How to Potty Train A Child

The first step in potty training is to be sure your child is physically ready. If you attempt to potty train your child and it just doesn't work, your little one is just not ready. Don't rush potty training - it will only frustrate you and your child. Let it go and try again in a few more weeks (or months).

Once you have determined your child is ready for potty training, make it fun! Always use praise, and consider small rewards if your child is motivated by those. Take your child to the potty every hour (or even less) to "try." Be sure to visit the potty as soon as your child finishes a snack or meal, since eating tends to make nature take its course.

Consider letting your child pick out a special potty chair from the store to make things seem exciting. Then, every time your child uses the potty, offer a small treat or sticker. Some parents have been known to promise the "Potty Dance" - a homemade silly dance the parent performs when the child goes. Some children will do anything to see their parents act silly!
Have a boy? Cut out little rectangles of paper and draw pictures of ships or sea creatues on them. Place three in the big potty and ask your little boy if he can sink them!

Have a girl? Find a day you can stay with her all day. Give her a beautiful dress and don't put undies on her. This helps your girl to realize when she has to go that she needs to go to the potty. If she has undies on, she may feel like they are diapers and wet them. Of course, some girls are highly motivated by beautiful, frilly "girly" panties. They will wear them with pride and will probably remember to use the potty most of the time.

Potty Training Tips
Bedtime drinks too close to bedtime can cause accidents in bed. I always found it works best to limit drinks to dinner time and none after. If your child is really thirsty, put a small amount of water in the cup so they don't over do it. Another tip is to give your child a token of some sort that they can use once before bedtime for a drink. Again, never fill the cup up. There are different variations that you can use, to help you deal with your child. All children are different. Never scold your child for having an accident in bed. Children who are beginning to potty train are usually at an age where they sleep soundly and it is difficult for them to wake themselves up to go potty. They don't usually know they've wet the bed until the wake up completely in the morning.

There are some children that have accidents when they sleep well past the age of potty training. It happens. If you have concerns, speak to your pediatrician. There can be other reasons, although rarely, for having accidents in bed past the toddler age.