Potty Training Girls Succesful

You'll miss many things once your baby grows up, but changing dirty diapers is probably not one of them. Still, it doesn't pay to be in a hurry: Teaching your daughter how to use the potty requires time and patience on your part and a reasonable degree of cooperation and motivation on your child's.

The key to potty training success is starting only when your daughter is truly able to do so. While some kids can start as young as 18 months, others may not be prepared to learn until well into their fourth year.

Lucky for you, girls tend to potty train faster than boys. And siblings almost always learn earlier than firstborn children.

There's no point trying to get a head start – studies show that when parents begin potty training before a child is physically or emotionally able, the process simply takes longer. In other words, you arrive at your destination at the same time, no matter when you start. So the first thing to do is use our checklist to see whether your daughter is primed for potty training.

Once you've determined that your daughter is ready, focus on timing. Make sure your child's routine is well established – if she's just started at preschool or has a new sibling, she may be less receptive to change or feel too overwhelmed to tackle this new challenge.

Avoid periods when her natural toddler resistance is high, and wait until she seems open to new ideas. To train, follow these steps:

Let her watch and learn

Toddlers learn by imitation, and watching you use the bathroom is a natural first step. When talking about body parts, it's important to be accurate. If you teach her to refer to her vaginal area as her "wee-wee" when every other part has a more formal-sounding name, she may infer that there's something embarrassing about her genitals.

If your daughter has seen her older brother, her father, or one of her friends from preschool or daycare stand tall at the toilet, she'll more than likely want to try to pee standing up. Let her. Sure, you'll have to clean up a couple of messes, but she'll probably get the idea fairly quickly that she doesn't have the equipment to make it work, and you won't have to engage her in a power struggle.

If she persists, have her watch you and explain how mommies and their daughters have to sit down to pee.

Buy the right equipment

Most experts advise buying a child-size potty, which your toddler can feel is her own and which will also feel more secure to her than a full-size toilet. (Many tots fear falling into the toilet, and their anxiety can interfere with potty training.) Bathrooms can be a dangerous place for curious toddlers so always be sure to supervise her when she's using the toilet.

If you prefer to buy an adapter seat for your regular toilet, make sure it feels comfy and secure and attaches firmly. If you go this route, you'll need to provide your daughter with a stool because it's important that she be able to maneuver her way on and off the toilet easily any time she needs to go. She also needs to be able to stabilize herself with her feet to push when she's having a bowel movement.

You may want to pick up a few picture books or videos for your daughter, which can make it easier for her to make sense of all this new information. Everyone Poops is a perennial favorite, as well as Uh, Oh! Gotta Go! and Once Upon a Potty, which even comes in a version with a doll and miniature potty.

Help your child get comfortable with the potty

This early in the process, your child needs to get used to the idea of using the potty. Start by letting her know that the potty chair is her very own. You can personalize it by writing her name on it or letting her decorate it with stickers. Then have her try sitting on it with her clothes on.

After she's practiced this way for a week or so, you can suggest she try it with her pants down. If she seems at all resistant, avoid the temptation to pressure her. That will only set up a power struggle that could derail the entire process.

If your child has a favorite doll or stuffed animal, try using it for potty demonstrations. Most children enjoy watching their favorite toy go through the motions, and may learn more this way than from you telling them what to do.

Some parents even construct a makeshift toilet for the doll or stuffed animal. Then while your child is perched on her chair, her favorite toy can be sitting on its own potty. Potty training books by noon this books proven and fast methods, check it