The key to successful potty training is patience, according to the Mayo Clinic. Your toddler must be physically ready to be potty trained and emotionally ready as well. Timing is extremely important. If your child is undergoing changes (such as moving to a new house or switching from a crib to a bed), it is a good idea to delay potty training until things are once again settled. Otherwise, potty training will be a stressful and prolonged experience for everyone involved.
Determine Readiness
KidsHealth.org suggests looking for signs that your toddler is ready for potty training, and most are ready between 18 to 24 months. She should be able to follow easy instructions, control the muscles used to go potty, verbally say when she needs to go to the bathroom, stay dry for two or more hours and pull her own pants up and down.
Prepare the Toddler
Allow your child to watch you go to the bathroom, suggests FamilyDoctor.org. Let him view the urine in the toilet and allow him to flush. Put a potty chair in your toddler's play area so she becomes familiar with it. Allow your toddler to sit on it with and without a diaper.
Equipment
A toddler can either use a potty chair, an adapter seat or the adult-sized toilet. When selecting a potty chair, the parent should make sure the pot is easily removable as it must be cleaned after every use. An adapter seat is ideal for a parent who desires less cleanup and enjoys the ease of being able to take the seat anywhere. A regular toilet can be used to train as well, although the size can be intimidating to some children. Toddlers will need to learn how to straddle it or sit sideways on it.
Routine
The Mayo Clinic suggests having your toddler sit on the toilet several times a day. You can read a potty training book to her while she does. Even if she does not actually use the potty, praise her for trying. As Babycenter.com explains, this is to help her accept using the potty as a part of her daily routine. Everyone who interacts with your toddler (such as grandparents and her day care provider) should follow your same routine every day.
Problems
If your toddler won't use the toilet, it may be because he is afraid of it. In this circumstance, a potty chair should be used first to establish a comfort level. Or, this may a sign that he is not quite ready to be potty trained. Sometimes a previously potty trained child can suddenly begin to have accidents. It is important to evaluate if any changes are occurring in his life. When things change (such as a new baby in the family or a new day care), it throws a toddler off and causes them to seek the familiar. Talk to your toddler about these changes and encourage potty use again. If it does not help, a diaper can be used for a few weeks or until she decides to use the potty again.
