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Recognizing the Urge
Helping Your Child Know When It's Time to Go
By Kelly D. Burgess
Hohlbaum has a number of suggestions, including:
- Use a kid-dedicated potty.
- Offer lots of praise.
- Gather support from surrounding family and friends.
- Read a child-friendly potty training book.
- Use training pants, such as PULL-UPS? Training Pants, that are easy for kids to put on and take off by themselves and which Hohlbaum says gave her children their first feeling of "victory."
Welch agrees with this gentle approach, noting that potty training is not just a question of knowing they have to go. She says other components include language, ability and motivation. For language, decide early on what that's going to be, whether it's "pee" or "urine" for urination or "poop" or "BMs" for bowel movements, etc. Use the words you've chosen when talking to your children and changing their diapers so they have that language and can communicate with you.
For ability, children need to be able to crawl or walk to the potty, be adept enough to take down their own pants and wipe themselves and re-dress themselves.
As for motivation, every child is different. Some, says Dr. Sonna, may be so sensitive to a dirty diaper that potty training is almost a relief for them. Others may be motivated by older siblings or peers who are already potty trained.
The most important thing to remember is that potty training doesn't just happen overnight – it takes time and patience. Understanding that your child needs time to perfect this whole potty thing will help everyone have a less stressful experience.