Erika Ayala asked:




Are you excited about baby potty training? Most parents usually are. And for a valid reason too: diapers are an additional expense to the family budget. Plus, no matter how much we love our little bundles of joy, let’s face it – cleaning dirty diapers is something we could all live without.

So, how can you help your child make the transition from nappy to potty? Here are some helpful tips from one parent to another:

Readiness

Although all moms and dads want to get the potty training part of their parenthood over and done with, potty-training is actually something you cannot and shouldn’t force. If your baby is not ready to be potty trained, then all your efforts will be in vain. How do you know when your child is ready?
He can understand the concepts of wet/dry, dirty/clean, pee/poo She exhibits discomfort (crying, making faces, etc.) when she dirties her nappy He expresses interest in the bathroom or your bathroom habits She can, to a certain point, control her bowel movements or urine urges He tells you when he needs to go

There is no particular age you can pinpoint when it comes to potty training readiness. However, most children exhibit signs of readiness from 18 months and onwards.

Encouragement

When you do start potty training, remember to be encouraging. Praise and reward your child’s efforts and don’t lose your patience when he slips and makes a mess. You can’t potty train your child overnight and accidents are bound to happen. Losing your patience might make your child view potty training as something negative, so stay positive and sympathetic.

Baby potty training can extremely stressful, especially for new parents. But with love and patience, the day will come when your heart will swell with pride as you watch your baby sit on that potty all by himself. And you’ll have a nappy-free existence – at least until the next one!

baby potty training