Potty training your kid

As a parent, potty or pee training can be a challenging task. It takes time for your child to grasp the process of using the toilet or potty seat. It’s natural to worry about the right age for your child to start training. Keep in mind that pee training is different from potty training and should be done first. Pee training is generally easier than potty training. If you have questions about this topic, I can provide you with a helpful link to learn how to properly train your child at the right age. In this article, I will explain all the important aspects of potty training.

Teaching your toddler or child to use the bathroom or potty seat instead of diapers and underwear is known as potty training. In my opinion, this is a challenging process. There is no set age for starting potty training. Some parents begin at 12 months while others wait until 3 years old. Even if you start potty training at 10 or 12 months, it may take around 6 months for your child to fully comprehend and use the bathroom or potty seat independently. However, if you start at 3 or 3.5 years old, children tend to understand more quickly and easily. I began potty training my child at age 3 and introduced pee training when he turned 2. It took 9 months for him to learn how to use the potty seat and then the bathroom for peeing. Since it’s not possible to train for pee and potty simultaneously, you have to start with pee training and then move on to potty training.

Is your child ready for Potty Training?

It’s crucial to determine whether your child is prepared to use the bathroom or a potty seat. Few parents start potty training their kids as early as 6 months. Many start at 2 or 3 years of age. Starting too early can result in confusion and waste time. So it’s best to let your child decide when he wants to be trained. They will show you some signs that they don’t want to pee or poo in the diaper anymore. Certain indications can help you identify when your child is ready for potty training.

1. It is important to ensure that your child has developed the ability to sit and stand without difficulty.
2. They should also be capable of following simple instructions and comprehending the meaning of using the restroom.
3. Your child should be able to communicate using words or sentences.
4. Your child should have the ability to remove their pants on their own or ask you to remove them when they want to pee.
5. It is a good indicator of readiness for toilet training if your child can go without a diaper for 2 to 3 hours.
6. Your child should be interested in the potty seat or ask you where you’re going whenever you go to the bathroom.
7. Another major sign is that your child will try to remove his diaper or pants when he has done potty in it.

How to start?

As the one responsible for potty training your child, it’s important to be patient and take your time. Don’t believe those who claim to have trained their child in just three days as every child and parent is different. Start when you feel comfortable and have enough time to devote to the process. Be prepared for accidents and tantrums from your child, and expect the training to take more than six months. It’s important to mentally prepare for the worst-case scenarios, including severe constipation, accidents, and the child crying for their diaper. Be ready to deal with pee and potty messes around your home. Remember, this is a process that requires patience and perseverance.

1. Start by removing diapers completely in the daytime. You may have already tried this when potty training your child. If you find it difficult to constantly clean the floor every time your child has an accident, you can try leaving their diaper off in the morning and afternoon. Gradually, over a few days, you can remove the diaper completely during the daytime.

2. Now you have to choose the training spot. When it comes to potty training your baby, you need to decide where you want to do it – in the bathroom or using a potty seat. In my opinion, a potty seat is a better option, especially if you don’t want to spend long periods in the bathroom with your child. Bathrooms can be damp and unpleasant. With a potty seat, you can place it anywhere in your home, including the bathroom. It also looks fun and exciting to your child, making the process more enjoyable for them.

3. Make a routine. You can choose any time of day to start potty training your child. It could be in the early morning after waking up or at night before going to bed. If you notice any signs that your child needs to go potty during the day, take off their pants and have them sit on the potty seat. This may be difficult at first, as your child is new to the process and may become constipated easily. To make things easier, it’s best to establish a routine in the early morning or at night. Additionally, you may notice that your child shows signs of needing to go potty 15 to 20 minutes after eating a heavy meal or lunch. This is also a good time to continue potty training.

4. Give lukewarm water or warm milk before making him sit on the potty seat. Consuming warm liquids can aid in digestion and facilitate easier bowel movements, even if the stool is slightly firmer. For optimal digestive health, consider adding ajwain powder to lukewarm water and turmeric to warm milk.

