Many parents have frustrations with potty training and this is completely normal. Fortunately, many of the frustrations associated with potty training can be avoided simply by allowing your child control over the potty training process. This may seem like a difficult thing to do because as parents you are naturally in charge of everything your child does. But, for the potty training process many frustrations on your part and the part of your toddler will be avoided by allowing your child to potty train in his own time.

What this means is that you dont start the potty training process. Of course, if your child is two or three and has not shown any interest in using the potty like his mommy and daddy then you can sort of make the subject more available. The way to do this is to buy a potty with your child so that he knows it is just for him. Let him know the potty is just his and will be waiting for him until he is ready to use it. Also, buy some big boy or big girl underwear with fun characters on them that your child knows are for him to wear when he is using the potty. You can do this little things to spark interest, but dont actually try and start potty training until your child is mentally and physically ready.

The signs that your child is ready to begin potty training is when he/she can stay dry for several hours at a time, tells you when he/she needs to go potty, shows interest in mommy and daddy using the potty, and can physically handle the potty training. When you see your child is showing interest in the potty you can have a run through. Consider potty training a few of your daughters dolls or your sons Power Rangers. This will show your child how the potty process works and that it is easy. Be careful not to exert any pressure and be very open about any questions your child may have.

Also keep in mind that most toddlers dont potty train in one day. It takes some several days, weeks, or even months to get the hang of it and even then accidents will still occur. Try and keep a clear head when accidents occur and dont make your child feel bad about the accident. You may consider saying to your toddler that pee or poop belongs in his potty, but nothing more than that. Just a simple reminder is enough to get your toddler back on track.

The best thing to do during the potty training process is to be patient, keep an open mind, and support your child through the process. It will be over one day and you will have a fully potty trained child, so just think of the days ahead!

You may have planned your spacing of children so that before you had the second you would have a fully potty trained toddler. Few parents enjoy having two children in diapers at once, so many try and space their kids so that the first is potty trained. Unfortunately, this does backfire in some cases with potty training regression once the new sibling arrives. This is stressful to parents who thought their child was potty trained only to be surprised with accidents during the day and night.

So, what exactly causes potty training regression after a new sibling arrives? The answer is stress. Your child may be emotionally affected by this new arrival and perhaps does not want to share her parents with this intruder. The result is often a regression in potty training in order to gain the parents full attention once again. This is all psychological and children dont usually plan how to cause more problems for their parents after a new arrival although it may feel this way. If your child has potty training regression after a new baby arrives then you need to address this situation right away.

Talk to your toddler and explain how much you love her/him and that the new baby is just a new addition and not taking her/his place. Give your toddler lots of extra attention and try to keep her/his routine as it was before. Of course with a new baby in the house it is difficult to do even the basic things like the laundry, but if you are going to have priorities make them your toddler and your new baby. Dont worry if the house is a wreck or you are eating takeout a week straight. Providing plenty of attention to both children is important and may be just what your toddler needs to overcome the potty training regression.

However, once you talk to your toddler and assure her how much you love her then you should see if the potty training gets back on track or not. If so, then just continue offering love and support to your toddler during this time of transition. If not, then consider talking to your pediatrician. Sometimes your pediatrician can address a situation from a standpoint you had not considered.

Remember to be patient with your toddler after you bring a new baby home. Also, consider having several discussions before the baby is born so that your child is aware that a new baby will be coming to live with you. Tell your toddler that you are excited about the new baby, that it will be a new little brother or sister, and how your toddler will be a big girl or boy and help you with the baby. Explain how much you need his/her help and how much you love your child. Also discuss that while things may change you still have plenty of time and love to share. This might circumvent a regression of potty training.

There are a lot of tried and true secretes to potty training, the problem is they dont always work with every child. That is because all children are different and respond to potty training in different ways. However, the following secrets to potty training are very successful with most children so consider starting out at this point and then working forward!

Dont Force the Issue
You may have heard from your mom, an article, or somewhere else that toddlers should be potty trained by age two. This is not the case at all. In fact, there is no definite age for potty training other than the age your child dictates for himself. This usually does occur around age two or three, but sometimes later in boys. It is very important that you do not force the issue and say to your child that he is now going to use the potty. Let your child have control over when he wants to use the potty and the process will be faster and more successful.

Buy a Potty
A great way to motivate your child to consider potty training is to take your toddler to the store and have him pock out a potty. There are potties that are designed with different characters so no matter what your child loves you should find a similarly designed potty. Make a big deal out of the potty and how it is for your child to use for pee and poop whenever he is ready. Having the potty in the bathroom might be a big motivator for your child to try it out.

