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Potty Training Your Toddler

This photo is licensed under cc by sa 2.0 by nicolas.boullosa

Potty training can be one of the most frustrating parts of parenting. It can even be a traumatic experience for some parents. But it doesn't have to be that way.

Toilet training may seem like a complicated thing to teach your child, but it really is just another milestone that will be achieved naturally (with a little help of course), and when the time is right.

Whether it's done early or late, it is simply another one of those things that is part of your toddler's normal development. Toilet training shouldn't be treated differently to any other toddler developmental stage.

Right now you're probably still thinking to yourself, just when do you start, and how on earth do you do it?

You just can't wait to get started. Considering your adorable little toddler's poos are getting BIGGER and MESSIER by the day - you feel like you have plenty of incentive to start!

Begin When Your Toddler is Ready...

Of course, both of you need to be prepared for this new and exciting stage, however you need to be able to spot the signs of readiness.

Being ready could be anywhere between 4 months and 4 years! Yes, that is a big range of ages isn't it? Just remember that the right time is when your tot is physically, intellectually, emotionally and socially ready.

If you begin before she is ready, there is a great chance that your efforts will be in vain. This will only lead to constant frustration for both you and your toddler. And you don't want to deal with a frustrated toddler too often - I'm sure you know what I'm talking about!

The days when parents were "in charge" of the whole pottying process are long gone. Toddlers are now far more independent than they used to be.

In past generations it was very common to potty train at a much earlier age (as early as the first year). Being too persistent or too pushy could mean that a temper tantrum is well on its way. Uh-oh!

Patience is the Key...

If you and your little one have already begun your potty training journey, you'll find that there's really no quick and easy way to do it. The more you try to hasten the process, the more likely it is to backfire on you and thus make the whole process take longer than it should.

Perhaps your child is ready, perhaps she's not. So how do you know when is the right time to start?

Here are some signs of readiness that helped me to determine whether or not my eldest tot was ready for toilet training:

Your toddler:-

...and in important addition - when YOU are committed to putting in the time, effort, patience and positive attitude towards this goal of toilet training success!

Remember that even when these 'signs of readiness' are present, it may not necessarily mean that your tot is ready. The signs are really only an indication. It's worth giving it a try, but if your tot doesn't take to it, don't fret, just try again another time!

Potty Training - More Information

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