Would you like to learn some tips for potty training your child? Would like that advice to be from a person with experience of potty training over 300 children. I have trained children both in their own homes and in daycare centers.

I have potty trained over 300 children and all of these children have been potty trained before the age of two. I’m not saying you have to do it this early but will say that in my experience it is possible to potty train nearly every child before they reach the age of two.

There are many opinions around on this subject but few people will have trained as many children as I have in the last 25 years. both in daycare and in the home

5 potty training tips that can help you succeed

Start Early

Start putting your child on the potty early sometime between 12 & 18 months is good. This isn’t to get him to do anything but to get him used to sitting on it. Once a child reaches the age of two he is at the “no” stage and often doesn’t like anything new being introduced into his life without it being a battle.

Think how much money you could save if your child is potty trained at the age of two instead of three years of age.

Make a Decision

One of the most confusing things for your child is if you chop and change. Make a decision as what day you want to start toilet training and then do it. Don’t start potty training for a couple of days and think that tomorrow’s going to be a busy day so lets forget about it and put diapers on again. This will confuse your child and make potty training much more difficult.

Be Consistent

At whatever age you start be consistent in the way you potty train, this includes the words you use. Every member of your family and any other adult involved in caring for your child need to do and say the same things. Therefore decide before you start how you are going to undertake potty training your child and once this decision is made stick to it.

Praise & Reward

Use praise and rewards for success and never punishment for accidents. This can be more difficult if you tired or are having a very busy day. If you would like a free potty training chart to use as an incentive then I will give you one at the end of my potty training course. If you let your child choose their own stickers to put on the chart then this will be an added incentive to use the potty or toilet.

When not to start potty training

Never start potty training when there is going to be a big change or a very exciting time in your child’s life. What may be a little change in your life may appear to be quite large to your child. Going on vacation, Christmas time, moving home or having someone visiting for a few days are all times when it would be advisable not to start toilet training your child.

Have you made the decision to start this process with your child or are you just thinking ahead?

Whatever stage you are at this is process has parent will face at some point in their child’s life. Approach toilet training with confidence and not fear and you will succeed much quicker and with less stress.
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Potty training is a major developmental milestone for children. Some reach potty training readiness before others. Many parents experience anxiety over training problems. Before you begin a potty training program, know the facts.

Facts about Potty Training

o Most children are potty trained between the ages of two and four. Some are ready sooner; others take longer and may not be ready to potty train until age five.

o Children should be at least 20 months old before potty training begins. A child must be able to walk to the bathroom, pull his or her pants on and off, and pick up small objects.

o A child that urinates eight to ten times a day is not ready for toilet training. The child must be able to stay dry for several hours and wet a diaper only four to seven times a day in order for training to be effective.

o Children that are prone to temper tantrums, willful acts of disobeying, and inattentiveness may not be ready for toilet training.

o Kids approaching readiness for toilet training are aware of the need to relieve their bowels and bladder. They may voice this need, tug at clothing, or bring you a clean diaper.

Beginning Training

o When your child is ready, let him practice pulling his pants on and off independently. Provide a step stool, potty seat insert, or child’s potty-chair. Teach him about proper hygiene and flushing the toilet.

o Children learn quickly by watching a parent or sibling use the toilet.

o Provide simple, systematic instructions. Also provide lavish praise when your child performs a request correctly.

o Tell the child to go potty every hour. Even if they do not go, it raises their awareness of bowel and bladder conditions.

o Boys should sit to urinate until toilet training is well underway. Aiming a stream of urine takes considerable skill and is for advanced toilet training.

o Separate your toilet training into daytime and nighttime sessions. It is common for bedwetting to occur for months, if not years, after a child is toilet trained. Focus on daytime training first.

o Training pants are for nighttime only. This allows your child to feel uncomfortable when an accident occurs. It motivates him to attempt to make it to the potty when the urge to urinate or defecate arises.

o Check your child at regular intervals. Praise him or her for having dry pants each time.

o Consider rewarding your child with a special treat such as a favorite cookie for each successful potty experience.

o Placing O-shaped cereal in the toilet can help little boys learn to aim a stream of urine.

Toilet training should not begin during periods of stress or illness. Plan to stick close to home during this time. Scope out the location of bathrooms each time you leave home. Never scold a child for needing a toilet at an inconvenient time.

If your child shows resistance to your first toilet training attempts, simply go back to training pants or diapers until your child is ready. Remember, there is no right or wrong age for potty training.