5. Sit and talk to your child about the potty. Potty training can be difficult at first. Your child may not want to sit on the potty seat for long and may have accidents. It’s important not to get upset or force them to use the bathroom or potty seat. Let them go wherever they feel comfortable, even if it’s on the floor or in their underwear. To make potty training more fun, you can read potty training books or watch cartoons with your child while they sit on the potty seat.

6. Use stool softeners when your child gets constipated. children resist using the bathroom or potty seat. Failure to go potty promptly can cause the stool to harden inside, leading to constipation. In some cases, this can become severe, resulting in hard, stone-like stools being passed while playing or even in their pants. If your child does not go potty for more than three days, it is recommended to give them a stool softener. I use MuOut powder as a stool softener for my child when he experiences constipation or goes more than three days without going potty. This powder can be given once or twice a day and is simply mixed with two spoons in a small glass of water.

7. Give him plenty of fluids. Encouraging children to consume more water can have a positive impact on their digestive system and bowel movements. However, convincing kids to drink plain water regularly can be challenging. To make it more enticing, you can introduce them to alternative options such as lemon juice, honey water, ginger water, buttermilk, milkshakes, fresh fruit juices, ajwain water, and coconut water. If your child has difficulty drinking a lot of water at once, try offering small sips frequently throughout the day. Lukewarm water or warm milk can be particularly beneficial during potty training. Nonetheless, some children may experience constipation after drinking milk, so it’s preferable to stick to water. You may also observe that your child needs to use the bathroom within 5 to 10 minutes of drinking lukewarm water.

8. Buy more underwear and cleaning essentials. It’s a good idea to stock up on extra underwear, pants, and cleaning supplies to prepare for any accidents. It’s important to have plenty of pants on hand, as well as wipes to clean up messes, old clothes for wiping away pee or potty, Dettol or other floor cleaners to sanitize surfaces, and room fresheners to keep the area smelling fresh.

9. Encourage your child or appreciate him. When your child successfully uses the potty seat, it’s important to show them appreciation by giving them affectionate gestures such as hugs and kisses, clapping, or even offering small rewards like their favorite snacks. It’s natural for children to crave their parents’ approval and respect, so acknowledging their achievements can motivate them to continue practicing healthy habits. Additionally, you can incentivize good behavior by promising to give them a treat like their favorite chocolate or allowing them to watch their favorite cartoon if they successfully use the potty seat.

10. Make your child use a potty seat every 2 to 3 hours. This tip can assist your child in comprehending that they should use the potty seat exclusively for doing their business. Consistently having them sit on the potty seat at regular intervals can greatly aid in their potty training. It is recommended that you sit with them and offer encouragement. If you simply instruct them to sit without sitting with them, they won’t remain seated for more than a minute. So, it is essential to sit with them and engage them in potty stories, books, pictures, or cartoons related to potty training. Consistency is the key to success. Follow this routine until your child starts using the potty seat daily.

Here are the necessary items for the potty training:

• Potty stool.
• Underwear.
• Wipes.
• Tissues.
• Dettol.
• Wiper.
• A potty seat designed for use on western toilets.
• A convenient stool for adjusting the height of a standard toilet.

My Personal Experience with My Kid:-

My son suffered from constipation due to stress while using the bathroom. Unlike most newborns, he only had one bowel movement per day, which was concerning. We consulted with our doctor, who explained that immature stomachs are common in infants and can take up to five years to mature. He advised against giving constipation drops or stool softeners to infants. This issue persisted for six months.

After six months, we introduced solid food with baby rice cereal twice a day for a month. However, after one week, he became constipated, and I didn’t keep track of his bowel movements. One day, he started crying uncontrollably, and I realized he needed to pass stool. I gave him more fiber-rich food, frequent breast milk, and water, which helped his bowel movements become normal.

