Do you ever feel like your toddler may end up going to college in diapers? The University of Alabama’s Dr. Laura Bloom provides some helpful tips to make it through this sometimes difficult and challenging stage.
- Evaluate the timing: Is your child ready for potty training, both physically (able to control both bladder and bowel muscles) and emotionally (able to cooperatively participate in the process)?
- Be consistent: Are you willing and able to stick to a consistent schedule of putting your child on the potty? Keeping the same routine is important in effective potty training.
- Make it fun: You can do everything from sing the “Potty Song” to color the toilet water with red or blue food coloring (it will change to orange or green) to making up a “Potty Dance”!
- Dress your child for success: Clothing that is easy to pull up (dresses) or down (pants with elastic instead of zippers or snaps) help your child to be able to get to the potty quicker.
- Be patient: Rome wasn’t built in a day – expect accidents.
Bloom is an assistant professor in UA’s College of Human Environmental Sciences’ department of human development and family studies.
