Prepare for Potty Training

Potty training does not have to a stressful, dreaded task. Potty training can be made easier and even enjoyable if you take the time to prepare yourself and your child. Be prepared to clean up a few messes and be pleasant and cheerful while you do it. A child in a positive environment will learn much faster than a child that is stressed and tense.

Potty training must be a positive experience in order for the child to learn quickly. Like learning to walk and talk, learning to use the potty takes time. Just as a child falls when first learning to walk, he will have accidents when learning to use the potty. A child doesn't learn it all at once, no matter how easy those train-your-child-in-one-day methods make it sound. There is a lot of preparation that has to be done before the actual training in one day takes place, and then after wards the parent must keep up maintenance for weeks before the child is entirely on his own.

The single most important thing to remember when potty training any child is that patience, kindness, and cheerfulness will produce far better results than anger and frustration.


There are steps to preparing your child before you take away the diaper and expect the child to stay dry and clean. It doesn't matter which method you choose to follow, if you have these in place, you will be able to successfully train your child.

#1 Teach the child to wet in the potty. Every morning when the child first awakens, put him on the potty. When he's ready let him get off. Don't make him sit there any longer than he likes. Don't turn this into a disagreeable task. If he doesn't want to get on the potty, let him watch you for a few times. He may have no idea what he is suppose to do at first. and may take a few days to learn to actually wet in the potty. If he wets on the floor, use it as a learning tool.Show him that he has "gone potty" and that is good. Then explain that he needs to do it in the potty not on the floor. When a child knows what to do when he gets on the potty, and it's enjoyable, you will have a much easier time of training him when you actually take the diaper away.




#2 Teach the child to pull his pants up and down. Around age 2 children usually go through a stage where they want to do everything themselves. Take advantage of this independence and let him learn as much as possible. When dressing the child show him how to pull up his own pants. When undressing, let him take them down. Do not try to potty train a child that cannot get his own pants up and down. There is no way he could get on the potty if he wanted to.

#3 Teach your child to tell you when he needs to go. He needs to be able to say "potty" or something similar to let you know. Otherwise you'll just be guessing all day and may not guess correctly.

#4 There must be a bond of love between you and your child so that. he loves to see you smile at him and will do things to please you to see your smile. You must love the child enough to overlook his weakness of having accidents and love him enough that you won't destroy his self esteem through your anger when he messes his pants. Don't make him feel ashamed that he has eliminated, which is as essential to life as eating and drinking. Clean up with a cheerful smile. He'll get it right much faster if he feels love and acceptance.


Proper preparation and a positive attitude will make any potty training program that you choose successful for you and your child. The child must be able to wet in the potty, pull his pants up and down, and speak enough to tell you when he needs to go. But most importantly you must have that bond of love between you and the child.

Potty Training Methods

This article explains the five basic potty training methods. I have use a combination of the first four to successfully potty train four children and I am currently training another. I do not agree with the fifth method as I believe that children should be taught to keep their bodies covered.


Potty Training Your Child: The Five Potty Training Methods
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Narmin_Parpia]Narmin Parpia

There are many different ways to potty train your toddler. At last count, I had found 35 different books for parents on potty training and I own most of those books. Based on my research and understanding, I break HOW to potty train down into the following five methods:



Infant Potty Training

It's potty time!! - practice until you get it right

The Potty Training in One Day Method

He will go potty when the time is right

The Naked & $75 method

1) The Infant Potty Training Method:

Most used potty training method in underdeveloped nations around the world and probably the least used potty training method in North America.

It basically involves holding the infant over a potty to catch the eliminations.

It basically works by having the mom learn the infant's rhythms and infant learns to recognize physical sensations that precede elimination.

This is very effective when the disposable diaper use is minimal or nonexistent.

Infants can learn to signal when they need to relieve themselves.

