Nitika Mimani, MD, Pediatrician at ARC Southwest gives parents great advice about potty training. Watch as she describes how to tell if your child is ready to toilet train, and if so, what methods work best. Hint: there is no one best way!
"What we have to remember is we do not have to be rigid and follow any particular way of toilet training," says Dr. Mimani. "The idea would be for it to be in a stress-free environment and to always be very positive about it and always do positive reinforcements."
Watch this video to get more great tips from Dr. Mimani, or read the transcript here:
Potty Training
When assessing if a child is ready to be toilet trained you are wanting to look at several cues. There are several aspects of development that you would want to be there in your child before you decide if the child is ready or not. Having them to relate that they need to go to the potty to eliminate themselves, having some verbal skills to be able to communicate, and maybe some social skills looking at their peers what they are doing.
Which potty training method is best?
So, regarding methods of potty training, there is no consensus. For some people just reading a book about potty training is enough, for some other kiddos they like to imitate their parents or their older siblings. For some other kids if it is a part of a chore, then rewarding them at the end of the behavior might motivate them.
So, what we have to remember is we do not have to be rigid and follow any particular way of toilet training. We might want to take our kiddos along with us when we are going for a potty seat shopping so that they can have a say in what they want to do and what they want to have. Once you bring the potty chair in the house then you can write their name on it or you can let them play with it or let them set it where they want it to be set. It does not have to be in the bathroom it could be in their bedroom as well for ease of access. And then having them, after they have eaten after their meals you can ask them to have a sit on the pot. The goal is not for them to have a bowel or a bladder movement in their party seat it's just that habit of going and sitting and then standing up.
Rewards after a successful potty training can be as simple as giving your child a hug, maybe really praising her and doing a little dance like yay that is what we want from you. Also, maybe some tangible rewards like maybe getting her a small sticker if she has not had accidents for a week, you could get her a small toy. Keeping small goals, small achievable goals and if she achieves those goals and if we reward her then she sees this as a positive experience that she would be motivated to do.
No matter what we decide the idea would be for it to be in a stress-free environment and to always be very positive about it and always do positive reinforcements. Potty training journey can be a very pleasant experience but at the same time it can be a very stressful journey for both parents and kids. Your ARC Pediatrician can definitely help you with different tips and techniques to help you through your toilet training journey.
Make an appointment today
To make an appointment with Dr. Mimani, call ARC Southwest at 512-282-8967, or make an appointment online.
About Austin Regional Clinic Pediatrics
ARC has pediatricians in 23 locations around Central Texas for your convenience. We offer appointments to fit your schedule and lifestyle, including regular clinic visits, televisits, Same-Day Visits, After Hours appointments and 24/7 phone nurses. Our pediatricians offer a full range of services for patients from birth through 18 years old, including:
- ADD/ADHD Evaluation
- Allergy Drops and Shots
- Behavioral Evaluation
- Flu Shots
- Hearing Aids
- Immunizations
- Lactation Support
- Newborn Hearing Screenings
- Pediatric Meet and Greet
- Sports and camp physicals
- Well-Check Exams
- And more.
Learn more about ARC Pediatrics: https://www.austinregionalclinic.com/services/pediatrics.