In every magazine, there is at least one story filled with gossip about new celebrity moms and their babies. You know the ones that I mean; the ones that we are a little embarrassed if we’re caught reading at the checkout counter at the grocery store. Celebrity baby tracking is nothing new. The public has been peeking inside their world of movie star mothers for quite some time. And I must include myself in their numbers.

One interesting item of note is that the latest idols of the silver screen are nothing like the stars of my parent’s day. Many have noted that they are becoming less glamorous and more like average everyday people. Even though they have access to haute couture clothing we see them in photographs wearing jeans, athletic shoes and more importantly they are accompanied by their families which gives evidence that today’s celebrity moms are actually enjoying hanging out with the kids, decorating the baby’s nursery and doing all the ordinary stuff that every mother does for their newborn.

Remember back in the day when the yearly, televised Christmas Special might be the only time that celebrities and their babies shared the same room? Either photographers gave them more privacy and only snapped pictures at scheduled photo shoots or the little ones knew they were supposed to be seen and not heard.

Whatever the reason, this style of celebrity parenting has fallen by the wayside and has been replaced with hands-on parenting by loving mothers and fathers which is a far cry from the movie star moms that are depicted in those nasty, best selling tell all books. I recently saw Nicole Kidman tear up at the mention of little Sunday Rose on a national talk show. And it’s nothing to see Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes out and about with Suri dressed in Baby Gap on a daily basis without so much as a glimpse of a nanny or assistant in tow.

I, for one, am more than willing to sacrifice a certain amount of star factor and glamour for the privilege of witnessing the enjoyment these celebrity moms and dads get out of the day to day life they share with their babies. It’s good to see that the alleged shortcomings of the likes of Betty Davis and Joan Crawford are not being repeated by the new breed of celebrity mothers. Here’s hoping that none of these celebrity babies ever feel the need to confess that they have suffered the nightmare brand of upbringing that some film stars of yesteryear were reported to have inflicted on their kids.
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It is universally acknowledged that breastfeeding your baby gives her the best start in life. The nutrients and antibodies in the mother’s bloodstream are passed onto her child through breastfeeding, thus helping her baby to develop its own natural defences against infection. However there are some dangers and risks of breastfeeding that mothers should be ware of.

Breastfeeding dehydration most often occurs in babies who are born to first time mothers. This is usually brought about because of a difficult delivery or because medication was used before or soon after the baby was born. This can lead to a less vigorous or sleepy baby and thus, inadequate feeding at the breast. In the most severe cases, dehydration can lead to brain damage. However, this is very, very rare and most times this problem is picked up before the mother and child leave hospital. Treatment is simply to give the baby bottles of water or baby formula milk. Encouragement and support is also given to the mother after leaving the hospital and most times breastfeeding improves and the baby flourishes.

Smoking is best avoided when breastfeeding. The birth of a child is an emotional and unsettling time for many mothers, so giving up cigarettes is not always possible for some. Mothers who breastfeed and smoke do pass on some nicotine to their baby. The amount a child absorbs depend on how much a mother smokes and when she smokes. A mother should never smoke in the same room as her baby as the baby will inhale her mother’s smoke. Also, it is best to smoke after breastfeeding: smoking before breastfeeding raises the levels of nicotine in the bloodstream and breast milk. Pacthes can be a good substitute, however never use patches and smoke and you are increasing the amount of chemicals that will be passed into your baby’s bloodstream.

Drinking of alcohol needn’t be a problem for a breastfeeding mother provided the amount consumed is relatively small. Any alcohol found in the mother’s bloodstream will be passed onto her child through her breast milk, but if the amount is small, it should do no harm to the baby. Also, if a mother knows she is going to drink alcohol, she can plan ahead and express her milk beforehand. This can then later be given to the baby when the mother knows her bloodstream will still contains traces of alcohol. Just as in adults, too much alcohol intake for a baby can lead to liver and brain damage.

Illegal drug use should be avoided at all times. Not only can illicit drugs lead to major health issues for a baby; it can also lead to a baby being taken away from its mothers and being placed in care.

Mastitis is an inflammation of the breast and is most commonly associated with breastfeeding. About 1 in 5 breastfeeding women will develop mastitis sometime during their babies six months of life. Whilst this condition can be painful for the mother, there is no need to stop breastfeeding. There is no danger of the baby being passed this infection. In fact continuing to nurse may even help the condition to clear up without any medical intervention. A baby may sometimes refuse to feed because the breast milk may taste sour. When this happens, a mother can still feed from her other, unaffected breast or express the milk from the breast with the mastitis.

