“I’m having trouble potty training with my baby girl. Do you have any tips that will help?”
You are not the only parent finding potty training difficult. Potty training is a tricky period for many families. So much so that it’s a time associated with increased child abuse.
It is also very important to remember that learning to use the potty is a skill. Some children find learning new skills easier than others. It does not mean anything whether your daughter is learning this new skill fast or whether it is taking her a bit longer. She will get there.
I don’t know how old your daughter is or what kind of problems you are having but here are a few tips you may find useful:
- Remember that you need to be patient, very, very, very patient. Waiting for your child to pee can take an excruciating long time. It can be as boring as watching paint dry.
- Establish a routine: sit your daughter on the potty when he wakes up, before naps and bedtime, and after meals.
- Give her tons of praise and encouragement. Make it fun. You don’t want it to become a power struggle.
- When she has accidents, do not shame her or tell her off. Tell her that it is totally OK and remind her to tell you when she needs the potty.
- Many children get used quickly to pee in the potty but find it way harder to poo in the potty. This can become a problem, because when they withhold the poo, they can become constipated and then they don’t want to poo because it is painful. If your daughter is in this situation, giving her a diaper to poop in the bathroom next to the potty may work.
- Staying dry at night usually takes much longer because it basically requires your body to wake you up when you need to pee. This ability develops sooner for some children than for others. In general, you should only worry if your child doesn’t master this ability by the age of 6.
You may find these articles useful:
How Many Potty Training Accidents Are Normal?
I hope this information helps. Keep going, she will get there!
Love,
Ana
