Potty training is the technique of training kids to use the toilet whenever they feel like urinating or defacating.  This training begins with the use of a potty chair or a smaller toilet bowl-shaped instrument.

In the past, parents believed that a child will be fully trained early in using the toilet if  they are given early toilet training.  However, child experts believe otherwise.  Their study proves that subjecting a kid to this kind of early training is futile.  A child will only begin to recognize his “need to go” upon reaching 1 year.  And yet at this age, he is still too young to understand the need to sit still on a toilet bowl while doing his thing since he knows he can do it comfortably elsewhere.  He will only be responsive to toilet training if at least 18 months of age and will become relatively dry and clean when about two-and-a-half or three years old. 

Initially, your baby may accept your sitting him on a potty whenever he passes bowel movement.  But never take it to mean that you have succeeded in giving him early potty training.  It is at this stage when he is beginning to learn to crawl and will resent your actions of forcing him to sit on a pot for a time longer than he wants to.  After a few weeks, you will notice his refusal to sit on the pot and will put up a struggle against it if you insist.

Actually, giving your child early training would only mean a lot of “catching” action.  You may catch at first a sizeable part of your baby’s movement in the pot but his diapers will still get soiled.  Then you will realize at this point that changing soiled diapers is easier than potting him.  Why?  Because in potting, you would need to undress your baby and struggle to keep him still while seated on the potty chair.  Then, you have to clean and dress him up again.  Afterwards, you will clean the pot and throw away the dirty diapers.   And what do you gain?  Nothing.  The little one will learn nothing from the early toilet training that you gave him and will even develop an intense dislike for it.  This will result to further delaying his real toilet training later on.

Potty Training Tips to Prepare your Baby

• When you go to the bathroom, bring your child with you and make him feel comfortable inside.  Allow him to see urine and bowel movements in the toilet bowl.  Let him enjoy flushing it.
• Put a pot in your kid's playing area.  Let him closely observe, play and touch it until he became familiar with it.
• Do not force your kid to sit on the potty and insist that he spend time on it.  What you need to do is to tell your kid that it is his own chair.  Make him feel as if it is a regular chair and let him sit on it while fully clothed.  Let him leave the potty if he wants to.
• Now that he is familiar with the potty and regulary sits on it with his clothes on, you can now try having him sit on it but without his pants and diaper this time.  Have him do so until he become comfortable.
• You can now demostrate to your child how to use the pot.  Put a stool from dirty diapers into the potty chair and have your child observe the transfer of the bowel movement from the potty chair into the toilet bowl.  Let your child flush the toilet as he observe the bowel movement disappear.
• Your child will be fammiliar by this time with sitting on the pot and is comfortable flushing the toilet. You can now start teaching him on how to go to the bathroom.  Ensure he wears loose and easily removable pants.

Most children have bowel movement once a day, usually within an hour after eating.  Most of them also urinate within an hour after taking a large drink.  You will observe changes on his facial expression or he will stop on any activity that he is doing once he feels the urge that he is “ready to go”.  And when you notice these signs, you may then place him on a potty chair.   Stay with him while he is on the potty.  You may talk or read to him to make him relax. 

Usually, baby potty training may take as long as 6 to 8 months during daytime and even longer at nightime when your child’s bladder control is reduced.  But if your child still resist or is having difficulties with this training after several months, better see your family doctor.  Chances are, your child is not yet ready.