it before or after breakfast. This way they can easily make a connection in their brain. For example, you tell them breakfast is ready which means that after eating, he or she should go to the party. The same could apply for going to sleep. Before they get to bed, they will need to go to the bathroom.
Start in the bathroom
Many parents make the mistake of starting potty training in the bedroom or the children’s room. They do this because they feel their child is more comfortable in this place which is true, but it may be counter-effective. I believe that the best place you can start training is in the bathroom because they can start correlating that going for a number one or a number two should be done in the bathroom and nowhere else in the house.
I believe that after following all of these tips I mentioned in the article above, you will be able to teach your kids to go potty in just a couple of weeks. If it takes a bit longer, don’t worry, eventually, they will get it.
