Starting out your potty training procedure with a few of the best practices in mind might be the best way to ensure you reach the finish line with a minimum of frustration. Use these best potty training practices to make sure you get started off right.
Do not rely on pull-ups. Try to remove your child from the diaper at the earliest opportunity. The goal is to strip away all unnecessary complacency. Store bought diapers are so absorbent, the majority of toddlers simply soak in the sensation without nearly enough awareness of the problem. By putting your child in underwear, you are making them aware the second an accident occurs. This step is fundamental to success - if your child does not know any better, then you simply cannot expect them to do better.
In the early stages of the potty training process, have your child eliminate immediately prior to bedtime, using (maybe) only a pull-up while sleeping. Of course you should use parental discretion. While at a birthday party, for example, you might want to put underwear on over a pull-up. If you do this, you should still explain things to your child in a way that validates their growth and underlines your progress. Tell them that you still expect them to remain dry, but you are putting on a pull-up just in case. Potty Train best by eliminating the safety net.
Do not make the mistake of expecting too much too soon. Potty training is a pivotal milestone in the life of your child. Much like any other, it will probably have a harder time getting reached if you are far too anxious to get there. Most things worth doing cannot be done in a single day. Potty training is no different. Think back to when your child was first learning to walk. Remember, you probably expected a few bumps and bruises back then. It is better for both your child and your well being if you do not enter the potty training experience with unreasonable expectations.
Stay as far away from nagging as possible. If there is a certain road to getting your child to ignore you, it is through the use of constant nagging. In the converse, if there is an optimum method to potty training, it most surely arrives minus the nagging. Every parent has experienced the nag/withdrawal cycle at one point or another. Rather than nagging your child with constant commands such as - Go to the bathroom - you are sure to find faster results when you make suggestions such as - I am going to the bathroom now. Come on, you and I can go together!
Try not to ask your child if they need to go potty, as they will most often say no. Tell them it is time.
Get rid of the changing table at the earliest opportunity. From the moment your child can stand on their own two feet, the changing table should be nothing more than a fond memory from way back in baby when. Asking your child to stand upright during a diaper change will foster awareness and validate your toddler's newfound ability. As soon as you are finished changing your child, have them help you flush their excrement while you explain the elimination procedure out loud to them.