PROS of the Infant Potty Training Method :

Promotes parent child bonding

Start early, finish early

Wetting and soiling are not likely to become entrenched habits

Limited use of diapers results in:



Cost effective

Prevents diaper rash

Better for the environment

More hygienic

CONS of the Infant Potty Training Method:

Time consuming; nearly impossible for working mothers.

Have to stay on top of it and stick with it until child can potty independently.

Accidents and accident clean up

2) It's potty time!! -Practice until you get it right potty training method:

Introduce the potty to your child

Have potty be accessible

And then gradually teach him/her to use it.

This will include:



holding regular practice sessions

rewarding child with things such as stickers or candy or whatever works for you child

charting progress

Gradually transitioning from diapers to potty to underwear.

PROS of the potty practice method:

This method can easily fit into a today's family's busy schedules

With some planning, some structure can be created around the practice sessions i.e. in the morning and in the evening.

Is done gradually over time.

Very limited accidents, if any.

CONS of the potty practice method:

Sticking to the structure and schedule until the toddler is potty trained

Could take anywhere from a weekend to a few months depending on the child's maturity level, temperament and readiness.

May not learn to initiate him/herself, because parent always initiates.

Keeping the curios toddler interested long enough to sit on the potty and relax, so s/he is able to eliminate.

3) The Potty Training in One Day Method:

Based on two simple concepts:



Best way to learn something is to teach it.

Use a potty training doll to model the appropriate potty training behavior for your child

Behavior is shaped by consequence

Use consequences for action - logical and natural.

Read an excerpt from the [http://www.pottytrainingconcepts.com/How-to-potty-train-in-one-day.htm]Parent's Potty Training Guide: How to Potty Train in One Day

PROS of The Potty Training in One Day Method:

Quick - can be done in less than one day to a maximum of 2 weeks

Is a structured method.

Tools are now available.

Made popular by Dr. Phil.

CONS of The Potty Training in One Day Method:

Takes planning and preparation

Is a structured method.

Requires follow through by parents

Made to look easier than it is.

4) He will go potty when the time is right method:

This method is recommended by Dr Terry Brazelton and is also adopted by the American Academy of Pediatrics.

This is probably the most used method in North America .

The premise of the method is that since potty training is a developmental milestone in your child's life (such as walking, talking, eating etc), your task as the parent is to introduce the potty and all the related tasks to your child.

Then when your child is ready, s/he will decide to use the potty and in effect will train themselves.

PROS of this method:

Very easy to fit into our busy lifestyle

Very little preparation required on the part of the parent.

Does not require a large time commitment or consistency from parent; therefore ideal for working parents

Great in concept, but not working well in reality - especially in a society where we are so dependent on the disposable diaper.

CONS of this method:

Could take anywhere between 1-6 months or longer in many cases.

Child may quite old before s/he is ready. The average age for potty training is going up every year.

Wetting and soiling can become entrenched habits for children.

5) The Naked & $75 method

Children 24 to 30 months of age

Parents spend three to five consecutive days on the training.

The child is allowed to be naked all day, with a potty available at all times.

It is important to note that experts disagree with Rosemond's approach.

By the way, the $75 is for the inevitable carpet cleaning.

PROS of the Naked & $75 method:

Simple, easy and inexpensive

Quick - 3-5 days

CONS of the Naked & $75 method:

Not supported by experts

Messy

Copyright 2004-2005. Potty Training Concepts. All Rights Reserved.

See all the [http://www.pottytrainingconcepts.com/Potty-Training.htm]potty training articles from Potty Training Concepts.

