Beginning Potty Training
How do I begin potty training my toddler?
Every toddler starts potty training at different rates. However, studies have proven that children can be toilet trained significantly faster when their parents use a learning method called "modeling." Basically, modeling means learning by watching and teaching. There are three types of modeling that can be used to help teach a child when and how to use the potty:
- Role modeling: It will help your future toileteer a great deal if you allow him to watch as you, a sibling, a nursery-school friend or a relative uses the toilet. Explain what you are doing on the toilet, teach him potty vocabulary, show him how to raise and lower his pants and show him how to wash his hands. Demonstrating the elimination process is one of the most effective ways to teach your child about using the toilet.
- Book and video modeling: Books and videos are a great tool and a fun way to begin the conversations with your child about his body and its functions, and about using the toilet. The great thing about books and videos is that they illustrate the training process from beginning to end. Pick up a book or DVD about using the potty like Dora's Potty Book or A Potty for Me!. And if you need some inspirational videos, check out The Potty Project. You can laugh (and cry) as you watch six different families attempt to potty train their kids!
- Doll modeling: Using a potty training doll that pees helps your child make the connection that the liquids we drink go down into our bellies and then come out again—into the potty, if you're a big boy.
Answered by
Teri Crane, the Potty Pro
report abuse
Submit!
