Some children respond to both day and night potty training simultaneously, but for the most part day potty training is the most effective to begin with. Then, as your child begins to master daytime potty training you might consider introducing nighttime training. Generally, the following outline of potty training works well for most children.

First, begin with daytime potty training. Introduce your child to the potty, set up a reward system, and begin praising your child for each successful trip to the potty. Keep in mind that your child will have some accidents while potty training and you should just take these in stride. Also let your child know that he is learning and it is ok if he doesnt get it right the first time, but as soon as he feels the urge to go potty to let you know or go on his own. While your child is potty training you will probably want to use training pants or pull-ups. That goes for at night, too. However, your child might feel as he is succeeding with the potty during the day that he wants to wear big boy underwear. He may also refuse to wear pull ups at night. So, here is how you should handle the situation.

Let your child know that he is sleeping with big boy underwear on and that it does not like pee or poo. So, if he wakes up at night it is ok to yell for you to help him go to the potty. More than likely your child will sleep through several accidents and cause some extra sheet washing for you, but nighttime potty training will occur in its own time. Using a plastic sheet underneath your childs regular sheets will help protect the mattress. Remember, to always support your child and praise him for successful potty training. But, if night training is not going very well tell your child that he must wear a pull up until he has seven dry nights in a row. At that point he can start wearing big boy underwear to bed. Many times this will work without too much resistance to ensure that your child gets the hang of nighttime training without having too many accidents!

If you are lucky then your child will be able to daytime and nighttime train at the same time. But, the majority of parents dont find this the best way to go about it. Generally, children will learn to go potty during the day and as they gain confidence then nighttime potty training may begin. You really have to gauge your child and see what is working for him and what is not. No child is the same so dont let stories from other parents, even your own, affect your decisions. Make sure your child is in charge of potty training and you simply support him whenever he decides he is ready to learn to potty train whether at night or during the day.

There are many reward systems out there that work well for potty training. Of course, you will want to take your child into consideration when thinking of the different reward systems out there because you want to use one your child will be responsive to.

Parental Praise
One of the best reward systems for potty training is parental praise. Many times parental praise on its own works wonders with potty trainings and other types of reward systems are not needed. However, if you do find that parental praise is not cutting it alone you might want to add a reward system. You must keep in mind, although, that even if another reward system is implemented it should never take the place of parental praise. Your child needs your support, love, and encouragement at all times and especially when potty training so keep this in mind. Try really encouraging your child to begin with and if you see this is not working alone then consider one of the following reward systems.

Stickers for Gifts
A great reward system for potty training that has been successful with many different potty training children is the stickers for gifts system. With this system you only need to buy a calendar, or make one, and some stickers to begin with. Make sure you hang the calendar in the bathroom or wherever your child uses the potty. You want to make sure that your potty training child will be able to see the calendar and his/her progress each time he/she goes potty.

After each successful visit to the potty you want to make sure you and your child put a new sticker on the calendar. You might consider giving two stickers at first if your child has a BM in the potty as this is sometimes the more difficult part of potty training. The sticker system you come up with will depend on your child. You might want to start off with a very easy prize like the first 3 stickers your child earns he receives a reward. This reward should be something that he really loves, but try and stay away from food. Perhaps a trip to the pet store, a playground, or picking out a new book will work for your child. Then, make the next set four or five stickers and so on and so forth. You cant get into giving your child a big reward for each potty event so be careful about starting out that way. Be sure to explain the reward system to your child as well. And always engage in parental praise after a successful trip to the potty. Your child needs to know he/she is making your proud!

Small Toys
Some parents find their children need immediate gratification after using the potty. For these parents having a container of small stuffed animals, little toys, mini books, and maybe even big girl or boy underwear on hand will work wonders. After your child goes to the potty he/she gets to choose a prize from the container. The only drawback to this is that sometimes your child will try and go potty more often than he/she needs to in order to get a prize. Make sure you talk to your child about this up front and having guidelines and rules ahead of time so everyone is on the same page.

Many parents fear potty training because they want to ensure their children learn how to use the potty as soon as possible yet they dont want to fail. As a result some parents result to bribing their child to use the potty. This might work for some but more than likely will cause more problems in the future. An award system, however, does work and is a little more matter of fact than bribing. You can talk to your child about using the potty and that is what grownups do. Explain that accidents might happen while your child is learning and that is ok, but for every successful use of the potty your child will win a sticker. You want to keep track of this on a calendar so your child has visual stimulation of progress and the eventual prize. You may need to start low with three stickers or even two so your child receives an immediate prize and then gradually move the sticker count up. There are some great techniques to offer rewards to your child for using the potty, but try to avoiding bribing completely.

