One of the most challenging aspects of raising a baby is potty training. Some babies will take to it quickly while others take a long time. For instance, my son was completely potty trained by 16 months while my daughter was two and one-half. Try to remind yourself that potty training is frustrating and even scary for a baby. I will never forget the first time my son used the big potty. He saw his poo flush down the toilet and began screaming, scared that he was being flushed. In other words, he was not able to separate the stool from himself. While I find this amusing now, it was a horrible experience at the time.
We suggest prior to training your child, you learn all you can about tips for success. The reason is that not everything works for the same child. Therefore, you may need to try a number of different things before you finally get it right. To solve the problem with my son, we purchased a little plastic horse head that fit onto the big potty. This way, he could do his business and flush without being able to see anything.
The key for success is to know when your child is ready to be potty trained. For instance, if you notice that your baby is staying dry longer than usual, especially waking up with a dry diaper in the morning, if he or she has the ability to follow one to two directions at once, and if the baby can tell you when he/she needs to potty – it is time. The truth is that determining when your child is ready can be tough. The thing is that you do not want to train too early or the process will fail and you do not want to start too late, when the child has become accustomed to diapers.
Typically, a baby will begin to show an interest in the potty. A number of attachments can be purchased to help your child sit on the big potty but better yet, this would be the ideal time to purchase a small potty. This way, the baby can begin practicing sitting, even if fully dressed. I remember my son and daughter both would go into the bathroom 10 times a day or more, just to sit on the baby potty for a minute. Nothing happened, but my babies were getting used to their own place to sit, just like mommy and daddy.
Once your baby is ready to use the real potty, a great tip is to get him or her into a nighttime routine of sitting down. Even if nothing happens, make it a part of the bedtime ritual. After dinner and bath time take your baby to the potty with no diaper on just to sit. You may need to help him/her relax by reading a book or playing games. Usually, the first time the baby actually goes to the bathroom, expect a look of surprise. Your reaction to this surprise is what will encourage even more experiences that are positive. Praise your baby, clean him/her up, and then give lots of hugs and kisses.