Have you checked out the immense amount of info about potty training online lately? Well, if you and your toddler are at the stage where you are asking how to start potty training, then you have probably researched the topic a bit.

Sometimes that’s all it takes for the overwhelm to begin!

Seriously, after toilet training four kids of my own, I can tell you two things for sure about the potty process.

1. It’s a natural thing.

2. It’s a frustrating thing.

After listening to lots of mommies and evaluating my own experiences, I think we moms have a bit of an expectation issue.

As in, “he’s ready to potty train and in two days (weeks…months…insert your own time frame) I’ll be diaper-free!”

Note that the quote says “I” will be diaper-free; not “my child” will be diaper-free.

And therein lies the problem.

Your toddler has absolutely no stake in being potty trained at all. So as long as it’s an interesting game, she will give the process some effort.

However, a toddler’s focus is about as long as a gnat’s tail. And there’s not a lot a parent can do about that.

So instead of us mommies overloading with overwhelm, a better option might be to sit back and enjoy watching our delightful toddlers explore their new worlds.

Which includes the exciting stage of learning to use the potty!

Back to the question: how to start potty training?

Certainly gather data and information. If this is your first trainee, you’ll be more comfortable and exude more confidence if you feel well prepared. Just do an online search and you’ll get inundated with info!

Browse through the websites. Skim the info. Look for similar suggestions. No matter what anyone says, potty training itself is pretty straightforward. You do it and you can show your child how to do it.

After you gather general facts, even before you see potty readiness signs in your child, start the potty conversation with him. That means let him see Mom and Dad use the toilet – preferably more than once. Keep the whole process casual and matter-of-fact.

A toddler needs time to digest this new information. Just like learning to handle a spoon took some serious practice and working with language takes a long time, the whole process of potty training really begins before your little one ever sits down on a potty chair.

Talk to her about toilet habits. Keep the conversations light, short and upbeat, but repeat frequently. Answer any questions. Point out big girl/boy undies and potty chairs in the store. Do all of this before you even begin to actually potty train.

What you are doing is setting the stage. Getting your toddler on board.

And last, but not least, take a good long look at your own expectations when it comes to toilet training. Understand that while a handful of children DO train very quickly and with relative ease, many more do not. That’s normal.

The truth is potty training is usually an inconvenient process and we moms like to be efficient and wrap things up.

Trust me, it will help both you and your child if you can let that idea go when it comes to potty training.

By all means, prepare and train your child. You must. But when the (nearly) inevitable potty training resistance sets in, you’ll want to be ready with a matter-of-fact attitude and lots of hugs, no matter how you feel on the inside. Anything else can set up a power struggle during which your toddler or preschooler will impress you with their steel-like will.

Hmm. A steel-like will. Sounds like someone who is more than able to handle potty training. So give some thought as to how to turn that will towards getting the job done and you’ll be well on your way to completing the potty training task.

And that is how to start (and finish) potty training.

Author Bio: Colleen Langenfeld has potty trained four kids and helps other moms enjoy mothering more at http://www.paintedgold.com . Toilet train faster using her potty charts and creative ideas plus uncover just one more thing about how to start potty training by visiting her website today.

Category: Parenting
Keywords: how to start potty training,potty training,toilet training,potty train