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Potty Training During the Holidays
4 Steps to Potty Training During the Holidays
By Melinda Copp
Travel, excitement and disruptions in routine are characteristic of the holiday season. And these factors make potty training your child more of a challenge than it would normally be. Plus, bulky winter clothes make getting undressed and into position more difficult, especially for little ones with an urgent need to go. But that doesn't mean that you can't or shouldn't potty train at this time of year.
Although the holidays may seem like an inopportune time to start potty training, you can't plan when your child's readiness will strike. Your little one may start to wake up dry from naps or in the morning. He might become more anxious than normal when his diapers are dirty. And he may actually express a desire to start using the potty.
"Just weeks before Christmas last year my 2-1/2-year-old decided that he wanted to start going potty," says Bridgett Clark, a mom from Jacksonville, N.C. "And the week of Christmas, we headed back home to Ohio from North Carolina on an 11-hour drive with a child fresh from diapers."
If your child is ready to potty train during the holiday season, use the following strategies to ensure your success:
Holidays mean shopping for gifts, cleaning for company, sending cards, traveling long distances, preparing big meals and many other stressful activities. When you're busy and stressed about all the things on your to-do list, you may not have as much patience for potty training as you would at other times of the year.
"It's hard not to get frustrated, but you have to stay positive," says Polly Jackson, R.N., a pediatric nurse at the Volunteers in Medicine Clinic on Hilton Head Island, S.C. Give yourself a break from the hustle and bustle, and make time to focus on your child. Do something together, like re-reading your favorite potty book or talking about what a big boy or girl your child has become since last holiday season. Understand that your child needs your attention and support, and expressing your frustration will likely do more harm than good.