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Starting Out At Home Away From Home At Daycare Finishing Up
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Potty Training Awareness Month

Jan Faull, M.E.

Through my years as a “potty coach”, I’ve had more than a few experiences potty training children, including my own. I know it’s no small task, but I have some ideas on how to make potty training easier! This summer is potty training season and I’ll actually be helping my daughter and son-in-law with training my granddaughter, Emilia, to use the potty. This got me thinking about what I’ve learned from potty training throughout the years.

One of my favorite tips is that parents should start potty training kids when they are ready – even if it’s later than they had planned. Every child is different, and there is no standard age to start potty training. Instead of starting the process when your child hits a certain birthday, pay attention to signs of readiness, such as staying dry for two hours and showing interest in the bathroom. My granddaughter started talking about using the potty, which was one of the signs that we knew she was ready to start potty training.

Potty training today is definitely easier than years ago when I potty trained my daughter. Many resources are available today that I didn’t have the convenience of using before. Training pants are now designed to make the process easier for parents, like PULL-UPS® with Easy Open Sides, which I’m sure will be a real life-saver for me when accidents occur with my granddaughter this summer. She loves the Storytelling Princess designs on her PULL-UPS®, too!

While there are new resources available for potty training, the fundamentals have stayed the same. I tell the parents I’m coaching to:

  • Make sure your child is ready to start potty training, and practice sitting on the potty before training begins. This got Emilia interested in the potty process.
  • Gather all necessary tools before you start training, like a potty chair, progress charts and PULL-UPS® Training Pants.
  • Use positive reinforcement to reward your tot throughout the process.

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