For most parents, potty training is a daunting task (whether it’s kid #1 or #7, like me). We stress, bribe, beg and pray it goes quick and easy. But the fact of the matter is it’s different for each child and there’s not one prescription for perfect potty training. There are, however, tried and true tips that you can put into action to help the process along.  Here are a few tips that have worked great for our family:

Step one—Wait for your child to show signs of readiness, Step two – role model, yes that means letting them watch you in the bathroom, and tell them about the process, Step three – practice with them, have the sit on the potty for 1 to 1.5 minutes around the time they should have to eliminate waste, Step four – use positive reinforcement like praise when they make potty in the toilet.  Keep in mind accidents will happen.  Kids often have accidents because they are busy and forget or don’t yet realize how long they can hold it.  When this happens, have them change themselves and put their clothes in the laundry.  Don’t get upset with them when it happens continue to be encouraging of their progress.  Be prepared for accidents by bringing extra clothes to daycare and when running errands.

Be Patient with the Process—One of the challenges of potty training is that as parents are we want to get through it and be done with the process.  One of the mental hurdles we need to get through is allowing the process to work at your child’s pace.  Using the Potty Watch can help remind kids to go sit and the potty.  That takes the onus off the parent help kids take responsibility for making to the toilet on time.  The watch plays a fun tune to help them get excited about the process.  You can change the increments as the child’s success rate goes up.

Give Lots of Praise—One of the best ways to help kids be successful with potty training is to use hugs, tickles, praise and positive statements for rewards.  A chart to track progress is a great visual to see how they are getting better at using the toilet.  If you have a resistant child, use other means of rewards to get them motivated.

Learning to Toilet Train is a Process—Kids need to be able to physically control their body.  They need to show signs of readiness emotionally.  They need to cognitively be aware of expectations about using the toilet.  Step one – Look for signs of readiness, Step two – Explain the process and expectations, Step three – Take the child to the store to pick out big boy underpants or big girl panties, Step four – allow the child to run around naked at home to ease in getting on the potty when they have to go, Step five – praise them for successes.

Toilet Training Should be Fun—Use books and videos to reinforce the idea of going potty on the toilet.  Have multiple potty chairs/toilets available.  Kids can’t hold it for long periods of time as they are learning to control sensations.  Rather than ask if they need to go potty, tell them it’s time to go and sit them on the potty at various time.  Watch for behaviors like fidgeting or crossing their legs.  Help them to recognize what they are feeling to help increase their success rate.  Praise them for their progress.  Making a big deal about making potty in the toilet reinforces their desire to do well.

Good luck and happy parenting!

Sincerely,

DaddyNickell

Parenting Expert and father of 7, Robert Nickell (aka Daddy Nickell) offers his “5 cents” worth of advice to expectant and new parents.  Daddy Nickell is the founder of Daddy & Co., delivery room duds and daddy gifts and apparel for every stage of fatherhood, and the Daily Daddy Blog.  He is also the creator and producer of “My Life as a Dad,” the groundbreaking new web series that showcases celebrity fathers offering their personal experiences and parenting tips.

The post 5 Tips to Potty Train Your Child appeared first on AKAMom Magazine.

1.  Explain potty training just like you do anything else.

It’s important to remember that for the first two or so years of his life, peeing and pooping in a diaper was just the way the world worked. Now that you’re ready to potty train him, you can’t just expect him to understand why, all of a sudden, he has to pee in a weird bowl. It’s a good idea to start out by introducing him to his area a few weeks before the onset of potty training and explain what it is and what it’s used for. Do so in a fun way by making up a rhyme or telling him a story. There are also plenty of toilet training books available that are geared toward boys that you can start introducing him to prior to potty training.

2.  Don’t push sitting or standing. Give them a choice.

Many experts will tell you to start the potty training process with boys sitting down. This is because it’s believed to eliminate the confusion associated with sitting and standing. However, this doesn’t apply to all boys, just like not all boys like peanut butter and jelly. It’s important to give your boy a choice between sitting and standing and find out what works best for him. Boys are designed to urinate standing, so it makes sense that not all boys want to sit down. Plus, they’ve most likely seen dad standing in the bathroom, so they might be more curious to do the deed just like him. Get a potty chair that makes sitting and standing simple, comfortable and fun, like the Potty Wiz.

3.  Give him a role model right away.

You show your son how to eat, how to sleep, how to play – why wouldn’t you show them how to urinate both sitting and standing? At the onset of potty training, whether it’s mom or dad, show him how to do the process both ways. If dad isn’t around, take a water bottle and pretend you’re peeing standing up. Like anything else, he needs to be shown.

