If you are a toddler parent and there is one thing in the world which absorbs all your energy, tests your patience, but still doesn’t go the right way, then it can irrefutably be potty training your child. In this instant and automated world, where we pamper our children with many modern inventions, there is no wonder we struggle to train them even the very basic essentials and etiquette. Here in this post, I will be discussing the little secret behind successfully potty training your child.
To set your expectations right, here I will not be writing about the different ways/steps to potty train your child. Rather this post aims at helping you to interpret the challenges involved and finding the secret behind successfully potty training your child.
Was potty training always a nightmare?
If you have a grandmother or a great grand mother, try to have a conversation with her on how she potty trained her kids. You will be surprised to hear that she didn’t find it much difficult or even considered it to be such a challenging endeavor. All she might say is,
Oh! They learnt it, when the time came!!
Potty training is not an all time nightmare. Then why are we struggling to teach such a basic thing to our children now? Parents of this generation face many challenges which were never encountered by the yester-generation parents!
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Why potty training has become a challenge?
There is not one or two but many factors which makes potty training a much challenging errand today. Check out some of them below.
- Parents OVER-FOCUS on the child’s activities and growth levels. (checking every move of the kid right from when he naps, takes solids, weans, crawls, walks, potty trains and more)
- Parents want their child to reach his/her milestones PRECISELY on the predefined age. (though each child is different and there is no specific determined age when it comes to a child’s growth and maturity.)
- Children are under ENORMOUS STRESS due to the mounting pressure on achieving the targets/milestones/goals(as like a working professional) or whatever we may call it making them totally unwilling to do anything.
- Parents COMPARE their child with every other kid they meet to ensure, they raise him perfectly. (by this comparison, parents engulf themselves in huge pressure and transfer it to their kids)
- Parents cannot spend adequate TIME with the kids. (we cannot blame the parents here, as many of them are preoccupied with their work which they have to continue for a living.)
- Pampering the kids with MODERN ASSISTANCE for a prolonged time. (like using diapers for the kid’s comfort and parent’s convenience for a more than needed time)
- IMPATIENCE to get things done quickly, ending in a mess. (surfing the internet to find easy ways to potty train their child in 1 week or 5 days or even 3 days)
All these factors make many parents land in the wrong methods of potty training their kids. Having said that, we need to find out how well can we potty train our children amidst all these clutters?
The secret behind successfully potty training your child
So to knock out the challenges you face in this generation and ensure a successful and hassle-free potty training for your child, there are three stages that you have to cross even before starting the training.
- Know the secret
- Chant the mantras
- Work out the checklist
Once you are through these stages, then you are ready to potty train your kid. Let’s find what is in store for you at each stage?
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The Secret
The first stage is to know an inconspicuous fact about potty training. Irrespective of all the chaos around potty training, there is one little secret which will make things easy for you and your kid.
The secret is nothing but your understanding about the fact,
Potty training has to happen NATURALLY!
You cannot impose something on your child when he is not yet ready for it. This is the hidden secret which many parents don’t realize and fail in their innumerable attempts to potty train their unprepared Kid. They end up accumulating stress, frustration and disappointments.
Perceive this secret! Look for the nature’s sign in your kid, follow your instincts and spot the right age! It will be totally unique for your child and cannot be the same as your friend’s or neighbor’s child.
The Mantras
The second stage is to ensure that you are clear on the below facts which are going to be your mantras.
- Every child is UNIQUE and has his/her own maturity levels
- My child has to reach each milestone NATURALLY and not through pressure
- There is NO DEFINITE OR PREDEFINED AGE when my kid has to be potty trained
- My child should be PHYSICALLY AND MENTALLY SET to go ahead with the training
- I will train my child at the RIGHT AGE AND RIGHT TIME which solely depends on his CALIBRE
Chant these mantras often and get yourself ready for this competitive journey.
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The Check list
The third stage is to work out the below checklist!
- Have you identified your child’s readiness for potty training? (THE RIGHT AGE)
- Will your child be able to grasp the instructions? (INTELLECTUAL MATURITY)
- Does your child have the awareness and control on his/her body? (PHYSICAL MATURITY)
- Are you ready to accept the fact that potty training is a journey and not an one night miracle? (AN EXPEDITION)
- Have you spotted the right and creative ways for potty training and reminded yourself to avoid teaching through stern measures? (CHILD FRIENDLY TECHNIQUES)
- Do you have the ability to accept disappointments and handle accidents with good composure? (THE STRONG HEARTED PARENT)
- Can you be more patient, provide constant encouragement and consistent effort to ensure a steady practice to your kid? (PERSISTENT GOALS)
If you are positive about all the above mentioned points, then you are ready to set go!
Start potty training your child with your own well crafted techniques. You now know the secret behind successfully potty training your child and you are proceeding in the very natural way. There is no doubt you will potty train your child triumphantly and hassle-free and at the right time!
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Image credits : Main image by elizabethpfaff via Visualhunt.com / CC BY-NC-ND added text to the original ; Potty training, a nightmare by monsieur paradis via Visual Hunt / CC BY-NC ; An unwilling child reluctant about potty training by TimmyGUNZ via VisualHunt / CC BY-NC-SA ;