Talk About Using the Potty
If your child is not already interested in using the potty then talk to him about it. You should discuss this in a matter of fact way and let him know that mommy and daddy use the potty and that he will one day too. Tell him the potty is ready for him whenever he is and leave it at that. Dont pressure, just let your child know what the potty is, that it is his, and that he can use it whenever he wants.

Big Boy or Girl Underwear
Buying big boy or girl underwear can also be a great experience for your child and a potty training motivator. Take your child to the store, allow him/her to pick out some underwear, and then explain how this underwear does not like pee or poop. Let your child know that when he wears this underwear he should pee or poop in the potty and keep his underwear clean.

Rewards
A reward system also works well for potty training and the reward system you use depends on your child. Consider having some small treats for your child that are only available after he uses the potty. Small toys, mini books, or even stickers can motivate your child to use the potty. You may even need to pick out a big prize your child will receive after he stays dry for a period of time.

There are many potty training secrets. These are just a few of them to help you through the process!

Potty training is frequently feared by parents, but it should not be that way. Potty training should be just a matter of fact process that you help your child through. The following dos and donts of potty training should help you get started. Remember, there are more dos and donts out there, this is just a short list to give you an idea of how to successfully approach the potty training process.

Dos
Always praise your child after he has a successful trip to the potty. Parental praise in itself is one of the most successful methods of potty training.

Stay calm when accidents occur. Know ahead of time that with potty training your child is going to have accidents so prepare yourself. You need to be calm and matter of fact about accidents.

Remember that your child may need your help with potty training. Remind him every few hours that the potty is there and waiting for him.

In the event of an accident let your child know that pee or poop goes in the potty, not in underwear or on the floor.
Be consistent during potty training and remember this is not the easiest process for your child either.

Do give your child control over the potty training process. It will go smoother and faster.

Donts
Never punish your child when potty training if an accident occurs. Accidents generally are not your childs fault and if you punish him/her you are likely going to cause more problems than dealing with the situation matter of fatly.

Dont criticize your child over the potty training process. This is something he/she must do in his/her own time and criticism from you will likely make the process take longer.

Dont engage in power struggles. This will only result in prolonging the potty training process not to mention increase stress at home.

Dont come up with cutesy names for body parts. If your child can say finger he can say penis so teach him that way. Remember other family members and school workers will here these words, so teach the correct ones.

Dont force your child to potty train at a specific age. Let your child tell you through his words and actions when he is ready.

More than likely you will find potty training your child for pee is relatively easy. The challenge frequently arises when potty training for BMs. There are many reasons why, but frequently children withhold their BM during the potty training process. The following explanations are some of the more common ones regarding withholding bowel movements during potty training.

Not Ready for Training
It could be possible that your child is withholding his BMs during potty training because he just is not ready to use the potty. Of course, your child may be happy using the potty to pee and do so on a regular basis but when it comes to BMs your child wants a diaper or pull up. If this is the case dont pressure your child. Simply allow him to use his diaper for his BM while talking to him about how the potty is there and waiting for him when he wants to use it. Also, keep in mind that if your child is withholding bowel movements and does not pee in the toilet either that maybe toilet training should be postponed for a while until your child is ready.

Constipated
Believe it or not but many children are constipated. The result is that they hold their stool in instead of having a bowel movement. Food may be causing the problem of hard dry stools that hurt when they are passed. Sometimes children have one really bad bowel movement that is excruciatingly painful that scares them from having another. The result is that your child will try and hold all stool in rather than passing it which will only compound the problem. Have your pediatrician evaluate your child to see if he/she is constipated because some changes in diet may be in order as well as medication. Putting a hold on potty training until your child can have a regular, soft bowel movement might be a good idea.

Scared of the Toilet
Many parents believe this sounds funny, but some toddlers are scared of the toilet. They dont want to have a BM in the toilet because they are scared they will get sucked down, fall in, or any other number of creative fears. You may tell your child that this wont happen, but you need to be empathetic. Your child is afraid and withholding his bowel movements as a result. So, buy him a potty chair that he can use for bowel movements and over time he will learn that the potty wont eat him and things will get back to normal.

Talk to Your Doctor
Any time your child is withholding bowel movements you need to make an appointment with your doctor to see what is going on. It could be something simple or it could be more serious. Regardless, you dont want to delay. Go ahead and make an appointment with your pediatrician to find out what is going on.

You had been holding your breath throughout the whole potty training process, crossing your fingers, and just hoping it would be over soon. The end result was a fully potty trained toddler and you were excited and relieved at the same time. But, something horrible has happened, your fully potty trained child has reverted to bed wetting and you have no idea why or what to do. Unfortunately, bed wetting regression is rather normal and it does have some causes that can be corrected. Check them out below.