4.  Be aware of genital injuries due to training on the adult toilet.

Believe it or not, the toilet your little boy is afraid of can actually pose a health risk. Genital injuries due to falling toilet seats are not uncommon, in fact, the risk seems to be increasing. Between 2002 and 2010, researchers found the number of emergency room visits for toilet-related injuries to the penis increased by about 100 visits each year.

To prevent this, use a small kid-size potty chair when training a child to stand and, if you do decide to use the toilet seat, ensure the child stands on a non-skid stool so his anatomy is out of the range of the falling toilet seat lid. You can also invest in a soft-close seat and lid.

5.  Make it a game.

Boys love a good game more than anything, especially when it comes to potty training. If they find something boring or stressful, they’re going to give it up faster than last night’s cooked carrots. You need to ensure the process is fun and stress-free. You can use a cool potty training chart like ours, invest in a potty training board game, make up a potty song to sing while going, or toss cereal pieces in the pot as an aiming tool and offer rewards and incentives for hitting the mark. There are plenty of ways to make potty training fun for your boy.

6.  Buy a potty training doll.

We’re talking about a boy doll or even a stuffed animal that accompanies your child to the potty every time he goes and makes him feel comforted. There are plenty on the market, but some favorites are the Potty Monkey and the Potty Scotty dolls. Having a potty companion that they help “teach” to go potty will make them feel more autonomous and encouraged.

7.  Forget the underwear and the pants and pick up some carpet cleaner.

The best approach to potty training is investing a lot of carpet cleaner and skipping the pants and underwear when possible. This allows your boy to realize when he’s made an accident and see the result of it rather that it getting absorbed into clothing. Truthfully, this is probably going to take a few months of pants-free evenings and weekends, but your time will pay off in the end.

8.  Do your product research.

This is one of the most important tips. Please be aware that not all products are made the same and a cool character design or color should not be mistaken for practicality. A good chair or other tool will probably cost you a little more initially, but save you a lot of stress, mess and money because you won’t need to buy follow up products. We highly recommend adding a travel potty to your shopping list.

9.  Consider purchasing a multifunctional potty seat designed for boys.

The Potty Wiz, which can be pre-ordered now on Kickstarter, is a good option for a multifunctional seat because it’s a potty chair that accommodates a young boy in the sitting and standing position, rids training of stress and mess, and encourages autonomy in all stages of potty training. Not only does the Potty Wiz work when sitting or standing, it also allows a young child to urinate naturally standing, without the need to learn how to aim at such a young age. It also features a built-in target, so when the child is ready to aim, it makes the process a fun and rewarding game.

10.  Don’t stress

Kids know when parents are stressed. And the worst time to be stressed is when potty training your boy. He will feel your stress, it will make him stressed and there’s a good chance it will make the process harder. Remember, it’s a process and an important life skill and he’ll master it eventually.

The post 10 Tips for Potty Training Boys appeared first on AKAMom Magazine.

Have you ever needed a pick me up? Maybe some undercover encouragement? Well, that is just what this female owned company offers. Theresa Meendering started the company with her sister Janet Cantrell in 2010. When asked why, Theresa said, “Women do so much these days and often times forget to encourage one another. Life is more do-able when we know we are supported and loved. QB makes it easy and fun to do just that.”  

If you’re wondering how, their answer is underwear; “cheaper than flowers, more fun than a card, and fewer calories than chocolates.” Now you can send cheeky encouragement to your friends, sisters, mothers, and daughters with cute undies that say things like “Mamas Do It Best”, “Got Your Back”, “Knock’m Dead”, “Celebrate”, etc. With a total of 12 designs this company’s got you covered.

If you’re wondering about the little ones, QBkids has an adorable line designed to celebrate gilrhood and actively protect its innocence. The best seller “The Princess & The Pee” is a 3-pack designed with potty training in mind and comes with a free digital storybook download, available at  www.quack-back.com. QBkids also has a “Rockstar” pack to encourage girls heading off to their first day of school, audition, recital, or sports game. A fun and practical gift that won’t leave moms tripping through the playroom floor.

The best part is that for every online purchase, QuackBack donates an item to help another woman or child in need. More information about this and their annual Hop’n Wild to Help a Child event can be found at www.quack-back.com. While there, take a moment to check out the “customer quacks” and pick your favorite of the 12 encouraging designs. 

The post Encouraging Women, Celebrating Girlhood appeared first on AKAMom Magazine.