Last Updated on 11/05/2021 by Mandy
If you want to avoid the dreaded “potty training phase,” then it’s best to start toilet training your child early. The earlier you start, the less likely they will be to experience any kind of resistance from their body when they are ready for potty training. To help you out with this process we’ve compiled a list of the 5 most important tips for starting your toddler off on the right foot!
– Give your child a potty chair as soon as they are able to sit up – most children can do this at around 18 months old. This way, when the time comes for them to start training themselves you will be ahead of the game and they hopefully won’t have any trouble getting used to it quickly!
– Start small: Get yourself one or two pairs of their favorite underwear so that there is something more desirable on offer than just nappies / diapers. Then leave some underpants in places where your toddler spends a lot of time (like their bedroom) so they know what goes with those little potty chairs. It’s also helpful if you go shopping together at first, letting them pick out which ones THEY want to wear!
– Make it a fun and social experience: It’s important to get your toddler involved in the process as much as you can. This includes letting them help pick out their own potty chair, picking out some books about going pee or poo for yourself that they would like (we recommend “P Is For Potty” by Leslie Patricelli) and involving other people who are close to them in this whole thing – typically grandparents!
– Offer rewards: make sure you reward your child when they do something good! Try taking them out for ice cream after they’ve had an accident-free day or getting a new book if they go pee on the toilet three times without telling anyone first. You’ll be surprised how quickly things will turn around once rewards are involved.
– Be patient: this is a long process and you’ll have some unlucky days in the mix with both accidents on the carpet or your son wetting his pants at child care or kinder but, if even one day goes by where they’ve gone peepee every time then that’s progress!
– Set an example yourself: it might seem counterintuitive to use the potty when you’re trying to teach your toddler how to do it themselves but once again consistency plays a huge role here. So make sure you show them what good behavior looks like so they know exactly what is expected of them.
– Establish a routine: It’s important to establish a potty time and make sure your little one knows what it is for. Once they are comfortable with this, you can start shaping their day around bathroom breaks as well as nap times but always follow their lead so if they don’t want to go then don’t force them!
– Make things fun: Create an environment where there is no shame in going peepee or poo–and it’ll be easier than ever before for both of you at home and when out on errands together too. Letting your child pick the underwear will help them feel more involved from the get-go which means fewer accidents later on down the line.
There is no single approach to getting toddlers onto the toilet early instead, use what works best for your family. Toilet training takes patience so don’t get discouraged when things seem slow going in the beginning. Keep reading for helpful tips from mums who have successfully trained their own children so you can be pro-active and avoid the pitfalls that they faced along the way.