Potty Training Made Easy

How to potty train your kids

I have two children, and I would say one of the roughest steps for parents is knowing how to potty train their children. I am a licensed CNA and know a few tricks and tips that have helped me potty train my two children. I am here to share them with you. First and foremost you must make sure that your child is ready for potty training. Help them prepare themselves for it. Let them know when you change their diaper that it’s yucky and you should do it in the potty. Soon they will start to pick up on certain things about it, and that will help them prepare. Children don’t like how it feels, so they would be much happier learning a new way to do things. Remember they are very receptive, meaning they can and do take in a lot of information, in order to learn quickly and accurately.

The first step that I took with my children was getting them books about potty training. I also incorporated a few movies, from their favorite characters on television. If you set down and read to them about going to the potty that helps them and gives you times with your children. Start to point out things like potty chair, bathroom, and things like that to help them feel more comfortable.

After they are comfortable with the restroom and have learned from you reading to them, and/or watching television about it then they are ready for the actual training. What you want to do is buy a stop watch, or a regular kitchen timer. Trust me at first this is very tedious, but after a while it will become stress-free. The most important thing throughout this entire time is that your child or children remain comfortable through this process.

What you are going to do is set a timer for 15 minutes. Start as soon as they wake up, first thing, take them to the potty and let them set there for about a minute. Set the timer for 15 minutes. When the timer dings it is time to do it again. Eventually they will understand that when you take them to the potty they are supposed to do something in it. When they do go potty in it, make sure to let them know how proud you are of them. Give them a reward, a special snack that they do not receive often, and tell them how big their getting. Always make them feel like when they go to the potty chair it is the best thing ever.

After 3 days of taking them to the potty every 15 minutes your going to want to break it up a bit. Start to tell them at 15 minutes we are going to the potty in 5 minutes. Set the timer for 20 minutes each time. Let them know that they will soon be going to the potty. At twenty minutes take them in and set them on the potty as you have done before. Keep this action occurring, every 3 days break it up for 5 more minutes, but be sure to let them know that you will be going to the potty when 5 minutes is left. Break it up until you reach one hour. It is normal for a child to have to potty a lot, and once they get the hang of it, and you are up to the hour intervals they will learn that when they have to go to the potty they will go there and stand or they will say potty or whichever they want to do, to let you know they have to go. With both of my children we did not even reach one hour, I got up to 40 minutes and they would let me know if they had to go, or when they have to go. As a parent you will start to get a feeling when it is about time for them to potty. Remember always ask if they have to potty, once they say yes or no they have a sense of responsibility on them. They must feel comfortable at all times, and not like they will be scolded if they do something wrong. That will cause them to hide their accidents, and you don’t want that. Everyone has accidents and let them know that it is ok if they do.