Potty Training Tips

Potty Training Tips

By Dr. Robyn Strosaker

When Should Parents Begin

Most children can be ready to start potty training between 18 and 24 months. Children will train easier ­before 24 months; some can become willful after that point.

Both the family and the child need to be ready. Review the signs of readiness and make a plan with your significant other.

If your child is having trouble, stop for two to four weeks and then try to restart. Find a time when you can be around during the week to start potty training. Summer vacations or holidays are the best times.

Keeping Kids Motivated

Sticker charts are great. If your child earns a certain number of stickers, they can earn a non-food reward.

If your child still wants to go in their diaper, take them out of it. If they are wearing underwear, they will feel uncomfortable when they are wet. If you’re concerned about the mess, you can put the underpants on under the diaper. For those kids who don’t like wearing ­underpants, encourage them to wear them for a short time and offer rewards when they keep them clean and dry.

There is nothing developmentally ­different between pull-ups and a diaper. Training will go quicker with underpants.

If your child has a certain area of the house he/she prefers to go potty in, it might be a good idea to get a portable potty and let him/her try that. Put the portable potty in a room where the child typically plays to help them get used to the idea.

Other Considerations

Most kids aren’t ready to be dry at night until they start waking up dry from naps and some mornings. To help keep them dry at night, stop liquids two to three hours after dinner, depending on your child’s bedtime. When traveling, take a portable potty or potty seat with you, but you may need pull-ups for long car trips or plane rides.

 

Dr. Robyn Strosaker is a pediatrician at University Hospitals Rainbow Babies and Children’s Hospital in Cleveland.

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