How to Potty Train Girls

Last Updated on January 28, 2021

It has been said that potty training girls is much easier and quicker than it is with boys. Having said that, it doesn’t mean that it will be all smooth sailing and you won’t meet any challenges along the way!

Fact is, girls usually want to start potty training at a younger age than boys. Statistics have shown that 54% of girl’s parents potty train their girls at an age younger than 2 whilst with boys only 38% of parents are comfortable enough to even try this. Also worth noting was the fact that by age 2 and a half, stats have revealed that nearly a third of girls (30%) of girls compared to 1in 5boys will be fully dry all throughout the night.

You may be asking yourself about all these uncanny differences between the 2 sexes. Well, it has been scientifically proven that girls develop communication skills way faster than boys do and will often tell you when they are ready to use the potty, whilst their counterparts may be too playful to even notice the potty. Also, girls are thought to focus more on a specific project at a time and therefore need less repetitive exercises than boys at something new such as potty training.

Although looking at this realistically, girls have to just sit down to both pee and poo while boys have to master two different skills, such as peeing while standing and aiming for the bowl then poo while seated.

So it is very much worth noting that communication is very key for successful potty training. So, if your little lady is ready to plunge into this new adventure then lots of talking it up plus some positive words of encouragement can most certainly lead to a great end result.

Here are some tips that can help your young lady get perfectly potty trained as soon as possible;

These 10 potty training tips can help you and your little missy move along faster on your new adventure;

1. Be 100% sure she is very ready: If your little girl is starting to communicate to you that she is ready to move onto her path to the road of independence, no matter what age she is then it’s time to whip out that potty and finally bid farewell to the diapers. Being ready is for sure your guarantee to a road to success, so never underestimate that! Timing is always very vital if you have just birthed another baby or she has just started nursery then maybe you can prolong starting the potty training process just a little bit because you don’t want her getting overwhelmed by all these changes that may be happening in her life.

2. Always involve her when buying potties or under-wears: Getting your little doll all fired up and enthusiastic about potty training is a great way to kick start you and your daughter’s new adventure and will show her that she is well on her way to being a big girl. Buy some super girly potty training products such as cute Barbie under-wear as an incentive to get her hyped up about this new venture. Let her pick out her favourite potty and allow her to carry the bag out of the store so she feels she is in control of the entire process. Be sure to buy her favourite princess books which she can take into the bathroom with her during potty time just to keep her on the ball at all times!
3. Find out what her thoughts are about this new change in her life: Put her at ease by discussing with her way before-hand what the entire process entails just to be sure that she is happy about everything that will soon be happening in her life. Ask her how she feels about the new products you purchased and be sure to talk to her through all that happens. Chances are, she will be super excited about everything but if she seems unengaged and a little frazzled then talk to her and try to show her how thrilled about this new process you are and how proud she makes you by engaging in it!
4. Rewards are important at this stage: Add excitement into your little girl’s new evolution into a big girl by offering rewards for each little milestone she makes. Let her decorate her potty the way she wants, allow her to put up her favourite artwork on the bathroom walls as a way for to personalize the space her way. 

