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Tips for Choosing a Potty

This photo is licensed under cc by sa 2.0 by oddharmonic

It may seem trivial, but your choice of potty is very important for successful potty training. There are so many different styles and models out there that choosing a potty can be quite confusing!

Just like choosing a piece of furniture for your home, you should really focus on the comfort aspect before considering the look of the potty.

However, since toddlers are very much influenced by the way things look rather than just their functionality, you will need to choose a potty that is visually appealing to your tot, while being comfortable at the same time.

Go on a Trip to the Shops...

Although it can be a daunting task to go shopping with your toddler at times, consider this as something which will make the whole potty training experience more delightful for your tot.

Remember also that if there is something about the potty that your toddler doesn't like about it, for example the colour, or the theme (she likes Dora better than Barbie), or anything at all, then she is more likely to resist using it.

Have your little munchkin sit on different models and see if she's comfortable. Ask her if she likes it. Also make sure the sides have plenty of room for growth.

I remember the time when I first went out to buy my eldest daughter a potty. I had bought and discarded two potties before the third and last choice was finally accepted by her.

This was probably because 1) I didn't take her with me when I bought them, 2) I had no clue what features to look out for when selecting a potty, and 3) because I had no idea that the choice of potty was that important.

With the first potty, as cute as it looked in the shape of a turtle, it simply was not suitable for my daughter due to its very narrow rim. When she sat on it a few times, I noticed her facial expression which clearly showed she was uncomfortable.

Luckily she was big enough at the time to indicate that her thighs hurt when she sat on it, and then I realised it was the potty's narrow rim that was causing her to be uncomfortable.

Off to Buy Another Potty...

The base was too small, making the potty unstable. She had to sit perfectly straight upright for the potty not to tip - and we can't expect a toddler to do that for any length of time can we!

Here are some features to look out for when buying a potty:

Further Potty Troubleshooting Tips

There's nothing to be concerned about here as toddlers can be funny little creatures and there's probably no obvious reason for avoiding the potty.

The problem will resolve itself quicker than you think. The more anxious you get, and any pressure you may put on your child will only keep her away from the potty for longer.

When she does go back to sitting on the potty, make sure to give her plenty of praise and reward her. This may be in the form of a small treat, or you may place a sticker on her reward chart (if you do use these) every time she uses her potty.

Toddler Troubleshooting Tips
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