Whats the Best Reward?
The reward for you is that your child will be potty trained so take your time and be patient. The day is coming! Give your child a sticker with each successful use of the potty and explain that when a certain amount of stickers are achieved your child wins a prize. This prize should be something like a new book, a trip to the pet store, an afternoon at the park, baking with mom, an overnight with grandma, and other similar ideas. Try not to encourage your childs bad eating habits by offering candy. This will result in your child trying to use the bathroom every five seconds just to get a piece of candy. You might need a jar of small toys at first to help the potty training process along, but be careful in the reward system you set up. You want something that will work well during potty training but not something your child will rely on forever.

What the Doctors Say
There are many doctors that believe the reward system is worthwhile and works very well while there are others that say children will learn to use the potty when they are good and ready. So, where does that leave you? It leaves you choosing sides with different doctors or else using a potty training formula that works for your child. Not all kids are the same and what works for most couples might not work for you. Just keep this in mind and be patient. You may have to change your tactics several times in order to find the best system for your kid, but in time you will and your child will be potty trained. Just be patient, kind, and allow your child to take their time while always being supported. The day will arrive when you no longer have to worry about diapers, but take one day at a time until you reach that point.

Lots of first time parents approach potty training as a skill that can be taught fairly quickly. In fact, many parents want to know if potty training can be accomplished in one week. The general response to this question is no, although there may be some toddlers out there who are physically and psychologically ready to be fully potty trained in one week.

In general, while toddlers are showing interest in using the potty their bodies are still growing and are not 100% effective at letting them know when they have to go to the bathroom. The result of this is accidents and a child who is learning to use the potty but who is not there yet. Most children take about eight months to be fully potty trained so the hope of dedicating one week to potty training really is a bit off.

Also, most children learn to day potty train really fast. In fact, you may be able to fully train your toddler to use the potty during the day in a weeks time and have positive results. The problem will arise with nighttime training as this is more difficult not to mention children are generally older when they are fully nighttime potty trained. If you can achieve full nighttime potty training in one week then there are probably lots of parents out there who want to know your secret!

There are of course children who develop quicker than others and the result is that they are capable of being fully potty trained in a short period of time. However, if you buy a program on one week potty training or read an article on the Internet explaining how it is possible and then it fails for your child dont blame it on your child. Instead, blame the failure on yourself for believing a normally long process could be achieved so quickly and easily.

Always keep in mind that children should be the ones who initiate the potty training process. If you wait until this period of time then you will certainly see that potty training is achievable in a much shorter time period than if you were to try and start potty training when your child is not ready. Just keep in mind that potty training is a long process that requires a lot of love and patience eon the part of the parents and the child. Then, if you are able to achieve full potty training in one week good for you. If not, you werent really expecting fast results anyway and you are not let down and wont take out any aggression on your toddler.

Potty training is not an easy task and more parents are realizing that potty training is most successful when initiated by the child. So, more parents are waiting for the child to become interested. The years pass and before you know it you have a four year old who is not potty trained. With many other children being potty trained at two or three you might wonder if your four year old should be potty trained by now. The following information will help you get a good idea about potty training and at what age you should be worried.

What Age is Best for Potty Training?
Once upon a time parents believed their children should be toilet trained by a specific age or else there was a problem. Unfortunately, this practice actually caused more problems and accidents with children who were not ready to be potty trained. Today, doctors and parents realize that children will show interest when ready to potty train and this usually occurs around two to three years of age. Each child is different and should never be pressured to use the potty. Of course, it can be difficult for parents not to pressure their children to learn to use the potty early especially if they are receiving pressure from their parents or that preschool is about to begin and potty training is required.

By the age of four most children are potty trained during the day while nighttime wetness may still occur. However, if your four year old is not yet potty trained this is not necessarily a problem. It might just signal your four year old is maturing slower than other children. Although, if your four year old child does not begin showing interest in the potty soon or is not responsive to any incentives offered to use the potty then perhaps you should take her to a doctor.

This is not to say your child has a problem, however there could be some underlying factors keeping your four year old from the potty. This could be too much pressure from the parents, a fear of the potty, constipation, a cautious personality, fear of failure, or even physical problems. So, at this age you want to offer your child incentives to use the potty and always be very matter of fact. You dont want to criticize your child ever when potty training but always offer support.

Whats Next
If your four year old is not potty training and you have been trying for a while then consider taking a break and then reinitiating potty training with a new concept. Or, if you have just been waiting for your child to decide to use the potty and this hasnt happened yet then perhaps you want to suggest it. You could buy a fun new potty decorated with Dora or another favorite character of your childs and then say the potty is hers/his and waiting for them to try it out. You may also offer rewards, praise, and encouragement but never reproach your child for accidents or be forceful. Potty training should be taken one step at a time and in a very calm manner. If you arent pressuring your child then you wont have power struggles and will likely find potty training more successful.