5. Allow her in when you do your business so she can watch you in the loo: All toddlers learn by imitating their parents. So let your toddler see you pee and use the loo so she totally understands how it all goes. Talk her through step by step of what is happening, if you are using the loo tell her about it ‘’ mommy is peeing in the loo now’’ then show her how to wash hands as soon as you are done. If she has a favourite teddy or doll try using that as a way to demonstrate toilet actions.
6. It is very important to show her how to wipe properly: Teaching her to wipe properly is very important. Show her and be sure to tell her that she needs to wipe front to back and not back front to back. This will help eliminate any urinary infections which are very common issues during potty training. Always monitor any potential infections, if she cries and says it hurts when she pees then take her to the doctor immediately.
7. Dress her in clothes that she will be able to take off at potty time: Getting the right clothes and underwear is very paramount for successful potty training. Usually, skirts are much easier for little girls to handle than pants when attending to a quick response to potty usage, but if the weather permits then rather let her go commando. The more time she spends without diapers the faster she will learn her potty skills.
8. Always observe her behaviour at all times so you are able to tell when she needs to go: After some time you may notice her wiggling around and holding her hands in between her legs, this will be an indicator that she needs to use her potty ASAP. This is when you will need to tell her it is time to use the potty.
9. Try to have more than 1 potty in place just for more convenience: It always comes in very handy to have the house littered up with potties, especially when your bathroom is far from the play area because when she gotta go, She gotta go! So take the hassle away from making long trips to get to the designated potty for use. This can help minimize or even eliminate any accidents around the house.
10. Always remain calm and try to take the pressure off yourself: Don’t put pressure on her if she is resistant to the process because this can break down any communication efforts that you had put in. Thereby setting a precedence of conflict between you 2 and jeopardize the entire process. Accidents do happen so if she happens to have one worry not, it’s all part and parcel of the learning process. Never show that you are frustrated or disappointed in her as this may increase her anxiety levels and make her resent the entire process. Shower her with praises when she gets it right, ignore if it doesn’t quite happen the way you had hoped it would go. 

Mostly just try to make it all fun and games for her to help her keep focus. Forget about competition as that will only add unnecessary pressured for both you and your daughter. Just concentrate on yours and her milestones. Always keep your eyes on the prize, remember she too wants to keep dry like any other big girl, so in time she will get there.

 More Tips for Potty Training Girls, how to Wipe…

Potty training is most certainly not for the faint-hearted because it requires time, commitment and patience. You need to keep calm at all times, believe in your child and know they will make it in their own time of course. Never benchmark your child’s efforts with your friend’s daughter because that will just cause a lot of disappointments, and cause your child a lot of unnecessary anxiety and pressure. Stick to the original game plan you had set for you and your daughter.

Here are a few more tips to help you and your daughter during potty training;

1. What is normal?
   

   As parents we may view potty training as 1 of those many things that we need to do and tick off our bucket list, thereby putting expectations on our kids and believing that at a certain age they should be able to do ABC. Yet the truth is, toddlerhood is very individualistic, meaning each will reach that developmental goal at a different time from another. There is no normal age for your toddlers to achieve certain milestones, they just reach it at their time and readiness.So if your daughter is 18months and has still not shown an interest in the potty, worry not, nothing is wrong with her. She is perfectly normal but just isn’t ready for that step yet! So don’t push her because this could lead to a lot of resistance. It’s a process and given the chance, with time, she will get to it!

2. Try your bestest to avoid this…

   Always ensure your toddler’s bowels are regular, constipation is a big no-no. some toddlers have the bad habit of holding poo in. Try to encourage your daughter to use the bathroom as much as possible to avoid constipation because this could scare them into not using the potty cause of the hurt they may be experiencing. If you do suspect any signs of constipation then its most probably time to change the diet to incorporate more liquids and fibre.

3. Know what she calls her genitalia
   

   The specific language your daughter chooses to use is very important to her, so as a parent you should be comfortable to use it too. The fact is that you have evolved from diapers into trying to establish some form of independence with the potty. Just as you are evolving, so is your daughter’s language. She can obviously understand more and can put more words on any body part.

4. How to clean up
   

   Little girls are very much vulnerable to urinary tract infections because they take the toilet paper and try to reach under wiping from back to front in the process transferring all the bacteria from the bum into the vagina. Try to teach your daughter to just dab and blot in place after peeing to avoid infections. Do teach her to avoid vigorously wiping but to do a few dabs with a couple of squares of toilet paper is all that is needed. As parents, we often worry about discharges in our little girls and how to deal with them. This is not something to worry about as it is normal, the vagina is self-cleansing so just some regular baths can help with that. However, whenever she takes a poop be sure to show her that she should wipe back up from the rear.

5. Last tip on the cards
   

   She may be doing very well during the daytime, making the night-time a bit of a struggle. Try cutting down on the amount of liquids that you offer just before bedtime because the hormone that regulates or shuts down the production of urine does not develop until the age of 2-4 years. So their bodies will not shut down the production of urine during the night, meaning waking up dry is almost impossible. For that much-needed protection though, you can always reach out for the pull-ups to prevent any accidents from happening during the night. Otherwise what is important is for you to enjoy the ride and everything shall fall into place.

