This document provides tips for potty training a child. It recommends getting a potty chair and allowing the child to become familiar with it. The learning process involves having the child sit on the potty with and without clothes to become comfortable. Parents should look for signs the child needs to use the bathroom and praise their progress. Reinforcement includes lots of praise for successes and understanding mistakes will happen at first. Consistency with preparation, learning, and reinforcement will help the child become potty trained.

1. POTTY TRAINING 101
Are you havingtrouble withpottytrainingyourlittle one?Dotheyjustnotwantto sitstill?The longer
youwait topotty trainyour child,the harderitwill be foryou.Evenif theyare currentlynotshowing
any signs of beingready.Evenif youhad triedpottytraininginthe pastand failed,listen,it'sNOTyour
fault. Here are a fewtipstohelpyouwithpottytraining.
1. Preparation
 Get a potty chair.
 Put the potty chair in a place that's convenient to where your child spends most of his time.
 Let your child explore the potty chair and become familiar with it. Let them know that it's special and
it's just for them.
2. Learning
 Have your child practice sitting on the potty with their clothes on once or twice a day. Let them get up
whenever they want. Your goal is to help them become comfortable with it.
 Praise your child for each step.
 Once their comfortable sitting on the potty with their clothes on, have them practice sitting on it with
their clothes off.
 Look for signs that your child needs to use the bathroom. Some children will tell you in so many
words. Others will grimace or grunt or get into a particular position. When that happens, ask them if
they need to go.
 Let your child see you sitting on the toilet. Let them sit on their potty chair at the same time.
 Share what you're doing and how you're doing it with the other caregivers in your child's life, such as
babysitters and grandparents. That way your child will have consistent expectations and support,
which will make things easier.
 Never leave your child in wet or soiled diapers as a way of "training" them. That only makes matters
worse.
3. Reinforcement
 Give your child lots of praise at each stage of learning. It's also a good idea to praise your child
whenever they tell you they have to use the potty, even if you've just asked them the question.

2.  Expect them to make mistakes, especially in the beginning. Don't get angry; that will just make things
take longer.
 Once your child has been successful for a few days, start making the switch to underwear. Some
children feel more secure in diapers or training pants; others can't wait for "big boy" or "big girl"
underwear.
 Remember that some young children are frightened by the sound and actions of a flushing toilet. If
they are bothered by it, don't force them to flush do it after they leave the room.
Just remember be consistent with preparation, learning and reinforcement, and you will be surprised how soon you will
get rid of those diapers for good!
Sources: http://www.letspottytrain.com/interview,http://www.babycenter.com/toddler-potty-training-
advice,http://newparent.com/mom/how-to-deal-with-potty-regression,
http://www.pottytrainingconcepts.com/Parenting-Resources.html