Toilet training an infant can be a tough job. The reason is that infants are mostly stubborn and will try to put up a fight every time you train them. However, if you are lucky, your infant might learn everything within 3 days. Infants tend to differ when it comes to learning and picking up speed. Therefore, if your infant is slow, do not rush it. This process needs patience and dedication. If you were to push your infant, chances are that he/she will become more stubborn. As a result, you will have to fight an even harder battle each time. Therefore, let’s look at some ways to help toilet train your infant. 

Getting Ready for Potty Training

When it comes to potty training your infant, you should stop counting the days. As mentioned earlier, you should not be rushing the process. Furthermore, you must have already dabbed a few less than successful attempts but to no avail, right? That is because your infant is going to start learning at his/her pace. And, do not worry, that day is going to come soon. The thing about potty training is that you and your child both need to be mentally prepared. It seems kind of weird expecting this from an infant that can hardly walk but the point is then again to give it time. Parents on the other hand need to be mentally prepared because otherwise, they start to take too much pressure and tension. 

Timing for Potty Training

Toilet training can take a lot of time, therefore, there is no need to get frustrated. Some experts state that it might even take a year or so for your infront to take the toilet seat properly. The thing with toilet training is that it is neither fast nor smooth. Parents need to understand the body language of the infant along with the behavior. If they feel that the kid is not giving in, then it is better to give it some time. Pushing the infant each time will not make him/her learn properly. 

Practice Patience

You might need to get a hold of a lot of patience during toilet training your infant. The best way to deal with a stubborn infant is by looking for cues. If you observe that the mood is right, you can try bringing the bathroom to him/her to see if your infant is ready to give it a try. You can do it multiple times during the day but be careful of the behavior and mood. You wouldn’t want to put off your child. Furthermore, keep in mind that both potty and pee training can sometimes be different. It is not necessary that your infant learns potty and peeing at the same time. You might have to work it separately. 

Stick to a Routine

The next most important factor when it comes to toilet training is sticking to a routine. What this means is that you need to be consistent. Whatever, training plan you are following at home, make sure that you do your very best at following the same schedule elsewhere as well. The reason is that if you don’t, your infant is going to take the process lightly and might not agree with toilet training when you get home. 

For instance, if your infant likes to read a book while on the potty, make sure that you inform your daycare provider about providing your infant a book every time he/she needs to potty or pee. In addition to that, since daycare providers tend to have several infants being looked after, they might not have the time to attend to different schedules. In that case, ask them how they can help you in fostering the success and progress you have had at home. 

Being Consistent

Being consistent takes a lot of patience and dedication. However, you need to be a bit clever and smart as well. Once you have determined and understood the body language of your infant, it is time that you influence him/her towards toilet training. For instance, your infant at a daycare service might love to potty train by watching his/her friend doing the same as well. Therefore, you should come up with different ways such as making your infant wear a potty watch. This will help the infant remember when it is time to toilet train. Furthermore, you can try putting your infant on the potty each time while you run the bath. It might be that your infant feels encouraged and starts to train by him/herself. If it does, maintain the routine and keep it consistent. Make sure that there are no gaps in between, which might turn all the hardwork into dust. 

Use Rewards

Now, this is something that your infant is going to love. Using rewards to encourage your infant to toilet train is a tried and tested method. You can promise your kid some candies each time he/she goes potty. Moreover, you can increase the rewards as well if your infant wipes him/herself. This can help you achieve significant progress since most infants consider the process of wiping themselves as yucky. Plus, you should not be spending a whole lot of money on treats and candies but you can also opt for playful activities or other options that are inexpensive and do not require you to visit the mall each time.  

Praise Your Child

Your infant needs encouragement, support, and motivation and all of that is not going to be possible without you praising him/her. Kids love attention and especially when someone particularly calls them out to praise. Therefore, whenever your infant makes even a little bit of progress, you need to praise them. Believe it or not, it is one of the most successful ways to make your infant toilet train and provide the independence you have longed for. 

Figuring Out the Fear

Infants are mostly scared as well when it comes to toilet training. There is something in their mind that tells them not to potty or pee. If you observe that your infant after all the rewards and other techniques is still not willing to train, then you might want to consult a doctor. The reason is that the doctor will determine if your infant is actually scared. Sometimes you might hear an infant telling that their pee won’t come out. 

This adds fuel to the fire and puts them under stress. While they are already scared of the process, the pee not coming out adds to their stress. Try sitting your infant down and explain the process. It will help him/her understand and explain the disadvantages as well so that they share the concern as well. Talking to your infant about what scares him/her is going to help a lot. Understand what is bothering their thoughts so that you can address it directly. 

Make Toilet Training Fun

Kids love to play and what can be better than parents taking part in the exciting process. In most cases, your toddler may feel a bit intimidated by learning how to use the bathroom. Therefore, if you were to introduce games and a few fun activities, you might end up being successful. Since most infants tend to be compassionate, you should talk your way about how not peeing or pooing is going to starve the hungry fish. 

This is another tried and tested method that has worked for many parents out there. Just by explaining that the poop goes to the sea where it is fed to the hungry fish can encourage them to toilet train by themselves. Additionally, you can set a timer as well. Give your infant control of which potty to sit on. This will then again, give them independence and encourage them to train multiple times during the day. 

Get Tips from Other Parents

Sometimes getting tips from other parents might help as well. As we had mentioned at the beginning, infants tend to differ when it comes to toilet training. What might work for others, may not work for your infant and vice versa. However, it is always suggested to ask around and discuss the issue. It might be that parents are dealing with a far more stubborn infant than yours and just a single tip gets your infant to the potty each time during the day. Since parents tend to discuss their issues with each other, you will get an insight into problems that might arise in the future. 

Final Word

The point to take away from this article is that toilet training can be a lengthy and tough process. To deal with it, you will need to be patient and most importantly consider the tips mentioned above. Once you understand the importance of each step, you are bound to achieve success at the end of the day.