About the Author:

Narmin Parpia is founder of [http://www.pottytrainingconcepts.com/]Potty Training Concepts and the inventor of the potty training dolls Potty Scotty & Potty Patty and Potty Training in One Day - The Complete System for Boys or Girls. Narmin's products have been featured on the Today Show and in TIME Magazine.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Narmin_Parpia http://EzineArticles.com/?Potty-Training-Your-Child:-The-Five-Potty-Training-Methods&id=28139

Staying Up All Night To Prepare for the Next Day is Not a Good Idea

As I was going about my evening duties, enjoying the peace and quiet since the children all went to sleep, I began thinking about how I was going to be a better mother. One of my goals is to someday get on top of the laundry problem ( or to the bottom of it at least). So I sorted and got the laundry going. The living room and entry should be clean and presentable just in case company pops in unexpectedly. So I took a few minutes and straightened everything up and vacuumed. After a few other miscellaneous task that I thought were necessary to start the next day right, I noticed that the time was 1:00 a.m.

Today had been useless. Not only did I sleep in two hours late, I've had no energy, a terrible headache, and I got nothing done. Tonight I'm going to bed early. The best preparation I can do for tomorrow is get a good night's sleep so I can have energy to get up and get going early.

Dislexia? Is That My Child's Problem?

I came across this article today. As I was reading through it, I seemed to be reading about my daughter. I've been struggling through all her school years to get her to do her school work. Some days are good, but most days she says she's sick. Her head hurts, she's dizzy, or her eyes hurt. Could a simple piece of colored plastic do the trick?

Reading Rulers Helping Children With Dyslexia
By Sue Kerrigan

Dyslexia is a multi-faceted learning disability affecting reading, writing, handwriting, memory, and/or organisational skills. Many children with the correct instruction from experienced teachers and tutors can be helped to either overcome their dyslexia or develop coping mechanisms to be able to work around their dyslexia.

[READ FULL ARTICLE]

Homeschooling ABC's

I found this wonderful resource for homeschoolers the other day. Even though I have been homeschooling for three years, the information in this 26 week e-class has helped me. I've found that through trial and error I have acually done some things right. If this is your first year, you don't have to learn it all the hard way like I did. Try Homeschooling ABC's . It will save a lot of headache and expense.

Don't wait until everyone is crying to start making dinnner

It's Sunday so I should be able to relax, right? Not if your a mother. Every one still has to eat. So here I am, Sunday afternoon, relaxing, typing on my computer ( as the children say) not really in any big hurry to get anything done. Then it hits. One starts crying because she bumped her chin. I pick her up and talk to her. She still keeps crying. Then I realize brother's crying because sister won't pump up his bike tire. I put the baby that I was nursing down to help the other two. Now I have three children balling at the top of their lungs. Nothing seems to passify them.

Okay, they probably just need something to eat and then pop into bed with a good night kiss from mother. I start scrubbing potatoes. I try to help the two-year-old that bonked her chin but nothing helps. Help! Dinner won't be ready for at least half an hour. Now someone pounded someone else. So now I have her sitting on the time out chair wailing her woe. Then I get the hicups. Here I am with...hic...four boobing babies and I'm...hic....trying to get them...hic...something to .....hic.....eat. Then I ....hic..... trip over a ...hic... can on the floor. Finally ...hic... the potatoes are....hic.... on. The gravy ....hic... is started ..hic.... Just keep a .....hic... steady nerve ....hic... and every thing will be....hic... fine in a minute.

Then my ...hic.... husband ...hic.... comes in. "Why is every one crying?" What a sweet heart. He takes all four of them for a ride. Ah! peace and quiet. I get me a drink and the hicups leave. I finish making supper. All is well again.

What can I learn from this? Don't wait until all the babies are crying before you start to make dinner. Plan Ahead, even on Sundays.

Spend time with your child

I was shopping the other day and ran across a neat preschool activity book. I thought it would be great for my four-year-old. She loved it. But to my dismay, she scribbled on every page then cut it up and had a real good time. I realized that the best book in the world wasn't going to do her any good unless I went through it with her. So if you've found a great preschool book for your little one, keep in mind, that 15 minutes with mother can do more for a child than the best book in the world. Go through it with her. If your reading a book, reciting a favorite poem, or singing the alphabet, the time your spend with that child will bring far better results than the book itself.

Compare the preschooler alone with the book to a DVD with no player. It just doesn't do much good.