Thrush is a fungal infection, which begins in the baby’s mouth and can spread to the breast, making your nipples feel sore and itchy. Thrush is present in or on everyone’s body – it’s a normal part of the digestive system and generally bacteria keep it in check. A nursing mother have thrush if she has sore or cracked nipples, have deep, shooting pains after nursing, or have vaginal thrush. Signs to look for in baby is a white coating in the mouth that does not easily wash off. Thrush thrives in warm, moist, sugary environments, which your baby’s mouth provides in abundance. If you suspect that either you or your baby have thrush then seek medical advice. But in the meantime, thoroughly was all toys, soothers, breast pumps or anything else that comes into contact with baby’s mouth. Wash your nipples – using only plain water – before and after feeding and try to keep them as dry as possible. You can also add lactobacillus acidophilus (available in pill form or in acidophilus yogurt) to your diet to re-colonise your digestive tract with the friendly bacteria that keep thrush in check. If you do have thrush, continue to breastfeed.

Thankfully most mothers do not experience any infections or other complications when they breastfeed their child. Most conditions are easily treatable, the important thing being to be vigilant and to get help sooner rather than later.
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Erin found herself in a very common situation. She was pregnant for her second child and was not sure what to plan for childbirth.

She gave birth to her first child only two years earlier, and was still uncertain about the whole process. Although her desire had been to give birth naturally, she ended up accepting an epidural. “It wasn’t a bad experience,” she explains, “I love my son and I don’t necessarily know anything was bad about the birth. I just feel like there could have been more, that something could have been different.”

Erin began sharing her story and her feelings. “It didn’t occur to me that I wouldn’t give birth naturally. I just assumed I would unless there was a problem. I took a class and didn’t really think about it much. When labor started, I realized I wasn’t prepared for what was happening. It’s not that I’m upset with what happened,” she said, “I just want to know why I couldn’t give birth naturally.”

Erin took a few weeks to investigate several issues in her life, and her body. She explored the options she chose for her first labor and how they contributed to the experience she had. She identified two main changes she could make to have a better shot at a natural childbirth with this baby. First, she needed to take a real natural childbirth class, not the four week hospital class. Second, she needed to have someone with her who was willing to help her achieve a natural childbirth – either a midwife or a doula.

She found a private childbirth class and studied the principles of pain management, sources of pain and how to work through each stage of labor. She also practiced several comfort measures and relaxation techniques so she would be familiar with them before she needed to use them in labor. She hired a doula committed to helping her use the techniques she had learned.

Erin arrived at the hospital dilated to 5 or 6 cm, and was told by a nurse that since she used an epidural for her last child, she would need one for this child. She politely told the nurse she didn’t want one, but would tell her if she did. “It was amazing,” she shared, “The difference between knowing what to do and just expecting to give birth naturally was huge. I couldn’t believe how fast the labor went, or how it seemed easy to do what I needed to do.”

Easy? Erin gave birth naturally to an 11 pound baby boy. She continued to work so well with her body during pushing that she didn’t need any stitches. “People thought I was crazy to try,” she said, “they told me I couldn’t do it, my baby would be too big. But I did it. Natural childbirth is possible if you know how to do it.” Erin went on to give birth to her third son two years later another 11 pound baby born naturally.

“I love all my sons, and I am so thankful for the experiences I had at their births. At the time, it didn’t seem to me anything was wrong with my first childbirth. Looking back now, having tried it both ways, I would recommend women learn real natural childbirth techniques. The medications are there if you need them, but if you can work with your body the overall experience is so much better. It is possible for normal women to give birth naturally.”

“Malnutrition caused by poor child feeding practices claims over 10 times as many lives as actual famine,” says researcher William Chandler. “Coupled with diarrheal dehydration, malnutrition is the leading killer in the world.” Often, the ‘poor feeding practices’ begin in infancy.

Breast milk is the ideal food for most infants because it contains all the needed nutrients. It is easily and rapidly digested. It is always fresh and at the right temperature. It contains antibodies that protect and help the baby to build up resistance to infections. Breast-feeding also provides an infant with loving attention, essential to emotional development.