Potty training is an event in a toddlers life that can really be challenging, not to mention the lives of his parents! Many times potty training is looked upon with dread and children can pick up on this. Also, there are many problems that can arise during potty training that have easy solutions. Dont despair, the following tips are some you might find handy when potty training problems arise.

Start When Your Child is Ready
Many times parents begin potty training on their own schedule rather than the childs schedule. This results in the child totally avoiding the potty and anything to do with it, temper tantrums, hiding, and other actions. If you have started potty training and this is the response you receive then the best thing you can do is take a break from potty training. Your child is not ready to use the potty and forcing the issue only causes more problems. When your child is ready to use the potty he will let you know and then you can begin again.

Dont Punish or Scold
If your child has accidents or is regressing with his potty training your first reaction may be to punish or scold your child. You dont want to clean up pee and poop every single day and after a while of doing so you can easily snap at your child. However, you need to be very careful to avoid this because you want your child to have a positive potty training experience and not a negative one.

What should you do in these situations? Always be calm, level headed, and very direct with your child. Say, you wet your pants. It is ok to have an accident while you are still learning, but remember that pee goes in the potty. Being calm and matter of fact about the situation will let your child know that you love and support him and that its ok that he is not perfect. You may have to exert some serious self control in order to do this, but it will reduce potty training problems in the end.

Reward Your Child
Rewarding your child for successful trips to the potty is often good motivation to keep the potty training process going. Also, a reward can keep little temper tantrums and other power struggles from arising. So, if you are having trouble potty training your toddler consider offering prizes or awards and see if that helps the process along.

Take a Break
Sometimes the best advice for parents who experience problems while potty training is to simply take a break. You dont want to pressure your toddler too much and if problems keep arising then a nice break will give you some relief and allow your toddler a bit of time to mature and change his mind about using the potty.

Potty training all by itself is a pretty big job yet many parents realize that hygiene must be taught simultaneously with potty training. This just adds more to the list of things to learn for your toddler and can make the process seem a little more difficult. However, teaching hygiene when potty training is really not so difficult. In fact, the following tips may make it even easier for you to teach potty training and hygiene at the same time.

Create Steps for Your Child
If you teach your child all of the steps to potty training you may expect him to remember them all right away. However, this is not always the case and you may find yourself constantly reminding your child of what he should be doing. This is not empowering for your child who wants to feel in charge of the potty training and like he is a big boy. So, the best way to ensure your child is learning how to wipe and wash hands is to create a poster with all the steps. Using pictures for the steps will help your child visualize what comes first, second, third, and so forth and so on.

You may think this sounds funny, but you are teaching your child a new skill and it takes time to learn. Also, this skill has several parts and they are hard to remember. Proper wiping and hand washing can easily be forgotten when the child is excited about going potty and receiving an award for his efforts. You will want to hang the potty training poster in the bathroom in direct eyesight of your childs potty. This might not go with the dcor, but it is worthwhile if it helps your child learn the steps properly.

Be a Good Example
While your child is learning to potty train it is very possible that he/she will be interested in watching you go to the potty as well. Dont be ashamed of the process because you dont want to make your child have a complex. Instead, let him watch and always be sure to wipe and wash your hands after flushing the toilet. If you set the example your child will more than likely follow it. A hand washing song might work too if this part is easily forgotten.

Offer Gentle Reminders

You will more than likely need to offer gentle reminders to your child regarding wiping, flushing the potty, and washing his hands. This is just like any other new skill your child learns so think of it that way. You might also like to say that after your child has flushed the toilet and washed his hands that he may pick out a prize. This little motivation can go a long way and really help your toddler get the hang of hygiene and potty training at the same time.

When you are potty training your child you may feel relatively confident in your home where you can easily clean up accidents or get your child to the potty in time. But, what should you do when you are in public? How are you supposed to respond to your childs cries of needing to potty when there is no potty in sight? There are so many scenarios that can occur when you are in public with a potty training toddler that it can truly feel overwhelming for some parents. As a result, families tend to stay in more during the potty training days. However, this does not have to be the case. You can be in public with a potty training toddler as long as you are prepared beforehand.

