by Danna Henderson

Potty training fears, often called toilet terrors, are common among toddlers and small children. Look at things from your child’s perspective. He is giving up the security of a diaper for a big, cold thing with a giant hole that might swallow him. Up until this point, your child has been able to go in his diaper. He didn’t have to control himself until a potty was available. He could go anytime and anywhere, knowing that someone would always be there to change his diaper. The idea of having to go to a specific location means he will have to stop what he’s doing to use the potty. To top it all off, he looses the warmth of his diaper and must now go potty naked where other people might be watching!

Common potty training concerns and solutions:

Fear of Making a Mistake
Your child is just beginning to control his bodily functions. He won’t be perfect at it, and might worry that he will be punished for accidents. Throughout the potty training process, assure your child that you are there for him and he can come to you if he’s afraid or worried about something. When accidents happen, don’t make a big deal out of them. Simply clean up and tell him that you know he is trying. Potty training is often a good time to build a trust between you and your child that will last throughout your lives.

Fear of Automatically Flushing Public Toilets
More and more public restrooms switch to automatically flushing toilets. Children who are at the later stages of potty training (transitioned from the potty chair to the toilet) are often fearful of the public toilet flushing while they are seated. These fears can be alleviated with a simple, inexpensive device called the Flush Stopper.

Fear of Falling In
The fear of falling in the toilet is common when your child has mastered the small potty-chair and transitions to the toilet. You can help alleviate this fear by purchasing a potty seat that either fits on the toilet or attaches to the toilet such as the Flip-N-Flush or PRIMO’s Ducka. The potty seats will decrease the size of the toilet hole and help your child feel more secure. The Flip-N-Flush is especially useful because it flips down for your child’s use and flips up so that other family members can easily access the regular toilet seat.

Your child’s fears need to be addressed as real and serious fears. If your child knows that you understand and are trying to help, he will feel more relaxed and comfortable while potty training.

Copyright © 2004 ZIP Baby. All Rights Reserved.

Danna Henderson
ZIP Baby
101 Convention Center Drive, Ste 700
Las Vegas, NV 89109
www.zipbaby.com

About The Author
Danna Henderson started ZIP Baby in order to provide parents with comprehensive potty training information as well as a large variety of potty training products. For more information about potty training, visit the ZIP Baby Potty Training Store.

by Danna Henderson

Some children practically potty train themselves, while others struggle and resist against the potty. Potty training should never turn into the battle of the wills. If it does, both you and your child will loose. When dealing with strong-willed child, it’s best to turn potty training into a game. Use the following suggestions to make potty training fun and exciting for you and your child:

Musical Potty Chairs
Musical potty chairs, like the Tinkle Toonz, use positive reinforcement by playing a tune to reward your child for a job well done.

Potty Training Dolls
Dr. Phil recommends that parents purchase an anatomically correct drink & wet doll for potty training. Both the Corolle and Aquini potty training dolls can be used with Dr. Phil’s method. By helping your child teach the doll to use the potty, your child will learn without realizing it.

Potty Training Charts & Stickers
Potty training charts and stickers can go a long way to motivate your child to use the potty. At first he may need a reward each time he sits on the potty. Eventually you will need to restrict rewards to actually using the potty. When your child uses the potty consistently, stickers can add up to a bigger reward for a specific number of accident free days.

Potty Training Watch
Some children don’t want their playtime to be interrupted for frequent potty breaks. However, if you have a fun way to remind your child to take a potty break, he will probably be more receptive. Try a potty training watch, such as the VibraLite, which can be set to vibrate every 30 minutes to 1 hour to remind your child to sit on the potty.

Potty Training Targets
Potty training targets are a great way to teach boys how to aim. They come in a variety of colors and shapes, the potty training targets can also be used to teach colors and shapes.

Copyright © 2004 ZIP Baby. All Rights Reserved.

Danna Henderson
ZIP Baby
101 Convention Center Drive, Ste 700
Las Vegas, NV 89109
www.zipbaby.com

About The Author
Danna Henderson started ZIP Baby in order to provide parents with comprehensive potty training information as well as a large variety of potty training products. For more information about potty training, visit the ZIP Baby Potty Training Store.

