Training a child to use the toilet properly is a process that strikes fear in the hearts of most parents. As potty training looms, questions arise about how to go about the training, how to reward the proper use of the toilet, how to know when a child is ready to be potty trained and what is a realistic timetable for potty training. Books are a wonderful resource for parents to gain insight and information on the topic of potty training. Likewise, potty training books geared toward children help them understand and embrace the concept.

For parents, books on the subject of potty training are seemingly endless. From every viewpoint and opinion to scientific studies and polls, potty training gets a lot of press. Find and read several books in order to gain a comprehensive look at methods and practice. Have a wider base of knowledge by consulting several sources instead of just one. After gathering information, make a plan about how to practically implement it with the individual child. In doing so, the child will have a potty training plan that suits their needs and development.

A great resource to consult for parents is On Becoming Pottywise by Gary Ezzo and Robert Bucknam. It takes a developmental readiness approach to potty training. The authors delineate readiness cues from the child to help the parent identify when to begin the training process. It also addresses the crucial role that time management plays in mastery of the potty and the use of props to help children make the connection about when and how to use the potty.

Just as parents gain valuable insight by the reading of books, children thrive when presented with pertinent information geared toward them. Pirate Potty by Samantha Berger or Once Upon A Potty by Alona Frankel are great options to read aloud to children who are exhibiting readiness signs. While Pirate Potty is gender neutral, Once Upon A Potty is available in two gender-appropriate copies. Both books present potty training as a fun, exciting experience. They show and explain what to do so that a child’s fears about using the toilet are minimized.

Potty training can be an anxiety-ridden and stress-filled time in the life of a parent or child, but with the help of books, it can be greatly minimized or eliminated altogether. By taking control and gaining insight through outside resources, parents equip themselves to train their children to the best of their ability.

Is your child ready to be potty trained? If you have the proper potty tools to train your child, potty training becomes easier. Like anything else you set out to do, knowing is half the battle. So let’s get prepared to potty train our children with the right potty products.

Young children are sometimes afraid of the unknown; and a big toilet is an unknown to a small child. With the proper size toilet, the child is not as afraid of things such as falling into the toilet or the loud noise of the flush. Most little children will not want to use the big toilets, but if they have one their size they will feel good about it. Others might be ok with the big toilets, and all you will need is a special seat to go onto the big toilet to make it the correct size for a little one; as well as a step stool for them to get on the big toilet with the special seat. Whichever works best for your child is the most appropriate one for potty training. A potty chair is available in all styles. Some even play music when your child uses them. Some can be used as a step stool for later use. Some are especially made for little boys with floating markers for them to aim at to encourage them to use the toilet. A potty toilet for children is supposed to help train them to use the big toilet.

Some other good tools to help in potty training are videos or books. There are numerous books and videos your child can watch to encourage the use of the potty. With visual aids children have a tendency to learn more and faster. The visual aids teach them what to do and when to do it as well as encourage them to go to the potty.

The proper clothes for potty training are also an essential part of being successful. They will need training pants. These are extra-thick cloth or disposables that pull on like underwear. They will feel more ready to potty train with the proper underwear. They can come in their favorite characters to help encourage them to go potty.

Having the proper potty products will ensure a successful and less stressful training time for you and your child. Knowing and preparing for potty training is half the battle.

Potty training your little girl can seem confusing, and many parents struggle with questions and concerns. Everyone wants to make sure they get it right, but as long as you are diligent in your training, then your little princess will be an expert in using the potty in no time! Here are some of the most frequently asked questions involving potty training and the little girls who are ready for the potty!

Q. Is it okay to put her back in diapers at night?

A. Generally speaking, switching from diapers and back to training pants or undies can be very confusing for a child in potty training. It is best to avoid these types of situations if at all possible. A better option may be restricting fluid intake before bedtime, having the child use the potty immediately before bed, and placing a small potty chair in her bedroom with her. Cover the mattress with a plastic cover, because at first there will be accidents! She will soon learn how to make it through the night without bedwetting though! If bedwetting becomes a persistent problem, it is possible that she simply isn’t ready for training yet.

Q. Should I punish my daughter for wetting her pants or for continually having accidents?

A. Absolutely not! A child should never be punished for bed wetting or accidents. Accidents will happen during potty training, it is inevitable. The best and most successful practices involve rewarding the child when they use the potty correctly on their own. Also, keep in mind that feeling and understanding they need to go bathroom right now is a new concept for those just coming out of diapers. Remind them often to go potty, and ask frequently if they need to go.

Q. My daughter uses the potty very well, but is having a hard time with the wiping. What can I do to help her with this?

A. Sometimes it is hard for a toddler to wipe as thoroughly as may be necessary. This is not uncommon among children, and is something that you will probably have to help with for a while longer! The best tip I can offer is to provide your child with disposable wet wipes. They clean more efficiently and more quickly than standard toilet paper does, which seems to work well for small children. You can even find flushable kinds, so they are easily disposed of the same as toilet paper is.

My potty training journey began when my eldest son turned 2. I had heard from my friends who had walked the potty training road before me that potty training boys took much longer and was much harder than potty training their female counterparts. I was convinced my son would be the exception. I wanted to be prepared to train him to use the toilet as soon as I saw any cues that he might be ready, so off to the store we went.

