Here are some of
Miss Jen’s “Quick Tips”
to get you started
Toddler Potty Training Tips
From Miss Jen
I’m here to help you
get your child out of diapers!
Quick Tip #1
How do you know
when to start the
potty training adventure?
Look for these potty training
Signs of Readiness!
Don't worry if your child doesn't check off every box on the readiness list.
This checklist is a general guide to help give you an indication of where your child is currently with their behavioral and physical readiness to start potty training.
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Most toddlers are developmentally and cognitively ready to begin potty training between 18 months and 2 years of age.
*Note: a child doesn't necessarily need to show ALL the signs on every readiness checklists out there. Those are more of a general guideline.
In fact some kisddos never have these behaviors or show any signs of potty training readiness at all. Ever.
But if your toddler is showing even just one slight indication that they might be interested or signs of awareness, its good enough reason to start preparing for the potty training adventure!
When a baby starts to show curiosity about toileting & interest in the toilet or doing things like:
• following you into the bathroom
• taking off their diaper, nappy, pull-up
• refusing to wear a diaper, nappy, pull-up
• resisting/fighting diaper changes
• tapping on their diaper when they’ve wet their diaper
• hiding in a private place to go potty in their diaper
• can talk, communicate & follow simple instructions
• asks for a clean diaper after they've gone pee or poo in their diaper
• wants to be in the bathroom while you are using the toilet
• wants to flush the toilet and be a part of the clean-up process and hand washing
• expressing interest in wearing big kid underwear
• learning the skill of dressing & undressing
• waking up after a nap or in the mornings with a dry diaper
These are all signs of bladder awareness and toddler potty training readiness!
There are some kiddos who might never show any signs of potty training readiness or no interest at all - like ever!
So, it's ultimately up to the parent to determine when its the right time to begin the toddler potty training process. This will help keep your child on track to meet those milestones so they'll be accepted into day-care, pre-school, pre-K and kindergarten school around age 2, 3, 4. That’s what I’m here for! I can help you prepare, plan, and begin your potty training adventure starting TODAY!
*View Miss Jen's all time FAVORITE potty training products & tools on AMAZON! https://www.amazon.com/shop/missjen
Quick Tip #2
Why wont my Toddler
Poo on the Potty?
The poo part of potty training is a life skill that usually takes longer to master.
Poo takes toddlers some getting used to!
(...aaaand lots of practice!)
Learning the poo part usually takes longer for toddlers to catch on and get comfortable with.
Poo training is my number one most frequently scheduled consultation for my potty training consulting clients. This is actually very common!!
I am here to help guide you thru this challenging stage! Even just one small negative poo experience can cause serious setbacks and delays or even total potty training regression.
Your little cutie is learning and adjusting still. The poo part might be a little intimidating, even scary.
As a professional potty training coach, I approach pee training and poo training as two separate milestones.
The poo part of potty training is a life skill that usually takes longer to master.
Perhaps your little cutie is showing withholding behaviors.
This could be fear of release. Or it could be a control issue. Either way withholding over time anal retention can lead bigger problems and medical issues.
You'll want to get to the bottom of these issues to determine whether it's:
Biological or behavioral
Physiological vs psychological
Intentional or accidental
Is it possibly some sort of attention seeking behavior?
Can you child not feel the urge to poop?
Or are they ignoring their poop urges?
I'll be happy to help you come up with ways to make your little cutie feel unafraid of release. I have many different exercises and several tried & true techniques and ideas that will help you accomplish this.
I completely understand what you're going through. I see this all the time in sessions with my clients. I can help you navigate thru this stage.
During your consultation I will share MANY of my pro tips that have worked for me over the years!
• Sometimes kiddos develop some sort of resistance or avoidance - even fears about pooping in the toilet for one reason or another.
• In my 39+ years of potty training experience - I have learned many different methods to overcome this and help encourage and motivate your child.
• Even just one small negative poo experience can cause serious setbacks and delays or even total potty training regression. Perhaps some sort of scary association with pooping or maybe they had a painful poo?
• For many toddlers it’s a tricky transition from being in a standing or squat position to poop in a diaper their whole life - to now having to sit down on a potty to push it out while seated with their legs folded. It can feel un-natural and awkward. It can take some time to learn how switch over to those different "pushing muscles" with their legs folded and their body bent in a sitting position.
• Sometimes it’s challenging for a toddler to be in a sitting and "pushing it out" sitting on the big adult sized toilet, having to hold themselves upright while trying to balance with their short little toddler legs spread apart and hiney parts all stretched open. They might feel vulnerable and exposed.
• Many toddlers feel like they're losing a part of their body or something's "falling out" when they can see/feel their poo coming out.
• If you think about it: most babies have never seen their own poo. Especially not floating in toilet water.
• Potty training all very psychological.
• Some toddlers are shy, embarrassed or ashamed of their poo. Maybe they want privacy. There's often a negative association with the smell, maybe they feel dirty, stinky or messy. It's pretty common. These are the kiddos we need to be careful not to say things like "yuck”, gross, stinky, “pee-yoo" this can create poop related issues and/or anal retention.
Its new. It feels strange to not have their diaper on as a safety net to catch the poo, it smells, it might even hurt sometimes.
Then there's
•constipation
•anal retention
•potty fears
•resistance
•pain avoidance
•negative association with the smell
Hang in there! I know I can offer some helpful advice! I've been potty training toddlers for over 39 years - so as you can imagine, I’ve seen this so many times during my career.
*View Miss Jen's all time FAVORITE potty training
products & tools on AMAZON!
https://www.amazon.com/shop/missjen