Potty training helps children to learn how to use potty or toilet. This process takes time and is individual for each child.
At the beginning is very convenient to use diapers for the babies but when the child becomes 2-3 years old is coming the time for both child and parents to prepare for the switch to potty or toilet.
Usually, this transition takes time and requires some patience. You may expect also few incidents on the way.
There are children that don’t need any motivation to start the transition. They see the parents or bigger sister or brother going to the toilet and they are copying the activity.
If this is the case, you are lucky, but often the parents may need to help a bit by pointing the child’s attention in the right direction.
How to start the potty training?
For example, the method of “big celebration” may be very helpful. When something arrives into the potty, the full family is clapping and celebrating the event. This is encouraging the child to repeat again the ceremony later.
Parents may also be creative and help the child to understand the meaning of this ritual. You may get a potty for the doll or a funny dog that poops.
No matter how you do it, helping the child to understand why we are producing pee and poop and visit the toilet is useful when doing the potty training.
Choosing the right potty or toilet seat
The good potty offers comfort for the child and is practical for the parents.
We recommend buying a potty with removable insert/bowl that is easy to empty and clean. This is much better than the monolith potties that require turning the whole potty in order to empty or wash it.
One such potty with excellent design is the IKEA Lockig. It is super easy to clean and its rubber base prevents it from slipping.
There are children that don’t like potty and they want to use the toilet. Here we also find the design of IKEA Tossig toilet seat quite good.
For toilet seat is particularly important to choose one with rubber base to prevent slipping. The toilet seat should be also lightweight enough so the childe can place it alone on the toilet. In addition to the seat, you will also need a stool where the child can step in order to climb on the toilet.
We recommend you to buy both potty and toilet seat so the child can choose between them. Often children enjoy using both.
How long it takes to learn using the potty?
Each child is unique and has its own development. You can start the potty training as soon as you notice that child is interested in the topic or you feel it is ready to take this step.
What is important is make this process fun. There is no need to push or force the child. When the right moment is there, the magic will happen. Until then you should have patience and support your child on this journey.
In case incidents happen (and they will), keep calm and make it look like there is not a problem. Just clean and move ahead, so the child remain confident. If you make a problem from it, the child may decide to go back to the safety of the diaper and you don’t want that.