Stress Can Cause Regression
Believe it or not but stress is the number one cause of bed wetting regression in children. Many parents dont recognize their child is stressed out and that this can be a cause of bed wetting accidents. However, the truth of the matter is that many situations may arise to make your child feel stress and the result is a regression to bed wetting. Some examples of stress a child may feel include attending a new school, divorce, death, a new baby, moving, a new babysitter, mom going back to work, and many others.

If your child was fully potty trained and has recently had accidents then consider any big changes in her life. IF you can pinpoint something then this may be the reason your child has regressed to bed wetting. If not, then you might want to talk to her teacher or babysitter to see if anything else has happened you are not aware of. If all seems well, then a doctors appointment might be called for.

Too Much to Drink Before Bed
This may seem obvious, but your child may be having too much to drink before bed. When you were nighttime potty training you likely limited fluid intake before bed. But, after your child was nighttime potty trained for a while you may have slipped on this rule and now your child is drinking a big glass of milk, water or juice right before bed. If this is the case limit fluids several hours before bed and see if that helps.

Not Enough Sleep
There are some children out there who have such busy schedules for their little bodies they cant keep up. The result is the become over tired and when they fall asleep they are so sound asleep they cant wake up to go to the bathroom. Evaluate if your childs schedule has changed significantly since becoming potty trained at night. If all of a sudden your child is taking gymnastics, dance, karate, and art during the week and skipping an afternoon nap then your problem may be an overtired child who needs a lighter schedule.

What to Do
The best thing to do is evaluate these tips and see if any one of them might apply to your child. If so then try some of the recommendations and see if they work for your child. If not then consider making an appointment with your pediatrician. Your doctor knows about regression and can be very helpful in pinning down the reason why.

Toilet training can be a trying time yet it is possible because all children are potty trained at some point or other. One part of toilet training some parents have problems with is teaching their child how to wipe while they are also learning to use the potty. Just teaching your child to go to the potty when they need to use the bathroom is hard enough, but teaching proper wiping and hygiene on top of that can be frustrating. However, if you treat the potty training process including wiping and washing hands as a whole you will have better results.

Once your child is ready to go potty on the toilet or potty chair then you can start showing your child the process. First your child should pee or BM and then you should immediately pass them the toilet paper. You may want to wipe them the first few times to show them how it is done. Also, your child may be too small to adequately wipe themselves. Keep this in mind and help your child wipe while they are learning. Getting in the practice is important and practice does make perfect, but some children wont be able to properly wipe when first potty training. This is ok. Simply pass them the toilet paper and help them wipe. You dont want to wipe them by yourself, you want them to put their hand on the toilet paper as well and practice what you are doing. If you take the easy way out and wipe your child after they go potty then they will be accustomed to this. So, from the very beginning show your child how to properly wipe and get them to help. Keep in mind girls should always wipe front to back to avoid bringing bacteria near the vagina that could cause an infection.

As your child gets older he/she will better be able to wipe alone. When you believe your child has reached this point allow them to take care of their own hygiene. If you find traces in your childs underwear that he/she is not doing a good job of wiping then you can have another lesson. Sometimes baby wipes are better options for children to wipe with than regular toilet paper because it gets the body cleaner with less work and can be easier for a child to work with. You might want to cut the wipes in small squares however to avoid wasting too many.

When you are teaching your child to wipe during the potty you will also want to stress that they wash their hands, too. You should set the example and always wash your hands after going to the bathroom because if you dont your child will certainly pay attention! Set a good example by washing your hands and then washing your childs hands. As your child gets a little bigger allow him/her to wish his/her own hands.

When you teach the potty training process in this manner the child will automatically learn how to wipe themselves and that afterwards they must wash their hands. It may take time, but be patient and consistent and before long your child will be potty trained, wiping, and washing hands and all!

When it comes to potty training you may have already been through the process and are a pro, or perhaps it is your first time and you dont have any clue where to start. Regardless, you may be wondering what your potty training child should wear. You want the process to go as smoothly as possible and as quickly, but you also want to avoid accidents and cleaning everything in site. The following options are some of the more popular methods used by parents when potty training. More than likely you will find one or two, or a combination , of these works for you and your child.

Diapers
Some parents choose to leave their child in diapers while potty training. They simply associate the action with the potty and remove their childs diaper when they need to go potty. Afterwards they replace the diaper. This is frequently a transition method as well because the toddler has been wearing a diaper and parents dont want to overwhelm the child by introducing too much at once. However, some children dont want to wear a diaper anymore once they start using a potty so keep this in mind. Yet, other toddlers want to use a diaper when they need to have a bowel movement and train to use the potty to pee.

Pull Ups
Pull Ups are a great option for your child during the potty training process. This is not the case for all children, but it is for most. Pull ups are protective like a diaper but pull on like big boy and girl underwear. So, your child can get the feel of actual underwear while still being protected. When your child has a dry pull up for several hours you know that potty training is going well. Plus, when the inevitable accidents do occur you wont be left with a mess.

