Time to Potty Train

All you need when it comes to potty training is the three P’s; Patience, Perseverance and a Plan of action! It’s as simple as that. As parents, we know that with every exciting new stage of your child’s life, also comes unique challenges. We decided to put together 7 handy tips for toilet training, to help you put together a potty training strategy that works for your family.

1. Timing is Everything

The question on every new mum’s lips is: When should we get started with toilet training? Your toddler not only needs to be interested and willing to give the potty a try, they also need to be physically able to exercise control over the bladder.

Seeing that every child develops at his or her own pace, there’s no right age. Some might be ready to potty train by the time they’re two years old, while others take a little longer to gain sufficient control to go off the nappies completely. And that’s OK. Don’t let anyone try to tell you when the right time is for your family to attempt potty training.

2. Lead by Example

Children do as they see, not necessarily as they’re told. They are great imitators, and therefore, the best way to teach them anything, is by setting the example. Whether it be table manners or the use of the toilet. Of course the technique will differ depending on who’s setting the example, mum or dad! When boys are learning to use the loo, it helps if they first sit and later start standing up like dad.

3. Whose Potty’s that?

A toilet can be an extremely intimidating thing to a small child. Things disappear down there, it makes a loud noise and there’s splashing of water. It’s a strange, mysterious concept. So, buy a small colourful potty to place next to the toilet so that your young protégé can sit comfortably next to you and feel at ease. You can later upgrade to a specially designed adaptor seat that fits onto the rim of the toilet. This is where patience is a virtue. Don’t rush them. Just wait it out and let them see that it’s perfectly fine to take their time in the bathroom.

4. By the Book

Take out a colourful, fun book about toilet training at the library, to help your little one process all the information and relate to the character in the book who is also learning to use the toilet. Stories are a creative and enjoyable tool to teach children new things.

5. Try Some Baby Bribing

BabyLove’s NappyPants are ideal for this period. Thanks to the 360’ stretchy waistband design, they can be pulled down easily if in a hurry and pulled up again if it was a false alarm. They are designed to look like real underpants and help with the transitioning from nappies to big boy or girl underwear.

Real cotton underwear can later be used as motivational encouragement. Buy some cool underwear that your little one can only wear if he or she is willing to move on from nappies. The idea is that they won’t want to mess up those pretty new underpants and will be more alert to any feelings prompting them to go to the toilet.

6. Sleep Tight

Some people view daytime and night time dryness as two different milestones. Generally speaking, children manage to stay dry for longer periods at a time during the day, before they manage to stay dry all through the night. Thanks to BabyLove’s SleepyNights Pants, you can take it one step at a time without fussing or losing any sleep over it.

7. Like Clock Work

Most nursery schools or crèches follow the simple technique of setting up a schedule when everyone should try to go to the toilet at certain intervals during the day. Little ones often forget to go. Their minds are preoccupied with all the adventures, new things to explore and playing with friends.

Hopefully you feel more confident as a family to start toilet training. Don’t be too hard on yourself or your munchkin, this is just another phase in the shared journey that has its ups and downs, but we all get through it somehow. Have fun and remember to flush!