Since my son was consistently using the bathroom during the day, I thought he was ready for potty training. However, after three years of age, we began the process and started with PE training. It took nine months to transition him to using the potty stool and then the bathroom, but he was not yet trained to stay dry during the night. We tried taking away his nighttime diapers, but he continued to wet the bed regularly, causing me to do a lot of laundry in the morning. Eventually, we had to give him diapers at night again.

Now, since we stopped using diapers during the daytime, he got confused about how to potty. Many times he tried to hold the potty and when it was out of control, he used to do it in his pants, on the floor, or the bed. I tried to make him sit on the potty chair whenever he showed signs of potty but he would never do. He just sat on the potty seat quietly for a few seconds and then went back to play. This made him constipated so many times. He didn’t do potty for 3 or 4 days straight and on the fourth day he used to strain a lot and potty on the very hard floor. He used to cry after doing potty due to pain while straining. This all made me feel very bad and I couldn’t understand what to do. His stools used to be hard and rock-like. Our pediatrician gave us MuOut powder to use whenever the baby gets constipated. Only after giving that powder, did he use to do potty after 5 hours.  We live in a nuclear family and I didn’t have anyone to help or tell me what to do. This happened every week. After a few weeks, I was hospitalized due to dengue fever as I was 5 months pregnant with a second baby. And at the same time, my son and my husband also got viral fever. This was very tough for all of us, We suffered a lot and went through a lot. I still get tears in my eyes when I think of those days. That was a completely different story. I will tell you about this in a different article.

When I finally got cured and came home, my son was hospitalized due to dengue fever.  He was there in the hospital for 4 days. Before getting admitted to the hospital my son was not eating anything or drinking anything though he didn’t have any fever. He didn’t do potty too for 4 days. At that time I didn’t know that we could give MuOut powder in fever or during his antibiotic course. Since I was a first-time parent I also made mistakes just like others and I still feel guilty about it. But mistakes happen with every new mother. We all need guidance and for me, I didn’t have anyone to guide me properly and tell me what to do in these tough times. I just depended on doctors for advice. And we all were going through another tragedy in our life called the evil eye or Nazar as we call it in Islam, which can be very dangerous. I thank Allah so much that he showed us a cure and solved all our problems.

After completely getting cured, I again started potty training him. I used to make him sit on the potty chair after lunch and after dinner. He used to sit on the potty seat for a few minutes and still didn’t do potty. I used to give him warm water for easy digestion. But still, it was of no use. He didn’t do potty in the potty seat and only did potty in the diaper or the pants. But one fine day,  I made him sit on the potty seat after lunch when I noticed him making signs of doing potty. He was trying to get up but I scolded him and made him sit on it forcefully and told him to go potty in it. He became sad but he did potty in it. I was so happy that I gave him a big hug and kissed him. He felt happy and he understood that doing potty in the potty seat is fun. I repeated the same every day. Sometimes he did it in the potty seat and sometimes he resisted and did potty in the pants. It has been one year since I started potty training him and even today he doesn’t go to the potty and holds it. I should always keep an eye on him to see if he is showing signs of potty and then tell him to go to the bathroom. If I tell him strictly, he will listen and go to the potty seat and do potty. After one year of training, I finally made him sit on the western toilet to do pee and potty. Though the Indian toilet is good I prefer Western because whenever we go outside to a mall or park, there are only Western toilets everywhere.

So, it took me at least 2 years to completely pee-train and potty-train my kid. Pee training took 8 to 9 months and potty training took 1 to 1.5 years. He was completely pee trained when he was 3 years old and he was 4 years old when he was completely potty trained. I had to be very patient through this whole journey. Many times I lost control over my anger and started scolding my kid. And later felt very guilty and cried a lot. However, all these are very common when you want to teach your child something tough and new. If your kid is not able to learn this process easily, just leave him. He will get trained slowly when he is ready.