Potty training is a massive headache. In fact, it’s one of the least fun things about being a parent, at least to parents who are currently in the thick of it. There is no surefire strategy for success in this realm, since every child is different, but there are some potty training tips that can help you and your little one succeed. Novel Potty Training Tips These are some of the best tips for making your potty training rounds more successful – and feeling better in the process. 1.   Wait until they’re ready. Every kid is different. Some kids are ready to start potty training before they’ve even reached the age of 18 months. Others still aren’t ready even when they’re 3 years old. Instead of waiting for your child to reach a certain age, look out for certain physical and developmental milestones that show you they’re ready for potty training. Signs that a child is ready for potty training include things like staying dry for long stretches of time, changing fewer diapers, vocalizing about potty habits, or even showing an interest in using the toilet. If you try to potty train a child who isn’t ready for it, it’s going to make the experience more negative for both of you. Instead, wait and make sure your child is ready to move forward, and even then, take things one step at a time. 2.   Invest in a bidet. Bidets can make the potty training process easier and more accessible for little kids. Wiping with toilet paper is an action that requires dexterity and accuracy, and it tends to be messy for anyone without these skills. On top of that, toilet paper is rough and less hygienic. Cleaning with a bidet is much more comfortable and thorough, leading your children to have much more positive experiences after using the bathroom. On top of that, it means less mess for you to deal with. 3.   Prepare yourself. You also need to prepare yourself mentally for the challenges of potty training. Even experienced parents have difficulty getting their kids to conform to behavioral expectations – and there will likely be lots of accidents along this journey. It’s important to treat potty training as a marathon, rather than a sprint, and to expect accidents and messages routinely. Your patience is going to be tested, even if your little one is especially smart and eager to train, and you’ll have a much easier time keeping your cool if you’re ready for that. 4.   Read about multiple methods. There are many philosophies and approaches regarding potty training, and proponents will insist that their method is the “right” one. However, not every potty training method is a good fit for every child, and most of them have at least some merits and some drawbacks to consider. It’s important for you to expose yourself to many different potty training methods, so you can see the strengths and weaknesses for yourself and eventually choose a method that fits your kid, your lifestyle, and your preferences. If that method doesn’t work, you’ll have plenty of backups to choose from. 5.   Choose a starting framework and get everyone involved. Whether you’re working directly from someone else’s framework or creating a unique one yourself, it’s important to start with some kind of grounding framework. Where is the training toilet going to be? How are you going to approach using it? What is the reward system? Make sure everyone else caring for your child is on board with this framework, and keep it consistent. 6.   Keep it positive. Potty training will be much easier if you keep it entirely positive. Make sure all experiences related to the bathroom go as calmly and happily as possible. Some children will naturally resist this or express discomfort with the potty training experience, so if it gets to be too negative, consider taking a break and trying again in the future. Once a child consistently associates the bathroom with a negative experience, they’ll become extremely resistant to using it. 7.   Give them a sense of ownership. Most kids like to feel trusted and independent. They want to do things on their own as much as possible, and they want ownership over their own possessions and behavior. You can use this to your advantage by giving them a sense of ownership in potty training. For example, you can allow them to put stickers on their training toilet or pick out their own special pair of underwear. 8.   Develop a consistent routine. Consistency is arguably the most important pillar for success in potty training. If you deviate from the standards or framework you set, it’s going to result in a setback. Do whatever is possible to avoid breaking the consistency of your routine, whatever that happens to be. 9.   Avoid bribery. While some methods do call for rewarding your child for successful trips to the potty, it’s generally better to avoid outright bribery. If you give your child a small piece of candy after every time they use the bathroom, they may refuse to use the bathroom properly without it or worse, develop bad associations with food as a reward system. It’s fine to use rewards and incentives to make the experience positive, but do so with caution – and make sure your child is using the potty for its own sake. 10.   Make changes if necessary. Your initial plans may not go as smoothly as you expect them to go. Accordingly, it’s important to be prepared to make changes. In some cases, that may even mean changing your entire body training framework or philosophy. If you do make changes, make them gradually so as not to disrupt your consistency. Faster, Easier Potty Training Potty training may never be easy, but it can be easier with these strategies. Keep in mind that much of your success depends on you, the nature of your kid, and the support in your environment. The post 10 Novel Potty Training Tips to Help Your Little One Succeed appeared first on Santa Clarita Valley Signal.