Last Updated on February 5, 2021
Motherhood can be a rollercoaster of events especially if you have a two a year old toddler.
You are never in control of your day, never knowing what exactly to expect often times.
But all in all it can be quite an exciting and adventurous day and I bet you wouldn’t want to barter trade it for anything in the universe.
There are many challenges you face as a parent and one of them is the daunting challenge of potty training.
There are so many books and articles written about this topic but still it is no herculean task, because each child is unique in their own way and need specialized treatment.
Be that as it may be, there are basic and simple methods of potty training that you can use that have been tried and tested over the year that most moms can attest to.
Can potty training a girl be any different?
Contrary to most believes Potty Training girls is totally different to potty training a boy, experts however have confirmed that girls train way faster than boys, also that kids with older siblings are more likely to learn the tricks of the trade of the game much faster too.
reason being that children learn mostly by imitating so when they have the liberty to watch they tend to want to emulate their elders.
Having said that if your child doesn’t have any older siblings, no need to despair there are some tips that have been tried and tested by other moms that you can explore too!
Here are some 10 tips to help you along as your daughter journeys into independence
1) Show her the reins. The first step to take would be to show her how it’s done, children learn faster by visual stimulation and imitating their parents or elders. So have an open bathroom policy in your home so your daughter can observe you doing your business in the bathroom and learn from that.
2) Get her the proper equipment to give her a head start. Get her a potty or comfortable toilet seat because training her on an adult toilet can be very intimidating to her, most kids are afraid of the toilet for fear of falling in so make sure she is as comfortable as possible, for the training to flow smoothly.
3) Give her the freedom to choose what she wants. Take your daughter shopping for her potty and or toilet seat. let her choose what colors and style she wants. Make her feel like she is in control of the entire process, that way she will be on board with the new challenge up ahead.
4) Create fun and exciting activities for her. Kids easily get bored with routine activities so you need to keep her entertained so that she remains engaged all out the training process. Get a basket and fill it with all her favorite toys and books so she may use during potty time.
5) Plan the training carefully. Have a game plan to follow and stick with it. Eg have scheduled times that are dedicated to potty time so that when you do, do away with the diapers it is very clear to her that she has to use the potty each time she needs to go. You could possibly continue with the diapers at night time whilst she still trying to master her day time training before you can start her off the night time training.
6) Choose a place where you will be conducting the training. At first it will be very difficult to just tell your daughter to go to the bathroom when you first begin with the training because she may not be comfortable going into the bathroom for a number of reasons. So if she is comfortable having the potty in her room then by all means let her use it there.
7) Rewards count. You can put a sticker chart that you can use a reward system, each time she has successful bathroom trip put up a sticker on the chart. if she has 3 consecutive days accident free then you can reward her with a lovely treat such as that much desired toy or DVD of her favorite cartoon character. Remember to not over do it with the rewards because you don’t want to make her feel anxious or even self conscious for not meeting any milestones.
8) Be prepared that accidents will happen. Just like with any other motor skills such as walking and talking, this too is a new skill that your child is yet to master. So don’t go off on a tangent when a mistake happens. Try to remain as calm as possible because yelling can derail the entire process and send you bac to the diapers that you both worked so hard to get rid of! Yelling can make your child hostile and very resistant to the training which you don’t need.
9) Make sure your instructions are simple and clear. At all times remain calm, don’t panic because that will scare your child and you don’t want that. Use simple lingo such as ”Baby use your potty to pee or poop”. Also use encouraging words and praises to help your little one keep their eyes on the ball.
10) Cleanliness is super important. Be sure to show your daughter how to wipe after peeing and pooping, at first it won’t be easy to master but you should not lose sight of the bigger picture, always be there at your daughter’s side to help her where she may fall short. You should be sure to insist that she wipes from front to back to avoid the possibility of infections.
Signs of potty training readiness by girls.
There is no set time to begin potty training because all kids are unique, you just have to wait for the signs that your toddler will throw your way to show you that she is now ready to embark on the journey to independence. Some may begin at 18months whilst others choose to start the training at the age of 2years old. Here are a few tips to alert you that your little one is now ready to be potty trained.
- The very first sign is when your toddler gets all agitated with a wet or soiled diaper and wants it off as soon as possible. Suddenly the stickiness that comes with the wet or soiled diaper becomes extremely unbearable.
- When your toddler wakes up with a dry diaper after an afternoon nap or even the night.
- Toddlers have a way of expressing themselves when they want to poop, even non-verbal kids too, for example a toddler may choose to go into a corner and poop there in private. Well, if you have picked up on these signs then it’s a sure sign that your daughter is ready to be trained, because she can now differentiate between two distinct actions, ‘peeing and pooing’!
- If she suddenly shows an interest in seeing you use the bathroom when you do your business.
- Once your daughter can understand simple instructions such as leave that box there then you know she can be potty trained. You can then start slowly with little things, such as teaching her how to undress or even sitting on the potty.