How to teach a potty training child how to wipe their butt properly

Getting them to use the toilet may reign supreme but there is something else that as parents we often overlook. And that is teaching our kids how to wipe their little bottoms properly. It is stated that in the US, most kids are potty trained between 2-4 years of age which has now become the normal standard. Although they may be potty trained by those ages, they still don’t have the motor skills required for wiping their butts properly. They are unable to see their behinds and don’t have the internal sensation to tell them when they are done pooing and what to do next. So they are not entirely independent enough to properly wipe their butts.

Here’s how you can teach your child how to wipe their bottoms;

• Have realistic expectations, do not wish too: motor skills are very key in mastering how your little one can wipe their butts properly. Not all kids have these motor skills come to them that easily at the ages of 2-3years old and that is quite alright.
• Try to be a very active coach in this regard: wiping is not an instinctive thing such as using the potty and so all kids need very clear cut yet simple instructions to be able to successfully carry out this task. So with help and practice from their parents, they will soon be able to do this right.
• Always have wet wipes nearby: you can always use the wet wipes to touch where your child may have missed a spot because like we mentioned earlier, this is a motor skill that gets enhanced over time. So your toddler will still need your help as she progresses along.
• Don’t despair if you find skid marks on your child’s underwear: this is still a learning curve for your little one, so don’t be shocked if she doesn’t have the cleanest underwear on the planet. You will encounter those few days of skid marks on their underwear as this is still a skill they are learning.
• Exercise a lot of patience: being a very impatient mom can most definitely derail your child’s progress because the pressure you may exert on your child may cause a lot of anxiety and lead to a hostile relationship between you and your child.

Sure you will have provided the guidelines and instructions to follow for your 3-year-old to follow. But rest assured it won’t get done right. Which is why you need to carefully ponder on when your child would be developmentally ready for this motor skill. Although the truth is they will never be quite ready for this skill and that is quite alright. So in the next couple of months as you continue to train your toddler on how to wipe their butt, do remember that your tot does not have the intuition of how many toilet paper squares she needs to roll up to be enough to cleanly wipe her bottom or even if this toilet paper should go into the garbage or in the toilet and that if it does go in the toilet, it will it be flushable. So as you go along with, it is worth noting that you will at most times need to be a coach by her side to ensure this process is carried out properly or until you are confident enough to let her go off on her own.

Once your toddler has a better understanding of wiping their bottom, the next hurdle to overcome is teaching them safety measures that need to be practised to ensure proper wiping and the avoidance of infections.  This can be quite a frustrating time in most parents’ time more especially those who ha hope their butt wiping days were over. But patience is a virtue and you need to exercise a little patience and hopefully, it will all be over soon! Parents also need to realize that amidst all that bottom wiping you still need to teach your little one to wash their hands after using the toilet. You need to really drum this into your child’s mind that washing hands after using the bathroom is super important. You want your child to be able to practise very good sanitization skills.

Your toddler may find the whole process of potty training girls traumatic, so you need to keep reassuring her and giving her words of encouragement too. This problem is most likely when it is time for them to be able to properly wipe their own bottoms. This, however, varies from child to child. Others master it at the tender age of 3 while some will go onto age 6 and still need your assistance with wiping before they fully get the hang of it, but never lose hope it is very achievable. Just be sure to follow these simple guidelines;

• Most of all, you need to be calm and patient
• Always, always make sure the toilet paper is within her reach because if it is not then she won’t wipe at all and would most probably spend the whole day at the nursery with an unwiped bottom and soiled underwear
• Coach her by handing her the toilet paper and actually show her how to wipe from back upwards. It is very important she understands why she needs to wipe from back upwards cause if she doesn’t get it right this could lead to urinary tract infections which could further derail the training
• Emphasise the importance of your child looking at the toilet paper to ensure it is clean, and redoing the process so as to ensure proper butt cleaning.