Consider Pull Ups
I know that you have told your child he or she will only wear big boy or girl underwear while potty training, but perhaps you could have a little bit of leeway in this rule. When you are out in public, like on an all day shopping trip, putting your child in a pull up will not set him back yet it will keep you from distressing over whether your child needs to pee or poop and if he has already done so. You will be much more relaxed and your child will be too, as a result. You can simply ask your child if he needs to go potty every hour or so and especially after drinking or eating. The pull up does not have to be used on a regular basis or short public outings, but the longer outings will be more enjoyable for everyone with a pull up on the potty training toddler.

Know Where the Restrooms Are
When you are out in public with your potty training toddler you will need to know where the restrooms are. This saves you some time when your toddler announces he needs to go potty because you dont have to ask or find the restrooms because you already know where they are.

If you are at a restaurant ask the server to seat you near the restrooms. This means that when the need arises you are close by.

Dont Panic
Most moms who take their potty training toddlers out in public on a regular basis will experience at least one if not more accidents. Just relax and try not to panic. You remembered to pack an extra set of clothes, underwear, even socks and shoes so you are ready to clean your toddler up and keep on moving.

Final Thoughts
The most important thing about being out in public with your potty training toddler is to be ready for anything. If you are anticipating trips to the potty, know where the potty is, and have all the necessary supplies then you will probably get through the public outings with no problem. Just keep in mind that if an accident occurs it is no biggie.

Temper tampers are just part of toddlerhood. In fact, most toddlers have temper tantrums on a semi regular basis. This behavior is certainly undesirable and needs to be corrected, but how do you do so? Also, how do you not only handle temper tantrums but potty training at the same time? This can be a very difficult situation for parents who dont know what to do or how to keep their children from acting out, especially during potty training.

Why do Tantrums Occur?
Most frequently children have temper tantrums because they do not have the vocabulary to adequately express themselves. The result is a temper tantrum that parents dont know how to handle. Most of the time your child has a temper tantrum because he/she wants to express some feeling or emotion and cannot adequately do it with words. Other times tantrums occur when the childs needs are not being met or there is excessive pressure.

If a tantrum does occur make sure you back off and stop pressuring your child. Allow your toddler to calm down and then talk to him about his feelings. Ask him yes and no questions so that he can respond to you without having to vocalize too much. Doing this will help you clear up some of the problems and let you know how your child really feels.

Potty Training and Tantrums
Potty training is a well known hot button with many children and more often than not your child will have a temper tantrum during the potty training process if he is not ready or simply cannot vocalize his feelings. If your child is having frequent temper tantrums during potty training you need to acknowledge your childs feelings although you may not know exactly what they are and simply back off from potty training for a while.

It is very likely that your child is not ready for potty training, whether psychologically or physically or both. So, keep this in mind when tantrums occur. You dont want to push your child during the potty training process and if emotions are running high with your child you will simply need to give the potty training process a break.

When to Start Potty Training Again
It is a good idea to start potty training again once your child has developed more of an interest in the process and can express through words that he needs to go potty. Children need to be in charge of the potty training process, not parents, and when this is the case fewer temper tantrums will be seen and the potty training process will go much smoother.

For many parents the potty training process is supposed to start the summer of your childs second year. This is a belief that many parents hold although it is certainly not the best method of beginning potty training. This belief, too, is probably the reason why so many parents have horror stories about potty training. They pressure their toddlers to potty train long before they are ready which gives rise to the child completely resisting potty training. So, what can parents do when their child is totally resisting potty training? Some of the answers are below and they may be a bit surprising.

Hand Over the Reigns
This may sound a little crazy, but if your child is totally resisting potty training then you need to hand over the reigns. That is correct, you need to stop trying to train your child to use the potty and forget about pressure and punishment. Let your toddler know that the potty is there waiting and it is only your childs so when he is ready he can give it a try on his own. Tell him you wont pressure or ask him to use the potty again, but when he feels like a big boy and wants to use the potty like mommy and daddy then the potty is ready and waiting.

Frequently letting your child be in charge of the potty training process is enough to get the training started and your child potty trained. While you are pressuring and forcing your child to use the potty you will likely see resistance and power struggles. Dont allow this to happen to you. Instead, simply back off for a few months and let your child take control.

Your Toddler is Not Ready
Another reason why toddlers resist potty training is because they simply are not ready. This is a hard pill to swallow for many parents who think all children are ready at the age of two no matter what. This is simply not the case and should be eliminated from all parents thoughts. When your child is ready to use the potty he will let you know so just take your cues on potty training from your child. You will find the process to go smoother and faster by doing this.

Final Thoughts
Resistance to potty training is normal and many children go through this. Just realize that when resistance to potty training occurs you need to completely back off and give your child a chance to regroup and decide on his own when he wants to use the potty. Be patient and never forceful, the time will come when your child is potty trained!