Potty Training Your Child: How to Deal With Potty Training Challenges?

Team AckoFeb 8, 2024

The upbringing of your little one is a beautiful phase. It is a whole new experience filled with fun and challenges. One such challenge is potty training your child!

As your little one reaches the age of 1, he reaches a new stage in life. Now your little baby would be called a toddler. The word toddler is derived from the word “toddle” which means ''to walk unsteadily.'' This stage is very important for your little one as he grows and learns in many different ways. 

Generally, during this stage, your little would try to be independent. He would learn to walk, talk, run, mingle with people, get into problems and resolve on their own, etc. 

At this stage, one of the most important training which you need to initiate is the potty training. Potty training is very important to make your child independent. 

Your child will not be emotionally and physically prepared to be potty trained till your little one is at least 18 months old. Each child would be different, so you being the parent, would be the best judge to know whether your child is ready to be trained.

Potty training challenges and how to deal with them:

The transition from diaper to using a potty seat is not always very smooth, it may be a little tricky. It is exactly like any other challenge which you would be facing as a parent. The only way to get success is through Patience, Perseverance and being positive. 

Listed below are some of the common potty training challenges with solutions which generally work:

Introduction to the concept of using a Potty Seat: 

As the first step towards potty training your toddler, you can try the pretend play method. You can take any doll of your child and involve your little one in a conversation which involves the topic of the potty. The conversation can be like “Oh, Daisy (whatever is the name of the toy) needs to go to the potty,” and demonstrate the potty process by taking her doll to the bathroom. Just run through all the steps of potty training, which your child needs to know, like removing the undergarments, make the doll sit on something similar to the potty seat, flush, washing hands, wiping, etc.

As you repeat this process in front of your child every day, the concept gets registered in the tiny brain of your child. This makes it easier for you to potty train your little one after.

Customized Toilet Seat: 

The toilet that is used by you would be very uncomfortable for your little one as he is too small to sit on the seat and his legs would be hanging mid-air. There are a number of baby toilet seats, which are easily available in the market. These baby toilet seats can be fit on any regular toilet seat, they are generally colorful and attractive. It also comes with their favorite cartoon character. Your toddler would instantly be ready to use the potty seat the moment he looks at the colorful and attractive baby potty seat. 

Complete No-No: 

Whenever you suggest to your child that he is a big boy now and he should be using a toilet, the most common answer from your child would be a strict No-No! Do not get perturbed by the answer, just relax and keep calm. In such a case, you can initially try to train him with the potty chair, which can be moved from one place to another. Just let your little one be without a diaper and run around the house.

Keep the potty chair at a place in the house where your little one would be able to see it. As a practice, you need to tell your little one that he needs to use the potty chair. Subconsciously, this would get registered and when he recognizes the bowel movement, he may sit on the potty chair. But ensure you do not keep repeating the same thing every half an hour. This would agitate your child and he may try to rebel.

Bladder Control: 

This is another tricky part of potty training challenges. Your toddler may immediately agree and understand that he needs to use a potty chair. But the challenge is in spite of recognizing the bladder movement and the urge to use the toilet, he may pee/poo on the way to the toilet. This is very common and is known as the bladder control. This takes a little time for your child to learn. You can help your toddler by just keeping a track of the timing. If you feel your child has not peed for a long time, just remind him very politely that it is time for him to use the potty seat. This way your child may get the bladder control with time

Considering the hygiene: 

Kids are generally playful, your little one at this stage would not know what is dirty or unhealthy and should not be touched. Your child may try to play with his pee or may just try to touch the poo. You need not be upset or feel bad about this. Your toddler would do this as he is still growing and is filled with questions about “What/Why/How?” This is just an extension of his curiosity. Gently yet sternly let your kiddo know that this is not something to be played with.

Using 'Rewards' wisely:

Rewards and recognition are something, which none of us would be able to resist. Every time your little one uses the potty chair/potty seat, shower him with a lot of praise, clap and give him a hug or a kiss or both. This makes your child feel recognized and would love the attention. You can also try complimenting him and telling him it is so nice to have a dry pant. You can try doing this in the presence of the other family members/friends. Your kid would love to be the show stopper. 

Each parent has a different experience. Enjoy every challenge with a smile. You can solve any problem and deal with any challenge with patience and perseverance.

Disclaimer: This content is for informational purposes only, based on industry experience and secondary sources. It is not a substitute for professional advice. Please consult a qualified expert for health or insurance-related decisions. Content is subject to change, refer to current policy wordings for specific ACKO details.