SEPTEMBER is approaching and if you are in a rush to meet the back-to-school deadline at preschool, panic not.

A potty training expert has revealed their top six tips to making sure your little ones reach the milestone in time.

Amanda Jenner spoke to Fabulous about the steps you should take.

She said: “Potty Training can be a tough milestone in your toddler’s life, it needs patience, time and your toddler has to be ready; all children develop at a different rate. 

“The simplest advice I can give is check for signs of readiness, make sure you educate your little one at least one week before you start potty training and do expect setbacks; as tough as it is for parents it is as tough for children to get the hang of. 

“The biggest key to success is consistency and not to put too much pressure on yourself as a parent or your toddler."

More on potty training

The six things to avoid when potty training stubborn tots

Three top tips to help take the stress out of potty training

Here are her best pieces of advice…

1. Get into a routine

Amanda advises that when your little one wakes up in the morning, you should take their sleep nappy off and put their “big girl/boy pants” on, and get them to help you with this on a daily basis. 

She added: “Make sure the potty is put in the room where they spend most of their time. 

“Prompt them every 30 to 45 minutes to sit on the potty/toilet and in the first week you will have to remind them.

Most read in Fabulous

“On day 2 if you have a garden or you venture out on your daily exercise, just for a short time for 30 minutes and take their potty with them and also spare clothes as this will really help them to potty train in and out the home.”

2. Make it fun

Amanda said you should keep a consistent routine for the first week and keep it positive and fun. 

She added: “This is a huge milestone for a toddler and we need to remember some little ones will take longer than others. 

FABULOUS BINGO: Get a £20 bonus & 30 free spins when you spend £10 today

“Patience is key.

“If they are waking up in the morning with a dry nappy for more than 1 week then this is a good time to start considering removing the nappy at night.” 

3. Get them to drink a lot

Amanda said that you should get your kids drinking lots of fluids as it “exercises their bladder and keeps everything moving.”

4. Don’t worry about accidents

Amanda advised that you stop kids in their tracks when they have done a wee or a poo.

She added: “If your little one refuses to sit on the potty, try using a distraction box filled with bubbles, books etc. to keep them interested whilst sitting on the potty/toilet.

“If an accident happens, calmly reassure them saying things like ‘oh dear lets try and get it in the potty/ toilet next time’ try and keep positive and do not get angry at any time.” 

5. Reward them

Amanda advised against telling them off, and said rewards are much more effective.

She explained: “When they have successfully done a wee or a poo make sure you reward them with a sticker or a star, I normally recommend one reward for a wee and two rewards for a poo.”

6. Avoid the big nos

Amanda revealed her list of big “nos” that you should avoid during potty training. 

These include: 

• Don’t become cross
• Don’t compare your child to any other, as every child learns at a different pace. 
• Do educate your child before starting
• Go from nappies/pullups straight to pants
• Take your potty/trainer seat everywhere you go
• Speak to your childcare setting or whoever looks after your little one
• Get the whole family involved

Read More on The Sun

Warning to parents who drive kids to school… see if yours is on list

Woman left in hysterics as Asda provide useless substitute for pregnancy test

7. Things to buy

You don’t need to spend loads on the process, but a few items can help, according to Amanda.

The expert said: “I am a great believer in getting your little ones involved from day one, so let them pick their own potty or toilet trainer seat and their big girl/boy pants. 

“This gets your toddler involved and excited from the start.”

Amanda advised that some items that can be helpful include the following…

• Potty/ Toilet Trainer Seat- Let your little one choose as they will be the ones using it and need to get excited about using it
• Big Girl/Boy Pants- Let your toddler choose their favourite character pants or colour, make sure you have plenty as accidents can happen.
• Step Stool- A step stool is a good thing to buy at this time as it helps position them correctly on the toilet or potty. 
• Choose a good reward system, either a Reward chart and Sticker or Magic box with stars 

THE NHS TOP TIPS FOR POTTY TRAINING

Keep the potty in the bathroom. If that's upstairs, keep another potty downstairs so your child can reach the potty easily wherever they are. The idea is to make sitting on the potty part of everyday life for your child.

Encourage your child to sit on the potty after meals, because digesting food often leads to an urge to do a poo. Having a book to look at or toys to play with can help your child sit still on the potty.

If your child regularly does a poo at the same time each day, leave their nappy off and suggest that they go in the potty. If your child is even the slightest bit upset by the idea, just put the nappy back on and leave it a few more weeks before trying again.

Encouraging them to use the potty to wee will help build their confidence for when they are ready to use it to poo.

As soon as you see that your child knows when they're going to pee, encourage them to use their potty. If your child slips up, just mop it up and wait for next time. It takes a while for them to get the hang of it.

If you do not make a fuss when they have an accident, they will not feel anxious and worried, and are more likely to be successful the next time. Put them in clothes that are easy to change and avoid tights and clothes with zips or lots of buttons.

Source: NHS

Source: Read Full Article