Hot topics for both consumers and webmarketers on WebmasterRadio.FM
Every Wednesday, 4PM Eastern.
Prize Bag
As an added incentive to use the potty, try using a surprise bag filled with small toys, stickers etc. Whenever your child is successful, he/she can pick out one item. This usually works quickly, since kids canīt wait to see what is in the bag.
Save Tip
Comments
Tip Rating
Target Practice
A fun way to teach boys to urinate in the toilet is to place a few Cheerios in the toilet, and challenge him to sink them. Most boys find this to be so much fun that they are eager to go each time.
Save Tip
Comments
Tip Rating
No More Overalls
During potty training time, do away with the overalls, since they take longer to pull down and this may lead to accidents and frustration for both you and your child. Try using pull-on pants like sweatpants or leggings for quick and easy on and off that your child can do alone.
Save Tip
Comments
Tip Rating
Potty Points
As added motivation, some kids respond well to "potty points". Simply make a poster, hang it in the bathroom, and after each success a point is added. You may use a stamp or stickers or even allow your child to draw the "point" on. Most children find this exciting and work hard to get more points. Be sure to give out a lot of praise and encourage all family members to do the same.
Save Tip
Comments
Tip Rating
Staying Dry on the Go
I traveled long distance a lot with my daughter during her potty training time, and found that I needed to take our potty in the car for road-side stops. To aid in clean-ups, I would line the potty with a plastic bag, and place a sanitary napkin in the bag to absorb moisture. When she was finished, I could tie up the bag and toss it out.
Save Tip
Comments
Tip Rating
A New Way to Color
A fun way to help kids want to urinate on the toilet is to put a few drops of food color into the toilet bowl, and let them see if they can change the color of the water. Boys may like to try this standing up, while girls can sit on the toilet backwards and watch the fun.
Save Tip
Comments
Tip Rating
Potty Readiness
Your child is probably ready for toilet training when he: - can walk to the potty (or adapted toilet seat); - is steady and balanced when sitting on the potty; - can stay dry in diapers for several hours in a row; - can follow one or two simple instructions; - can let you know when he needs to use the potty; - wants to please you; - wants to be independent.
Save Tip
Comments
Tip Rating
Less Laundry
At the beginning of training, try letting your kids run around in their underpants, with no other pants on top. This makes kids more aware of when they are wet, makes it easier to get to the potty on time with no pants to pull down, and there is less laundry if there is an accident!
Save Tip
Comments
Tip Rating
Keep a Schedule
Be consistent - plan on having at least three solid days to focus on potty training without interruption. Try placing your child on the potty every hour. Also, keep track of when your child normally goes, and get to the potty first. To keep your child still, try reading stories - about potties!
Save Tip
Comments
Tip Rating
Potty Training Age
Most children are ready to begin toilet training between the ages of 2 and 4 years, but each child is different. Youīll learn to follow the childīs cues through each step of the process. But be patient because it will usually take between 3 and 6 months before the child is out of diapers for good.
Save Tip
Comments
Tip Rating
Nighttime Strategies
To avoid fumbling around for clean sheets at 2 AM, I decided to cover my sonīs mattress with a waterproof mattress pad, covered it with a fitted sheet, then put on another waterproof pad and sheet. This way, if he wets the bed, I can just pull off the top layer to get to the clean pad and sheet underneath. We are both comfortably back in bed in no time.
Save Tip
Comments
Tip Rating
Bath Time Routine
When I wanted to start toilet training my kids, I began by putting them on the potty each evening while I ran the water for the bath. The sound of running water helped, as well as the consistency of being on the potty at the same time each day. Slowly, we added more times throughout the day, and soon they were out of diapers!
Save Tip
Comments
Tip Rating
Special Clothes
During potty training time with my daughter, I happened to buy her a new bathing suit. She loved it so much that she wanted to wear it 24 hours a day. I told her it was OK as long as she didnīt pee in it, because that would spoil it. She wore it for 3 days straight, consistently used the potty and never had an accident again.
Save Tip
Comments
Tip Rating
Starting Toilet Training
The first thing to understand about toilet training is the child you are trying to move from diapers to panties/underwear isn’t like any other child.
No matter if everyone says their son or daughter quit using diapers by the age of two, it makes no difference if your child is still in diapers when they turn three. Every child is different and will learn their bodies on their own schedules.
Many parents feel extreme pressure to have their child potty trained by a set age. This usually falls somewhere between two to three years old.
Day care centers, pre-schools, and baby sitters expecting a parent to be “in control” of their child’s urine and bowel habit isn’t going to make the child potty train any faster. These entities usually have to staff differently if they have to attend to an older child who is not toilet trained. Pressure from them can lead a parent to think they are doing something terribly wrong. This is false.
Having a child who isn’t toilet trained by the “expected age” isn’t a failure by anyone, especially not the child. Understand that potty training doesn’t happen overnight and many times not over a weekend. The has to figure out his/her body in order to know the cues. In some children this happens at eighteen months, in others at four years.
The big tips to keep in mind are to be consistent, be patient, be positive, and most especially--be calm.
As my child psychology professor told me, “Your child won’t go to prom in a diaper, so don’t worry about it.”
Save Tip
Comments
Tip Rating
Give Easy Access
To help prevent accidents, we used a portable potty which could be taken into any room of the house. Often when kids are playing they donīt want to stop to go to the bathroom. This way, the potty was right there when the need arose.
Save Tip
Comments
Tip Rating
Before You Start Toilet Training
Before you even begin toilet training, decide which words you are going to use to refer to body fluids, functions and body parts. It is best to be direct and consistent when potty training. To help teach the concept, you may want to let your child watch you use the toilet. If your child has other caregivers, talk to them about your plans, and develop a plan to ensure consistency.
Save Tip
Comments
Tip Rating
Potty Bowel Movements
You child may not want to pass a stool in a potty or toilet, especially if he does not have good support for his feet. Rather than fight this, let him have bowel movements in a diaper so that he doesnīt become constipated. Constipation can make going to the bathroom painful. If it hurts, it is likely to take even longer to use the toilet.
Save Tip
Comments
Tip Rating
Toilet Seat Etiquette
When teaching your young sons to use the toilet, also teach them to lower the seat when they are finished. Make it a part of the routine at a young age, and it will never be an issue later in life. Their future wives will thank you.
LifeTips is part of ideaLaunch, the hub for a group of websites offering
solutions that help clients improve mind share, market share and profit online.
