Is your child potty ready

I’m sure you are fed up of changing dirty diapers. But most parents are often scared to attempt or move forward to the next step, which is potty training.First and foremost, you should figure out if your child is ready to be potty trained. It differs from children to children.But research has shown that the sooner that they are introduced to the procedure, the sooner they get trained.

You child is potty ready if he comes under any of the following categories:

• Diapers remain empty for long periods of time, meaning he/she is able to control the bladder.
• Shows signs or expresses that he needs to wet his nappy.
• Is independent
• Doesn’t enjoy wearing his nappy.
• Shows interest in using the adult toilet.
• Can sit for short periods of time.
• Is able to understands or follow simple instructions.
• Can pull of his/her pants.

Remember, do not force the child to potty train if he/she is not ready or refuses to do so. They may need time to adjust to the idea or maybe even see a few children use the potty.

The first step you should take before you start potty training your child is to establish a routine, wherein a certain time slot is fixed to introduce the new activity of using the potty.Be ready with the potty training equipment. That should be done after taking into consideration whether you want to train him/her on a trainer’s seat in the actual toilet or in a mobile potty.

If you ask me, the actual seat is better, as you don’t have to worry about cleaning the soiled mobile potty after your little one has had a go in it.Teach your child the words related or associated with the toilet such as ‘pee’ or ‘poo”.

So be positive and stay focused. If you feel, your child is ready, go ahead. There are no hard and fast rules about potty training. But make sure that both you and your child are ready.

Written by: Rasha Ashraf