Getting your child out of diapers and into underpants can be a difficult process. There is a lot of advice out there and since each child will respond differently to the potty training, there is no saying which one will work for you kid. Thankfully we do know for sure that give or take a few weeks all kids come out of their diapers and fare rather well in their underpants.
Here are some tips that will help you in potty training your kid and helping the child move from diapers to underpants:
- Provide the equipment - Toddlers will not be able to cope well with a big toilet seat. Holding on to the seat can get to be a problem for them and the large gaping hole can scare them off terribly. It is important that you provide the kid with a smaller potty which allows the child to sit comfortably and do her business. There are certain seats that will fit onto your normal toilet seat and there are portable potties also that don’t require a toilet seat. According to your preference pick one and do ensure that the child is comfortable and relaxed when seated in the potty.
- Adopt a routine - Another important step when looking to potty train your toddler is giving the child a schedule to follow. In most cases making the kid sit on the potty seat after every meal helps to drive the point home. You should also take the child to the bathroom every hour or so and encourage the kid to take a leak in the toilet. The routine should not become a hassle for the kid but should drive the point home that all natures’ calls are to be answered in the toilet.
- Provide props - Toddlers are fidgety little things and if you expect them to sit on the toilet seat for even two minutes just staring into space then it is unlikely to happen. Now since we can’t offer them newspapers to read while they do their job, some entertainment must be provided. Right from some toy to a game to even a picture book, almost anything will work. Bringing in props will help to keep the child occupied and so there are better chances of success.
- Expect accidents - When potty training your kid, keep in mind that accidents are bound to happen and so it do not let it get to you. While it will help to tell the child that the toilet is the right place to make the poo-poo or take a leak, do not reprimand since the child should not feel scared of the toilet seat in any way.
Toilet training will differ according to the gender of the child, but the basics remain the same so you need not worry. Simply keep the tips listed above in mind and you will be able to go from diapers to underpants in about a couple of weeks or so.
My youngest one did not want to sit in the toilet. He was too big for diapers, but did not want to transition… we had to get him a separate, small potty just for him. Two years later and he still uses his own potty.
That happened to my son too. He did not want to sit on the toilet, but we insisted, and as a result we had lots of “accidents”. Then one day he told us he was big enough to use the toilet, and it was over with the little potty.
Great tips. But I was lucky with a little boy who one day said “Mom, I don’t want diapers anymore, I’m a big boy”. After that, he put on underwear and never wore a diaper again. He never even had an accident! I guess I was pretty lucky in that department!