When it comes to potty training, adult attention is so important, first for consistency, because the more promptly you respond to his need to "go," the sooner he'll learn to respond likewise.


But there's another basic reason: as disturbing as it is to your child to let potty breaks interrupt playtime, your undivided attention sitting beside him to read or play can make potty time a sweet deal. It's almost as sweet a deal as remaining a "baby" in diapers. You see, toileting is one of the first absolute responsibilities that a small child is asked to accept. It helps him tremendously to get something concrete in return.

Further suggestions:

• Consider setting a timer to ring at potty time, so you are not the bad guy interrupting play.
• When requiring a child to sit, use consistent times each day: prime potty times are just after meals, 20 minutes after drinks, and just before bed
• Make frequent opportunities for practice by offering lots of liquids.
• Wave cheerfully with the child as everything flushes away. This ceremony helps the child separate from what was only moments ago part of his very body.
• Parents/caregivers usually need to help with wiping for quite some time before otherwise trained children can master cleaning themselves. Poor hygiene leaves little girls at risk for painful urinary tract infections during toilet training -- help them learn to wipe from front to back to avoid spreading germs from anus to urethra.
• Some boys may be completely uncooperative and then turn around once Daddy takes over the encouragement and rewards.
• Some children do well with disposable pull-ups, but for others they are so much like regular diapers that there's confusion about expectations and little urgency to train.
• If pull-ups don't work for you, consider using them only for naps (over the underwear, once the child has shown some success at staying dry at nap time) and at nighttime as "big-kid sleeping pants."
• Pull-ups can also be reserved as insurance for outings to places or events where a leaky toileting accident would be a disaster, such as a visit to Great Aunt Betty's fully-upholstered antique-laden family gathering.
• Consider making potty training part of a neighborhood play group in which your friends and their potty-ready children get together regularly for play and pot-sitting. Adults have each other as support, and kids have each other as audience and role models.
• Remind yourself to take a deep breath and let it out slowly when frustrated or impatient.
• Be patient with accidents and regressions, but give yourself a treat at the end of a difficult day. Acknowledge to yourself as well as to the child that toilet mastery does not (usually) come easily, and that you can both be proud of all your hard work and persistence.