Potty Training Tips: 8 Steps to Potty Train a Child (and How to's) a Guide for Nigerian Mothers

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Potty training to most parents is tasking. While some parents spend time thinking when is the appropriate time and how to start toilet training their child? Babies start potty training when they are about a year and six months but doctors say the right time to start potty training is when a child has the ability to control his or her bladder. You can't potty train a child who is not ready and willing for this process. A child must be physically and emotionally ready to be potty trained; in actual sense most kids are not ready to go through the process of being potty trained until they are about 3 years of age. In this article you will find detailed steps to help you teach your child how to use a pow or potty and how to toilet train a child who doesn't want to. Read on


According to Wikipedia, toilet training, or potty training, is the process of training a young child to use the toilet for urination and defecation, though training may start with a smaller toilet bowl-shaped device often known as a potty.

When is a Good Time to Start Potty Training Your Child? What Age is Right?

The best way to find out when your child is ready is to look out for signs like being uncomfortable with a wet diaper, being able to stay dry for long periods, pulling down their own pants, and asking to use the toilet. A child may be ready from age 1 and 6 months.

What is Toilet/Potty Training?  

Medicinenet defines potty training as the assisted learning for a child to develop controlled elimination of urine and stool. Potty training is also referred to as toilet training. Toilet training incorporates the ability of a child to anticipate the need to urinate or have a bowel movement and successfully void or eliminate stool into the toilet.

Below Are 8 Easy Steps to Potty Training a Child   

#1. Access Your Child's Readiness 

• Your child is ready if he/she  shows the following signs of readiness

  

#2. Choose a Method 
To start, you have to choose which method will be comfortable for your baby to train with either a potty or the toilet. 

#3. Acquire the Necessary Potty Training Equipment

Most modern potties in the market now come in different beautiful shapes, colours and sizes. You can choose either the mobile potty chair or a potty seat that is same size as your toilet.  If you choose to use a potty seat, then it will be good to get a step stool, too. If your baby is a boy, you can get one that has a shield in front of it, to avoid urine splashing all over the place.  

#4. Drawing Up A Schedule For Yourself and Choosing A       Date 

Consider starting the training process on a long holiday, preferably when you are on leave and choose a date to commence training., Choose a week where you can give the child your completely undivided attention. At this point you have all the time to spare and explain the importance of a potty to your child until he get familiar with it.

 

#5. Teach Your Child How To Use The Potty

Make it a religion by sitting your child on the potty daily before bathing, after every meal and but ensure your child is not left sitting on the potty not longer than 5 minutes. Observe to know when your child has bowel movement. Check up on your baby every 3 hours during the day and at night, ask to know if your child wants to use the potty or pow like we generally refer to it here in Nigeria. Be consistent.

#6. Introduce Your Child to Training Pants

Get some training pants that your baby can pull down easily and start using them.

#7. Start Cutting Off From Diapers and Cotton Nappies 

When the child wakes in the morning, take off the diaper, clean him up and make sure you wipe your child’s bottom thoroughly after poo (from the front to the back) and then put the new training pants on the child. This helps your child to know the sensation of wetness or an uncomfortable feeling when he/she poops on the training pant. If your baby is a boy, teach him to shake his penis after a wee to get rid of any drops. 

#8. Teach Your Child Proper Hygiene 

Teach your child to always wash his/her hands after using the toilet.

Related: Sign of Potty Training Readiness in Children

How to manage constipation in children

Conclusion: Step by Step Toilet Training Process

Most kids begin to show signs of readiness early but not all kids are ready to be potty trained at the same age, some may be ready earlier than expected. If your child is not willing or ready for toilet training, don’t pressure him, just give him some time and try again when he is ready.

Children can be unpredictable, if your child is able to keep his pants dry all night for up to a week, then that is the right time to start potty training at night.

Be patient and don’t be mad at your baby when he or she wakes up with a soiled pant. Always leave a potty where your child can easily see it, know what it's and reach for it easily when the need arise.

As soon as you sense that your child knows when to pee or poo, encourage him or her to use the potty. At the right time, your child will want to use the toilet unassisted. Hope this post was helpful? Please leave us a comment to know how it went and we will be glad to respond. Good Luck!