Becoming potty trained is a major milestone in your daughter's young development. However, it must be timed right and done with patience, love and understanding in order to be effective.
Timing
The key to potty training success is starting at the right time--when your daughter is truly ready. While some kids may start as young as 18 months, others may not be ready until well into their fourth year. Girls generally potty train faster and earlier than boys, and second (or later) children almost always learn earlier than firstborn siblings.
Developmental Milestones
There are several developmental milestones your daughter will have to reach before she is ready to potty train. She should be able to follow simple directions, be able to pull her pants up and down and walk to and from the bathroom on her own. She should remain dry for at least two hours at a time during the day, and wake up dry after nap time. She should also be uncomfortable in a dirty or wet diaper and show an interest in wearing "big girl" underwear.
Preparation
Toddlers learn by watching. So before you actually start potty training, let your daughter watch you go. Read books together about potty training, and show her with a doll what will happen on the toilet. Talk to her about the benefits of ditching the diaper. If you have a child-sized potty, let her sit on it, fully clothed, to get used to the idea.
Motivation
Some toddlers with be self-motivated by the appeal of no longer wearing stinky, smelly diapers. Some, however, will need a more tangible reward. Find a potty that "talks," congratulating your daughter for each successful deposit. Let her pick a potty in her favorite cartoon character, and make a special trip to the store to let her pick out her own underwear. She may be motivated by pretty colors or cartoon characters.
Decide on a Strategy
There are many strategies for potty training. Some advocate Potty Boot Camp: putting a child on the potty every 30 minutes until she gets the idea. Others designate naked days, allowing the girl to run around without pants, shoving her portable potty under her whenever she starts to go. And others try a more gradual approach, slowly making the transition from pull-ups, which are absorbent-like diapers but can easily be pulled up and down like underwear. Your child's day care provider, pediatrician, or preschool teacher may have some suggestions.
Rewards
Rewarding your daughter with stickers or stamps, and generous praise and hugs for each successful trip to the potty, will make it less stressful and more fun for everyone.
