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Submitted by: David Beart

For parents crossing the threshold from diapers into using the potty the change is a welcome one. It is as if your child has left babyhood behind and is suddenly a big boy or girl, ready to start preschool and take on all life has to offer. But for so many parents potty training doesn t come easy. They are haunted by stories from other parents who claim their child was trained long before they turned 2, or who learned to use the potty in just a few days time. Here you are, working on potty training for 6 months and still having to buy and change diapers. This brings to light the fact that no two children are alike and there is no one way to do things when it comes to raising children.

If your child is having difficulty potty training (has been a month or longer) then you may want to take a break for a while. Some kids just aren t ready to give it up. These children are usually high energy and quite simply, don t want to take the time out to use the potty. Even begging and pleading, offering them rewards or allowing them to pee on cheerios isn t incentive enough to make them stop playing legos or dolls. If you take a break when you realize it just isn t working, you will be able to calm down yourself and remove some of the stress from your child. Pediatricians suggest waiting a month and allowing your child to mature even just a little can make a huge difference in whether potty training is a success or not.

Another thing to consider if your child isn t an easy train is how you are doing it. It is unrealistic to think that daycares or babysitters will have the same patience and diligence to task as you would. One idea that works for many parents is for them to take an entire week off from work for the potty training vacation. During this week diapers are just not allowed (not even at bed) and you can let your child run around the house butt naked. You should ask them every 20 minutes whether they need to use the bathroom. If they say no wait another 5 minutes and make them go with you. Most parents can see the signs on their toddlers face when they are holding it if you notice it, rush them to the potty immediately. At nighttime, be careful to not allow them to have a lot to drink 2 hours before bed so they can empty their bladder completely. This takes a lot of effort, but normally proves successful. The motto for the week is all about big girl or boy underwear.

If you make a lot of progress during this week but still aren t all the way there see if a relative or someone else can take over when you go back to work. This way they will have plenty of one on one attention and persistence.

Your child may work well off a reward chart. Putting an M&M or gumball machine in the bathroom (coin operated) and giving them a penny every time they go might be just enough creative incentive to get them in there.

The fundamental indicator of whether or not your children will potty train is their ability to recognize their signs that they need to go. Unfortunately, diapers are made so absorbent that children can be unable to match urgency with the result. For this reason, allowing your child to wear cloth diapers or underwear a week or two before potty training all out, can give them a great head start. If you aren t ready to wash sheets every morning, then using a pull-up at night and only at night is definitely acceptable.

Realize that for some children, potty training is about growing up. They may want to be a baby. Remember that your child, just a few months ago was probably held when they ate, rocked to sleep, massaged with lotion, and coddled to the fullest extent they would allow. Then suddenly, you decide that you want them to be a grown up. This can frighten a child. If this transition is made at the same time as starting school, having a little brother or sister or any other time of stress or illness they can resist and will. Make sure you time your potty training at a time in your child s life when they are ready to accept that they are growing up.

Last but not least realize that your child WILL potty train. Maybe not as soon as you like, but nonetheless they won t be wearing diapers to the 5th grade. Try not to shame, blame, or guilt your child into potty training and see the ordeal as one that is transitional and takes time. Beyond that close your ears when other parents talk about their child potty training as if they are chastising you for being a bad parent. Your child is his or her own person and will no doubt do all things in his or her own time.

About the Author: David Beart runs the

Professors House

. Our family based site covers everything from pregnancy to

raising children

, health, nutrition and marriage advice.

Source:

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