Is your toddler girl potty trained yet? Are you having difficulties potty training her? Are you feeling like you are losing an unwinnable battle? Do you feel like today she is finally potty trained and then she wets herself? These are experiences that many parents go through with their children. You are not the only one. However, don’t worry, potty training your toddler girl may seem difficult but it’s really not. Let’s discuss more potty training and how to make it easier on both the parent and the child through suggestions, methods, and available products.
Difficulties with potty training your toddler girl
When potty training you may feel like your daughter is constantly fighting with you or just resisting going potty and you don’t understand why. According to Dr. Davis, the main struggles that come with potty training are due to the parents’ and child’s desire to keep control and not lose power. This struggle for control causes the toddler girl to resist potty training as she does not want to feel that she has no control whether rational to you or not it happens. Also, by surrendering and allowing the toddler girl to feel like she’s in control she will relax and give potty training a chance [1].
Difference between toddler boy and toddler girl
There is not much difference between potty training toddler boy and toddler girls. However, there is research to support that in the U.S that a toddler girl shows readiness to start potty training faster than the boys[2]. Also, another research done in the U.K shows that toddler girls in the U.S are potty trained faster than boys [3]. This implies it is easier to start potty training your toddler girl than a toddler boy which should give you more motivation with your toddler girl.
Potty Training Readiness
Knowing at what age to start potty training is difficult, as all children develop at different stages. Therefore, how do you know if your child ready to start potty training? Sometimes your child will tell you herself by showing you signs of readiness.
Here is a list of signs to look for in your child:
- Your child can stay with a dry diaper for more than 2 hours
- Your child shows signs of wanting to remove the wet diaper
- Your child has fixed times for urinating
- Your child shows interest in learning to do things for herself
- Your child can dress up herself [4]
This list gives you an idea of what to look for when you decide to potty train your toddler girl. Is your child showing any, or all these signs? If yes, you can definitely start potty training her now.
Tips on potty training your toddler girl
If you want to help your child potty train there are many suggestions and recommendations on how to do so.
1. Rewards
Whenever your child successfully tells you she needs to go potty, or she manages to go potty offer her a reward. There are different types of rewards you can give your toddler girl such as verbal rewards, cuddles, or even toys or sweets[5]. Rewarding good behavior provides the child with an incentive to continue doing this behavior to get the reward.
2. Activities in the bathroom
To help your toddler girl go to the potty, it is recommended to play with her when she is in the bathroom. Williamson, suggests reading to her in the bathroom while she’s sitting on the potty. It will keep her busy and entertained and hopefully give her some time to go potty. You can also play games or sing songs with her either about going potty or any song just to keep her busy.
3. Choosing the right method
It is believed that successful potty training comes down to two points, the readiness of the toddler girl and the use of the right potty training method[6]. There are many ways to potty train your child, but they all stem from the two main methods which are the (Brazelton method) child-centered method or the (Azrin and Foxx Method) one-day method[7]. You will probably find different versions of these two methods.
- Brazelton method
The Brazelton method starts when the child has reached her development milestones for potty training, it requires a potty seat and any rewards that you have on hand, and lastly, it involves starting only when the child shows signs of readiness and is a steady and slow process to potty training[8].This method requires more time and is largely dependent on the child’s acceptance and eagerness to potty train.
- Azrin and Foxx method
The Azrin and Foxx method is known as the one-day potty training method which involves the use of a potty chair, training pants, doll and to keep rewards and punishments on hand[9]. This method is preferred by many parents as it is a faster method than the Brazelton method. It is more intense, repetitive, and requires a lot of patience from the parents[10]. Another version of the Azrin and Foxx method you might have heard of is known as modeling. Modeling is recommended when potty training, as it lets the child know and see what to do exactly, this can be through a doll, a parent, or even a sibling[11]. That is why many methods of potty training recommend showing your toddler girl how to use the potty through the use of a doll.
Products to use to help potty train your child
Another way to get your child to accept potty training is to involve her in the process. This means let your child go to the store or search for on Amazon and pick the products required for potty training. The products required for potty training include the potty, whether it’s a seat, or chair, or a ring, the training pants or underwear, reward system charts, stars or stickers, and any reading material to show your child how to go[12]. All these products can be found on amazon.com. Some examples are provided for you below take a look at them they will help in the potty training process.
Potty seats
Potty
Potty training ladder
Potty underwear
Reward system
Potty training books
Final Thoughts
As you can see, potty training a toddler girl may seem difficult at first, but by determining her readiness, by using the right method, and by using the right products the process becomes much easier and less of a chore. Which of these products will you be getting to assist you? Let us know if you’ve tried any or which one appeals to you most? Hope your next effort with your toddler girl is less daunting after reading our recommendations.
[1] Davis, Leslie Baylie. The Psychology of Potty Training, The Art of Pulling Up Your Big-Girl Panties. 2018.
[2] Baird, Drew C., Michael Bybel and Ada,m W. Kowalski. “Toilet Training: Common Questions and Answers.” American Family Physician (2019): 468-474.
[3] Thompson, June. “Girls are quicker than boys when it comes to potty training.” Community Practitioner (2002): 147.
[4] Barone, Joseph. It’s Not Your Fault! : Strategies for Solving Toilet Training and Bedwetting Problems. Rutgers University Press, 2015.
[5] Willamson, Melanie. The Complete Guide to Potty Training Children: New Sure-Fire Strategies That Make it Easy for Them (And You). Florida: Atlantic Publishing Group, 2013.
[6] Greer, Brian D., Pamela L. Neidert, and Claudia L. Dozier. “A component analysis of toilet-trained procedures recommended for young children.” Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis (2016): 69-84.
[7] Baird, Drew C., Michael Bybel and Ada,m W. Kowalski. “Toilet Training: Common Questions and Answers.” American Family Physician (2019): 468-474.
[8] Baird, Drew C., Michael Bybel and Ada,m W. Kowalski. “Toilet Training: Common Questions and Answers.” American Family Physician (2019): 468-474.
[9] Baird, Drew C., Michael Bybel and Ada,m W. Kowalski. “Toilet Training: Common Questions and Answers.” American Family Physician (2019): 468-474.
[10] Lang, Mia E. “Among healthy children, what toilet-training strategy is most effective and prevents fewer adverse events (stool withholding and dysfunctional voiding)?” Paediatric Child Health (2008): 203-204.
[11] Crane, Teri. Potty train your child in just one day: Proven secrets of the potty pro. New York, 2006.
[12] Barone, Joseph. It’s Not Your Fault! : Strategies for Solving Toilet Training and Bedwetting Problems. Rutgers University Press, 2015.
