Potty training tips

I'm not a mother but a friend of mine is and she wanted tips on the daunting process of potty training

so far an idea is giving the girl a smartie every time she goes to the toilet in the potty but I havent a clue what would work to be honest

I bought the potty training dvd of bear and the big blue house as a pressie but not sure how effective that will be either
any tips anyone? also a few tips for the scared babysitter too!!

Nevyn

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=50441350#post50441350

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=3373127#post3373127

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=50781253#post50781253

isn't search a wonderful thing.

sorry i'm not a regular with the parenting forum

6th

reward stickers seem to work for everything.

Nevyn

coolsmileygirl wrote:

sorry i'm not a regular with the parenting forum

I am aware of that dear but really running a search is a good idea for all forms tbh

ST*

CSG - all children are different, so there is no clear cut way of doing it. A child that is ready to be trained will start to show little signs that he / she is ready, and a parent should never push a child to go before it is ready. Reason being, the experience could have a negative effect on the child and seriously set back the process, and a longer spell of nappies and nappy pants for the mum to change. So patience is an extremely important factor.

She may show a dislike for something she has just created in the nappy area, and will remove her nappy. She may also take more of an interest in the toilet / potty itself. At her age there is no harm in letting her follow her mum into the bathroom just to see how it is done. If she has a sibling, cousin, or friend just ahead of her in the toilet game, allowing her to see 'what a good girl her sister/c/f is' for not doing it in a nappy, this may encourage her.

I'm currently training my youngest boy in, and he is nearly two and a half - which is the same age my other boy started. Some children will take a bit longer than that, so don't let that worry her either.

Rather than treat my boys with sweets, I appeal to their empathetic side. I bought underwear with their favourite cartoons on the on the front, and they didn't want to pee on them. It is key to praise the child for every time she goes to the potty, and for every good week pehaps a small prize like a new set of colours & colouring book would be a good idea.

Don't forget to tell your friend that perhaps she isn't taking to the potty because maybe it's just not her thing. Neither of my lads wanted a potty, but the little seats that fit onto a toilet worked a treat.

For some peace sake, a parent would nearly offer their child the world sometimes. But it requires dicipline on the parents part to not reward with sweets. I know you said she is only offering one smartie at the moment, but it is a habit that will stick if she will allow it.

Hope it works out for her.

gardenlily

as early as six months i trained my baby that whenever she pee i would rush her to the toilet bowl even if we dont make it often..she wasnt wearing diapers at home during daytimes btw since she always have rashes..at nite i would also wake her up to make her pee on her potty..until she doesnt want to pee anymore if not on the toilet bowl..when learned how to walk she would wake up by herself and would look at my face if im awake and i pretend to be sleeping although i make sure she is ok and make it on her potty..that's it really i hope it would work on your friends baby too

froggy_7

As was said before, PATIENCE is a very important thing when potty training: NEVER, EVER GIVE OUT TO THE CHILD FOR "ACCIDENTS". That's like bringing back the whole process to square one. Don't even try to look offended, sad or disappointed, as the only thing that work is encouragement. I know for having seen it work wonders with my own son and lots of other friends/family around me!

The sticker method worked well for us, but also the emulation of seeing older children do it, or mam/dad, with no taboo around it. My son loves his dad so much that he wanted to do like him straight away, no potty. It is a bit more difficult for boys and a little step might help in front of the bowl.

I had to bite my tongue a few nights, having to change the sheets, pyjamas, etc. But it was worth it looking back: he was totally clean in 2 weeks!!! It is a good idea to be prepared and leave change of sheets/clothes at hand.

Summer is always the best time, as they can run around with no nappies. Also learn to read the signs: they suddenly stop in their games, go in another room, do a little "dance" or make a strange face.

Remember: we all had to go through it (learning how to control our body functions) and IT IS NOT THAT EASY!

sharonlarkin

Some kids aren't interested in using pottys. My daughter wasn't. So I bought the potty with steps that sits on the bowl. And she thought she was the business. She couldn't wait to go, cause she was going like mammy, in the big potty. Its just and idea, it worked for my first child. It might not work for every child. Just be patient. Depending on the child, it could take a while. My son is 2 and a half and has no interest in learning. So I will leave him for another few weeks and give it a go then. Good Luck

ST*

I expect she might still wear a nappy at night for a while yet, but when she gets to the dry-by-day stage, tell your friend not to give too may drinks to her little girl before bed-time, and get her to sit on the toilet / potty before bed. This should help her to get her daughter through the nights too.