Potty Train Your Child in 3 Days!

Many new parents have a million and one questions when it comes time to potty train their little ones. I have always heard that potty training boys is much harder than girls. Even though my son is not yet ready to be potty trained, the time is approaching rapidly and I wanted to be sure that I have all the information for when that time comes, so I did some research on the subject.

During my search throughout the world wide web, I found a method that claims to have your child potty trained in just three days! Amazed by this accusation, I had to read further into the article.

My first question was how do I know when my child is ready? According to WebMD, this is a very crucial part in potty training. A child must be both physically and emotionally ready before you can begin to potty train. Some signs that your child may be ready to potty train are 1. They show signs of bowel and bladder control. If your child moves his/her bowels around the same time everyday and can stay dry through a nap or two hour intervals, this may be a sign. 2. Your child has mastered his/her basic motor skills and can climb, walk, talk, and remove clothing. 3. Your child may be starting to refer to him/herself as a big boy or girl 4. Your child does not want to wear diapers and would rather wear pull-ups or underwear. Of course these are just a few signs to watch for, remember every child is different and your child may be showing only a couple of these signs but do not get discouraged. If you do not feel like your child is ready, then don't try it. If you start potty training too soon, the whole process can become much more complicated for your child to learn.

After deciding that BOTH you and your child are ready, it's good to have a game plan. A couple weeks before the potty training begins, come up with a 'potty dance' that you and your child can do each time a member of the family uses the potty. This will give the child some incentive to want to try using the potty if you can turn it into something fun. Another suggestion I read was to take your child to the bathroom with you and demonstrate how the potty is used. When you're done, feel free to do the potty dance and make it a routine each time.

If you are going to try the three day potty training method, my suggestion is to either do it on a weekend, or if you're able, to take three consecutive days off work so that you can be home with your child. On the evening before the potty training marathon, place several potty chairs around the house. If you do not want to use this step, you can supplement it by just putting a potty chair in each bathroom in the house. This will limit the risk of having accidents if you can quickly get to a potty when the time is right.

With potty chairs in place, let day one begin. Babycenter.com suggests letting your child be completely naked while at home, and when you go out, to only put loose fitting pants on your child with no diaper or pull ups. This rule can be controversial. Some people may not be comfortable having their child run around naked, or without anything under their pants. This can also be supplemented by having your child wear only underpants and a shirt while at home. For the entire first day, my personal suggestion is to have your child sit on the potty every half hour to and hour. This will reduce the chances of having an accident and get your child used to sitting on the potty for a few minutes at a time. Every time your child is successful, make sure you do the potty dance. As the day goes on, you can increase the intervals between potty usages. Before naps and bedtime, make sure your child uses the potty. Babycenter reminds us readers to never ASK your child if they need to go, because they will usually say no.

Day two continues the potty success. Follow the instructions for day one. The only change in day two is an afternoon outing. You and your child may go out of the house for an hour on this day. Make sure your child uses the potty before you leave the house, and as soon as he/she does, leave immediately. Your child will start to associate using the potty to being able to go outside and will give him/her more incentive to try. The authors at Babycenter recommend bringing a change of clothes and not going too far from home. Perhaps a walk around the neighborhood if it's a nice day.

Day three wraps up the potty training weekend. Again, you will follow the instructions for day one, with just a few changes. On this day, you and your child can leave the house once in the morning and again in the afternoon. Following the instructions from day two, will insure that you keep accidents to a minimum.

After the potty training weekend is completed, Babycenter recommends allowing your child to continue to be naked at home for the next few months. Again, this is up to you as parents. Of course there will be accidents here and there, but do not get discouraged. If your child does have an accident make sure you do not get angry. Instead, explain to your child that that is what the potty is for, and then help him/her clean up the mess.

Potty training can be a fun experience for you and your child. Forget the horror stories your friends and family will tell you and trust your instincts. Chances are, your child will tell you when he/she is ready. You just need to look for the signs and follow the steps!



Works Cited:
www.webmd.com/parenting/tc/toilet-training-topic-overview
www.babycenter.com/toddler-potty-training-advice