TKW Consulting

Monday, June 29, 2009

Potty Training Awareness Month...

Well, I'm back from the NAFCC (National Association of Family Child Care) Annual Conference in Baltimore, Maryland. Did you miss me? I had a great time! Baltimore was a fun place to visit, but I'm glad to be back home. And after a week away from "my" children, I'm anxious for them to arrive today.

I'll be sharing some information from the conference with you as we go along, but I wanted to mention that one of the workshops that I trained there was about potty training. I had a fun group of participants and the class went well. However, I did not realize that June was Potty Training Awareness Month. I can't believe that I nearly missed this important event. Even though June is nearly over, I thought I would be remiss not to bring this to your attention.

You may laugh, but this is a topic that is important to child care providers as many of us seem to be in a non-stop cycle of potty training for years. Did you know that more than 4 million parents are expected to begin potty training this year? Many of these parents (especially first-timers) look to their child care provider as a source of expert advice.

So in honor of P.T.A. Month (and I'm not talking about parent-teacher associations), here are the top ten tips for potty training from the experts of the PULL-UPS® Potty Training Partners:

Be Prepared To Begin
Be prepared to begin the process. Potty training takes time and energy. The spring/summer season is often prepared as the warmer weather means less clothes, more vacations and longer days making more time for tots to master potty training. Any season can work though, just be prepared to work with "more" vs. "less."
Tailor Your Approach To Find What Works
Tailor your approach for potty training success. Different products offer ways to help make the transition easier. Parents can find a Potty Training Personality Profile at www.pull-ups.com that can suggest a training pant that matches their child’s learning style. Look for products that have wetness liners or other ways to help kids learn.
Introduce The Potty Chair Early
Introduce the potty chair at the beginning of the process when your child is showing signs of readiness—stays dry for two hours, interested in the bathroom, etc. Demonstrate how it works and instill a sense of potty ownership in him or her by wrapping it as a present or decorating it with stickers.
Get Your Child Comfortable With The Idea of Potty Training
Get your child comfortable with the idea of potty training, and introduce the potty training supplies you'll be using before getting started. Practice putting on training pants, washing his or her hands at the bathroom sink and sitting on the potty chair before he or she starts using it.
Remain Positive and Patient
Always remain positive and patient – potty training takes time and setbacks will occur. But remember that children thrive on positive reinforcement. Praise and rewards can help tots feel more comfortable with new skills and keep them motivated during each potty training stage.
Be Consisent
Be consistent – once tots are out of diapers – they stay out of them. It’s proven that toddlers train faster if they don’t switch back and forth between diapers and training pants.
Use Interactive Approaches
To sustain a child’s interest, use interactive approaches, such as games, videos, songs, books, progress charts and role modeling.
Use Teamwork
Use teamwork – make sure everyone in the child's life, from grandparents to daycare providers to siblings, is on board with a consistent potty training philosophy, encouraging your little one throughout the process.
Pack Familiar Potty Training Supplies When On The Go
When traveling, pack familiar potty training supplies like a child-size adapter seat and even a favorite book so he or she is as comfortable as possible using the potty in an unfamiliar setting.
Use Motivational Rewards
Use motivational rewards for your child, such as listening to a fun, potty training song on the PULL-UPS® Potty Training Totline at 1-877-4BIG-KID or downloading a special crown or badge at www.pull-ups.com for a quick and easy reward that says “I am so proud of you!” Other ideas include stickers or stamps, a token present such as bubbles, or a surprise from a "grab bag" pre-filled with inexpensive kid items.