Training Pants
Some toddlers need training pants in order to associate the urge to eliminate with the actual elimination, i.e. pee or poop. Cotton training pants wont keep your child super dry so as soon as an accident occurs your child will feel wet and uncomfortable. This wetness and uncomfortable feeling is often enough to motivate your child to use the potty when he needs to rather than be in this uncomfortable position.

Nothing
Other parents find that bare bottoms are very efficient during potty training. Of course, this increases the risk factor of washing carpets, cleaning couches, and plenty of other things, too, but it also helps your child really associate his urge to pee with the action. When an accident occurs and your child is naked he/she will feel the pee running down their legs and pooling at their feet. Most children dislike this experience and it wont be long before they associate the feeling to pee with wetness and choose to use the potty instead of being wet!

What to Choose
What you choose is completely up to you and your child. And, you may try all of the above before finding the right answer. Just be patient and find the best option for your child.

If you are considering the potty training process and are interested whether or not to use Pull Ups during the process then you need to evaluate your child. All children are different and while Pull Ups do indeed work for some they do not work for all. You might have to try a couple different things before finding the right one or else you may realize that Pull Ups work from the beginning. It really is a process you will have to try to determine what works for your child.

Many times children like to wear Pull Ups because they are not exactly diapers yet they still keep them dry while feeling like big girl or big boy underwear. Some children will learn to potty train while wearing Pull Ups even though they cant tell when they have had an accident. These children are ones who have a good awareness over their bodies and know when they have the urge to use the potty and simply go to the potty at this time.

Other children are more of a challenge. They may not be 100% ready to potty train and although they are in the process they may become very involved in an activity, movie, or book and never notice they have the urge to pee or BM. So, they simply wet their Pull Up and continue on. But, the Pull Up is like a diaper in that it keeps babys bottom very dry. The result is your child does not feel wet. Feeling wet is often a big motivator for children to stay dry and use the potty because they dont like the feeling. It is hard to learn to associate the urge to pee and the eventual wetness on ones legs and underwear if the Pull Up is keeping it completely dry.

So, the answer of whether you should use Pull Ups or not when teaching your toddler to potty train really depends on your child. It will take some trial and error and lots of patience on your part, but you will find what works. You more than likely will use Pull Ups at night for a while when daytime potty training because nighttime potty training is a bit more difficult and children dont have the same level of control at night.

Keep these tips in mind when potty training and good luck!

If you have a special needs child then you realize every aspect of life can be quite challenging at times. Unfortunately, this carries over when it is time to potty train as well. Keep in mind when you are trying to potty train your special needs child that he/she is not trying to be difficult but this is hard to grasp for them. Many special needs children, like those with autism or down syndrome, can be potty trained with some extra effort and love. You may find the following suggestions helpful when considering potty training your special needs child.

A Special Potty
Many special needs children have no problem at all learning to use the potty chair or the regular toilet, but for others this is a problem. If you find that your special needs child is having problems then you may need a special potty for them. You may be able to buy one or design one on your own. Simply make sure you are starting out from the easiest point possible to make the whole process easier. If your toddler cant use the potty chair or regular potty because of developmental issues or whatever just make sure that you have provided him a potty of some sort he can use.

Is he Really Ready?
Most doctors and researchers believe that the time to start potty training a special needs child is no different than any other child. You should start when your child gives you some clues that he/she is ready to learn. Of course, special needs children may communicate their readiness to potty train in different ways so be on the lookout for this.

Some signs your child is ready for the potty training process is if he can stay dry for several hours at a time, realizes when he has had an accident, knows the urge to eliminate and can communicate this feeling to you. Also, some interest in using the potty and not being wet are good signs as well.

Parental Praise
All children need parental praise when potty training, but special needs children may need more of it. You will really need to evaluate your child to see which is the case in your childs situation. However, plan on being over supportive and always praising your child for any successful visit to the toilet. If your special needs child gains pleasure from making you happy then potty training might not be that big of a challenge. If your special needs child does not respond to your praise then this might be more of a challenge.

A Reward System
Rewards work well for potty training children whether they have special needs or not. You will have to decide in your childs case if a reward system would be beneficial or not. If so then you need to create a system, come up with some immediate rewards so your child can choose from them after successful visits to the potty, and then implement them. Hopefully this will work for your special needs child.

Be Patient
If you have a special needs child you have more than likely already learned how important patience is, but it cannot be stressed enough. You must be patient when potty training your special needs child and never reprimand or punish your child for accidents. It may feel like forever but one day your special needs child will be potty trained and you can look back on the experience with fondness.