3 Tips For Effective Potty Training

While there isn’t much about parenting that would be considered easy, potty training your toddler has got to be one of the most challenging parts of parenting. But regardless of how difficult it can be to teach a young child how to use the toilet, it’s something that you’ve got to tackle if you want your child to be able to do things like go to school or participate in certain activities. Not only that, but being able to use the toilet is something that all people need to learn at one point or another. So to help you teach your child this all-important skill without losing all of your sanity in the process, here are three tips for effective potty training.

Be Ready To Be Patient

Before you start taking on the task of potty training, it helps to get yourself in the right mindset from the get-go. While you might be hoping that your child will quickly learn the principles you’re teaching and be able to understand exactly how to go to the toilet on their own from day one, this isn’t really realistic. Instead, potty training generally takes a few days to a few weeks or more to really consistently happen. Because of this, Lauren Weiner, a contributor to Parents.com, advises that you start practicing patience early. By knowing straight out that your patience will be tested time and time again over the course of potty training, you can hopefully do better to keep your patience under control.

Positive Peer Pressure

When it comes to the actual training of your child, you might find that you’re not necessarily the best person to be teaching your child the ins and outs of using the toilet. Due to the natural tendency of young children to try to mimic almost everything they see and hear, Diane Peters, a contributor to Today’s Parent, shares that you might want to first have your child learn from a friend or relative who’s around their age and already toilet trained. This positive peer pressure might be just what your child needs to get more interested in using the potty. And if your child has a desire to please this other kid, he or she might more readily pick up the concepts as well.

Prepare For Leaving The House

Handling potty training in your home is one thing, but taking your child out of the house and trying to maintain their use of the toilet is a whole other challenge. So to help ensure that your first few outings aren’t complete disasters, it’s best to be prepared for anything. According to Christine Coppa, a contributor to Parenting.com, you might want to consider getting a small portable toilet for your car, having an extra change of clothes for both you and your child, or bringing a child’s toilet seat with you if that’s what your child is used to.

If you’re about to start potty training your toddler, consider using the tips mentioned above to help you do so effectively.