Every mother looks forward to the time when her baby is potty trained. No one likes changing diapers, and being potty trained means that your child is developing. Just realize that all children are different and each will be ready when they are ready. Sounds redundant, but really, some are ready as early as 18 months while others are not ready until they are three. Your baby is an individual and will accomplish this milestone when the time is right.
You can look for signs that your baby may be ready to take this step. How well do they follow instructions? Can they walk and sit easily? These things can signal that the time is about right. It is never a good idea to try and force the issue. This just upsets and scares baby, and will frustrate you.
Baby
Invest in a good potty chair
Investing in a child's potty chair is the first step. Potty chairs can alleviate a child's fears of falling in the toilet and make them feel more secure about this process. If your baby is a boy, you probably want one that has a removable urine guard.
Establish a routine
Start by creating a routine. Sit baby on the potty chair fully clothed after breakfast or whenever baby is likely to have a bowel movement. This establishes a routine while also taking it slowly and not pushing things too quickly. After a few days, when baby seems comfortable with this, try it with diapers off. Assure baby that this is the 'grown-up' way of doing things.
Never push the issue
If baby is scared or uncomfortable at this point, don't push things. Never push baby down onto the potty chair or try to force baby to sit there. This will create resentment and make things much harder to accomplish. Everyone needs to be relaxed and calm for this to work.
Let her watch you
Consider allowing baby to watch you or your spouse use the toilet. This is a good example as well as assuring baby that this is a safe and natural process. You might also consider allowing an older sibling to demonstrate the procedure to baby. This helps the older child feel useful and will most likely also assure baby that this is safe.
Patience is the key to success
Most of all, try to be patient. You really can't force this issue. If resentments are built up around the potty chair and the process it will just take longer for baby to get potty trained. If baby has a bowel movement in her or his training pants, take baby to the bathroom and empty the diaper or training pants into the potty chair. This will help establish the connection between the potty chair and the action.
Be consistent, be patient, and baby will be potty trained before you know it!
Potty Training Your Baby - The Basics
Maria Ilyas is a freelance writer and writes top notch articles. Writing is her career as well as her passion.