Prepare Your Child For Potty Training
When your child shows a majority of the signs of potty training readiness, you can start introducing him to the idea of using the potty.
Potty Training Books, Videos, & DVDs - Potty training books, videos, and DVDs provide a great opportunity to introduce your child to the idea of using the potty. Read a book as a bedtime story or watch a video together. Your child will probably have questions and be delighted when he finds a potty chair of his own in the bathroom!
Potty Chair or Seat - As you begin introducing the potty to your child, be sure to put a potty chair in the bathroom. Children love to imitate other family members and your child will probably sit on it when he sees you use the bathroom. After watching a potty training video or reading a potty training story, your child will have a pretty good idea what the potty is for.
Potty Training Doll - Dr. Phil recommends purchase an anatomically correct drink & wet doll for potty training. The best way to learn something is to teach it to someone else. Dr. Phil's potty training method involves having your child teach the doll to use the potty. When the doll gets lots of praise and attention for using the potty, you child will want to use the potty as well!
Training Pants - Potty training pants facilitate potty training by enabling your child to feel that he or she is wet. Diapers draw the moisture away from your child's skin and make learning to recognize the need to poop or pee difficult. Training pants allow your child to feel the wetness while protecting everything else from leaks.
Potty Training Incentives - Rewards and incentives such as stickers, snacks, and certificates can be great potty training tools. They work especially well for children who understand the basics but need an incentive to stop what they are doing and sit on the potty.