By Janice Caller

Starting new things for your child sometime difficult, but you still have to do it. Potty training is one phase that your child has to go through. So, find out when is your child ready for potty training. Here are those five ready signs:

1. Takes Off Own Clothes
Let’s face it. The first step to becoming dry begins with your toddler’s ability to recognize he has to go to the bathroom. The second step is his ability to pull down his pants, or lift up her dress. The third step is actually going to use the potty. If your child begins insisting on taking off his clothes then he probably is ready to begin training for the potty.

2. Talks about Using the Potty
He may say, “I want to use the potty.” Or, he may just point to it and sit down. Either case he is showing an extreme interest in the little chair. Well, what do you do if he’s interested in sitting; maybe he’ll be interested in using it. You never know unless you try. Hey diapers are expensive why spend more on them if you don’t have to.

3. Does a Potty Dance?
There are some children doing potty dance? Does your little one have a routine? Does he stomp, turn, twist, and grab his groin like Michael Jackson? If he does, then that’s his potty dance. He’s ready, ready, and ready if he has his own version and he dances it whether there’s music on or not.

4. Shows an Interest in the Bathroom or Toilet
This is the big koruna of all ready signs. The big earthquake so to speak. If your child is curious about the bathroom or toilet, then he’s ready to learn how to use it. Is he curious about how it flushes? Well, that’s because he wants to know how that giant white chair works. Why does it make that sound? It’s a noise like no other. He’s not being bad when you have to drag him out of the toilet. He wants to know what the toilet is. He wants to know how it works. He is ready, ready, and ready for potty training.

5. Stays Dry Overnight & During Naps
This is a hard readiness sign to understand. If you child staying dry overnights and at naptime that is the sign that he is ready for potty training. In any event, your child is ready if he displays this sign.

Now, does your child exhibit any two of these ready signs? If so, then get ready to do your potty training. You will never know those signs if you are not pay attention to their reaction.

About The Author
Janice Caller, author of “A Parent’s Guide to Toddling, From Diapers to the Pot.” She successfully potty trained her four children. Visit her Website PottyTrainingGuide.com at http://www.pottytrainingguide.com.

By Michael Russell

Teaching your child to use the potty takes time and patience. One of the most important things to remember is not to rush them. There is no set age for potty training to begin. There are signs to look for to see if your toddler is ready. It is between the ages of 18 to 24 months that you child may start showing the signs of being ready to start toilet training. But keep in mind some children are not ready until 30 months. The child must also be emotionally ready. They will also need to be willing, not fighting or showing signs of fear. If there is a lot of resistance it is best to wait a while. Children at the toilet training age are becoming more aware of their individuality and will test their limits such as holding their bowel movements and urine. This is one of the signs that they are ready. Other signs are that your child will stay dry for two hours at a time. They are dry after naps or when they wake up in the morning. You are able to predict when they have regular bowel movements. Watch their face, facial expressions are a big clue to revealing that the child is ready to urinate or have a bowel movement. Also your child is ready if they can follow simple instructions. Other signs are that your child is uncomfortable in soiled diapers and asks you to change them and if they request to sit on the potty and wear underwear.

When you and your child decide that potty training is the next step then it is time to pick out a potty chair. A potty chair is easier for the child to use because they don’t have to climb on the toilet and their feet can touch the ground. Then you need to pick out words that you will use to describe body parts, urine and bowel movements. Keep in mind that friends, teachers and caregivers will hear these words so picks words that won’t embarrass your child or other people. Avoid using words that are negative, you do not want your child feeling ashamed. Treat bowel movements as matter of fact.

Children are often interested in what is going on in the bathroom. It sometimes can be helpful for the child to watch a parent go to the bathroom. The mothers can show the daughters and the fathers can show the sons. Sometimes even older siblings can help. By observing they can learn the correct skills needed for potty training. You should encourage your child to tell you when they are about to urinate or have a bowel movement. A lot of the times your child will tell you after the fact. Just gently remind them to tell you before so you can help them get to the potty. This is a good sign that your child recognizes their bodily functions. Praise your child if they tell you before hand. It will often take your child longer to recognize that they need to urinate than the need for a bowel movement. Sometimes children do not gain bladder control too well after they master bowel movements. Don’t get discouraged. Have patience because they will get it.

About The Author
Michael Russell – Your Independent Baby and Toddler guide.

by Danna Henderson

Blue & Yellow Make Green
Put a few drops of blue food coloring in the toilet and show your child that the color turns green when he or she pees in the potty!

Toilet Targets
Purchase or make toilet targets to teach your child to aim.

