The potty training journey is something all youngsters embark upon, but for many kiddos, toilet training is a two-part endeavor. While some master the art of potty, conquering number two is a separate challenge. From the ideal time to begin to potty train to the difference between controlling urine versus bowels, discover the differences between potty training and poopy training.
When should I begin to potty train my child?
Most people do not realize that toilet training is an emotional experience. Although you may be eager for your youngster to become the queen or king of the porcelain throne, unless your child is ready, it just isn’t happening.
“Children must be ready both emotionally and physically for potty training to be a success,” advises KellyAnn Bonnell, M.A., Director of the Unitarian Universalist Early Education Cooperative Preschool. “There is no ideal age. Wait until your child begins to show interest in the process. That will be sometime between 24 and 36 months. When your child is ready, it shouldn’t take more than a couple of days.”
Challenges with toilet training when it comes to poop
Ever found your youngster crouching under a desk or in a closet doing his duty in his underwear after spending time on the potty with no luck? You’re not the only parent with these frustrations. Despite the success you may have found with encouragement and bribes, when it came to going potty in the potty, you may find your kiddo down right refusing to go poop on the toilet. Before you jump to the conclusion that your little one is simply trying to drive you crazy, you should know that for some children, you need to help them potty train each skill separately.
Potty training versus poopy training
Congratulations to the lucky parents whose kids grasped the concept of number one and number two in one fell swoop, but for most, “children learn to control their bladder before their bowel,” shares Bonnell. “Do not have unrealistic expectations that once a child has mastered his or her bladder he has also controlled his bowel.” So, patience is the key to helping your tot gain total poopy control in the potty.
>> Discover how to get your child potty trained fast
Tips for potty training the poop skill
Although you cannot rush the toilet training process, you may find that these seven tips for potty training will give your tyke the encouragement needed when mastering toilet training of both kinds:
- Take your child to the potty in a scheduled amount of time
- Go shopping for big kid underwear before you potty train and let your youngster pick them out
- Put your kiddo in big kid underwear while toilet training — diapers don’t give kids the sensation of being wet
- Offer immediate rewards for a job well done, from stickers to candies
- Work towards a future incentive like a trip to the toy store when stickers are accumulated
- Don’t punish your child when accidents happen
- Create a prize basket for days where no toilet training accidents occurred
The most important tip for potty training is to have patience with your child. Mastering the potty — and the poopy — takes time. Once you understand the differences between potty training and poopy training, you can cut down on your frustrations while you help your little one find success when learning to conquer toilet training!
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