It had all the pomp and circumstance of a major life event as I took my son to pick out his first pair of “big boy underwear”. He humored me and chose a pair displaying his favorite cartoon character.

In the meantime, I watched him like a hawk. I looked to see if he was interested when other people used the potty, would hide himself when he needed to use the bathroom or was dirtying his diaper at regular intervals.
After a few months of carefully observing him throughout the day and him telling me he needed to use the potty after he had already done the deed in his diaper, I noticed that he would dirty his diaper after breakfast and after his afternoon nap. This was my first clue that he may be potty trainable. Shortly thereafter, he became very interested in the toilet. Because I knew when he was most likely to need to use the potty, I was able to put him on the potty before he had the chance to use his diaper instead.

Although he was showing readiness signs, potty training did not come quick. We would sit him on the potty, read potty books to him, talk endlessly about using the potty and even showed him how it was supposed to work with the help of his favorite action hero. But, time after time, it seemed as though he was fearful to use the potty.

It was then that I had my A-ha moment. I put a diaper on my son and cut out a patch on the back. When I put him on the potty wearing his altered diaper, he was finally able to use the potty because of the comfort he felt from wearing the diaper. There was so much hooting and hollering and dancing around the bathroom that afternoon that my son knew he had done something special. I never had to do the diaper trick after that day. He has been using the potty and been dry during the day time ever since.

With a little ingenuity and a lot of observation, I was able to help my son make the transition from diapers to underwear.

Pull Ups Training Pants have been making potty training pants and tools for generations. Touted as one of the best and most highly recommended forms of potty training, millions of families have trusted Pull Ups to make their child’s potty training experiences both easier and more fun. Within the Pull Ups Training Pants line, there are several different styles available, which allows parents to choose which style is going to work best for their new “Big Kid”.

One of the most recommended designs in the Pull Ups line is the cool when wet style. This particular design works very efficiently to alert a child when the training pants become wet, by turning cold. For small children who are just beginning to learn the basics of using the big potty, often the most difficult concept is recognizing when they have to use the bathroom, and recognizing it early enough to make it there without having an accident first. It is common for this recognition process to take longer to learn than any other aspect of potty training. The cool when wet training pants help to offer the child a personal time line for learning when they need to go, and how quickly they need to reach the big potty. Particularly useful for the earliest attempts at potty training.

Another very popular design is the Pull Ups that have famous children’s characters on them. The characters pictures fade when wet. This style comes in styles for girls and boys, so there is a style that every child will appreciate. Seeing their favorite television characters on their new big kid underwear can make them even more excited to try out potty training.

The benefits to using Pull Ups Training Pants as opposed to switching to regular underwear right away are multiple. Pull Ups prevent accidents from leaking through pants the same way a diaper would, but are thinner and able to be pulled up and down like normal underwear, which gives the child the feel of real underwear. They also get to use them like normal underwear, which is a fantastic learning opportunity for the pulling on and off of underwear.

In addition, Switching from regular underwear to diapers can be very confusing for a potty training child- but keeping them in regular undies for extended car trips or overnight is unrealistic. Pull Ups allow parents to maintain one style of underpants with the same rules regardless of situation, but provides an extra security net just in case an accident should occur. Being able to provide this constant can make all the difference in effective potty training!

Although toddlers are usually ready to potty train somewhere between 18 to 24 months, some might not be ready until closer to three or four years old. Each child is unique in terms of muscle and nervous system development, and may need more time to prepare emotionally.

Several factors determine whether a toddler is ready for potty training. He should comprehend what it means to use the bathroom like the grown-ups in the house, and should have the ability to sit in one position for several minutes. A toddler may be ready if he has a dry diaper for at least three to four hours at a time while passing a substantial amount of urine each time he goes. This shows that the child has developed the muscles necessary to hold it in for a period of time.

Even if a toddler exhibits outward signs of readiness, certain conditions may prove it necessary to postpone any potty training plans. A new sibling or move to a new home could make potty training too overwhelming.

When a toddler shows she is ready for potty training, a plan should be implemented and understood by each of the child’s caregivers. Consistency and patience is important, and a toddler should be allowed to progress at her own pace.

A useful way to establish a routine is to place the toddler, fully clothed, on the potty seat once a day. After the routine has been accepted, start placing the child on the potty seat without clothes. He should understand that Mom and Dad do this, too. Don’t force the issue. If he becomes upset, discontinue. Try again after a few weeks.

Books can be valuable tools to teach a toddler how to use the bathroom. It may be comforting and effective to talk or read a book to her while she sits on the potty.

Training pants can help to make the transition between diapers and underwear. They are available in either cloth or disposables. Training pants may be pulled up and down as if they were real underwear, but they are thicker and have the ability to absorb accidents. It is often said that cloth is more helpful as it feels more like underwear.

Successful potty training requires patience, consistency, and the ability to know when a toddler is not ready. Some children become potty trained in a few days, while others may require many months. When a child is ready, common potty training aids combined with love and encouragement will soon lead to success.