Musical Potty Chair
Musical potty chairs, such as the Tinkle Toonz, play a tune when your child uses the potty!

Potty training Doll
Anatomically correct drink & wet dolls, such as the Corolle or Aquini dolls, help make toilet training fun and easy. This method is recommended by Dr. Phil.

Potty Training Watch
Make potty time reminders fun and exciting with the VibraLite toilet training watch. The VibraLite watch, which comes in purple or blue, can be set to vibrate every 30 minutes as a fun reminder that it’s potty time!

Books, Videos, & DVDs
Toilet training bedtime stories, videos and DVDs are a fun educational way to introduce toilet training to your child.

Charts & Stickers
Toilet training charts and stickers are great motivational tools. Start by giving stickers for sitting on the potty. After a while, give stickers only when your child uses the potty. Finally, offer a small toy as a reward for 3 accident free days.

Fun Toilet Training Pants
Toilet training pants and liners come in fantastic colors. Let your child choose the color of training pants or underwear to wear.

Phone Call From Superhero
Reward your child for using the potty with a phone call from his or her superhero. Enlist friends or neighbors to play the part.

Copyright © 2004 ZIP Baby. All Rights Reserved.

Danna Henderson
ZIP Baby
101 Convention Center Drive, Ste 700
Las Vegas, NV 89109
www.zipbaby.com

About The Author
Danna Henderson started ZIP Baby in order to provide parents with comprehensive potty training information as well as a large variety of potty training products. For more information about potty training, visit the ZIP Baby Potty Training Store.

by Danna Henderson

There are seven stages of potty training. They begin with showing signs of potty training readiness and conclude with being able to use the toilet away from home.

Signs of Readiness – The first stage of potty training begins when your child shows the following signs of potty training readiness:

• Expresses an interest in using the potty
• Irritated when diapers are wet
• Pull pants up and down by him or her self
• Stays dry for about two hours at a time
• Expresses the need to go potty (or indicate that he/she just has)
• Expresses an interest in cotton underwear
• Has predictable bowel movements
• Tries to imitate other family members

Introduction to the Idea of Potty Training – When your child shows a majority of the signs of potty training readiness, it’s time to introduce him to the concept of using the potty. This can be done by reading a potty training book as a bedtime story or watching a potty training video or DVD together. Purchase a potty chair> and let your child watch you use the potty. Children will often imitate family members.

Sit On the Potty – When your child has been introduced to the concept of potty training, he will probably imitate family member and sit on his potty chair while you use the bathroom. This is a good time to teach good hygiene such as wiping and washing hands after using the potty.

Use the Potty Sometimes – Be sure to give your child plenty of liquids and take him to the potty every 30 minutes. This will help build muscle memory. The VibraLite Watch can make potty training reminders fun for your child. The first time your child uses the potty, make a big deal of his huge accomplishment. A hug, encouraging words, or a small treat can be good motivational tools.

Use the Potty Alone – As your child gets more comfortable with the potty and his ability to control his bodily functions, he will go to the potty by himself. He will then come tell you about it. Again, this is a time for lots of praise and encouragement.

Transition to the Toilet – When your child is comfortable using his potty seat, it’s time to transition him to the toilet. Many children are afraid of falling in, so you may need to purchase a toilet seat adapter such as the Flip-N-Flush. This device reduces the size of the toilet hole, thereby making you child feel more secure.

Use Potty Away From Home – The last stage of potty training occurs when your child is able to use the potty away from home. Thankfully, there are many portable and disposable toilet seats available to keep your child from touching public toilet seats.

Some children breeze through the seven stages of potty training in a matter of weeks while other’s take several months. Your child’s progress depends on his or her stage of development, your potty training knowledge/actions, as well as the potty training products you have available.

Copyright © 2004 ZIP Baby. All Rights Reserved.

Danna Henderson
ZIP Baby
101 Convention Center Drive, Ste 700
Las Vegas, NV 89109
www.zipbaby.com

About the Author
Danna Henderson started ZIP Baby in order to provide parents with comprehensive potty training information as well as a large variety of potty training products. For more information about potty training, visit the ZIP Baby Potty Training Store.

Not only do you have to remember safety during the summer when your baby is by a swimming pool, you also have to make sure you are aware of the every day water dangers that surround your baby at home. There are as many as 400 accidental drownings a year, almost half of which occur in a place other than the backyard pool. They are all easily preventable if you are just aware of your surroundings and of what you can do to protect your baby.