As women take on secular jobs, however, breast-feeding declines in many developing countries. Consequently, many African babies are fed powdered formulas. Such formulas are nutritious when correctly prepared under sanitary conditions. “In poor areas of the world, however,” reported Time magazine, “that is sometimes impossible. Mothers may unknowingly mix powdered formula with contaminated water or, to save money, dilute it too much.” The results can be deadly.

Queen, a Nigerian mother of seven, recalls that hospital nurses introduced her babies to bottle-feeding right from the start. Queen continued the procedure at home. However, her six children all suffered from serious and repeated diarrhea–one almost died. Her husband says: “We realized that our sixth child was being infected through the feeding bottle, so we stopped using it, and she recovered. Now Queen is breast-feeding our seventh child during its first few months.”

The message? Put your baby to the breast as soon as possible! Eat a balanced diet yourself so that you can produce healthy milk. A side benefit of breast-feeding is that it tends to delay the onset of menstruation after the birth of a baby. It is thus called nature’s contraceptive.

Feed Them Right!

Sometimes, though, African children are fed breast milk exclusively well into their 18th month of life. “When weaned,” says William Chandler, “many children are given adult foods they cannot chew or digest, or that are unnourished.”

UNICEF’s office in C?te d’Ivoire produced a poster that advises mothers: “After five months, more than the breast.” Mother’s milk should be supplemented by fruit, cereals, and vegetables that have been cooked and strained and that are thus soft enough to be chewed and swallowed by an infant. A Nigerian mother named Ijeoma breast-fed each of her four children during their first four months. She continued breast-feeding for up to 12 months, gradually replacing it by spoon- or bottle-fed meals of fruit juices, pap, and other preparations. She observed strict hygiene in preparing meals. The result? Her children have grown up healthy and have had few infections.

As the child grows, a balanced diet will help him stay healthy. A meal of only carbohydrates, such as yams, cassava, or polished rice, will not provide sufficient nutrition. His body also needs proteins, vitamins, and minerals, which are found in meat, eggs, milk, beans, corn, and a variety of vegetables and fruits.

Important too is how food is handled and stored. It may seem tempting to use spoilable food that has been left standing unrefrigerated for a couple of days, but do not use it! “Contaminated food is frequently unsafe and may lead to repeated attacks of diarrhea and other infectious diseases.” Therefore, (1) wash your hands before touching or preparing foods. (2) Eat food immediately after it is cooked–don’t let it stand for long at room temperature. (3) Keep your kitchen, your cooking utensils, your clothes, and yourself clean and tidy at all times.–World Health magazine.

Germs and parasites abound in polluted water. So filter or boil water before using it. Rinse eating utensils with boiling water, and wash your hands before handling food.

Indeed, perhaps the simplest health safeguard is to maintain a high standard of cleanliness. In developing lands, though, this can be a real challenge.

A survey of developing lands revealed that in Latin America, the majority of mothers want no more children. “Only in Africa did a decided minority of the women have this view.”–State of the World 1985, Worldwatch Institute.
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At first I debated about even writing this piece. I will tell you why, I think that as moms, we are to hard on ourselves. It is to easy for us to overlook all the good that we do, the things that we accomplish and the impact that we have on the people around us, especially our new baby. So, the goal of this piece is to teach you to look no further than inside yourself to see the qualities of an extraordinary mom.

There are no two moms that raise children the exact same way or handle life the exact same way, and there is nothing wrong with your way. The best thing you can do right now is STOP looking at other moms to see what they are doing and take a good look at you and what it is you do.

Tip One:

Acceptance of who you are as a human, a woman, a wife, a friend, a daughter, a sister, a mother. There are traits and characteristics that you have that no one else on this Earth has. Cherish those, embrace those. One of the qualities you are going to want to pass on to your child is self love and acceptance; to pass it on, you must have it first. Be happy with who you are.

Tip Two:

Affirmations on slips of paper. I want you to write down what is that you think make an extraordinary mom. Take those qualities and make an affirmation out of it, so if you think that “understanding” is a quality write “I am understanding,” and tape it to the mirror, carry it in your pocket, post it on the fridge and every time you see it, say it to yourself, close your eyes and really think that statement.

The key to you being the extraordinary mom you already are is that you have to believe it about yourself. Affirmations will help you with that.

Tip Three:

Celebrate all the milestones as your baby develops, big and small. It is so easy to get side-tracked just caring for your baby, that often new mothers forget to cherish the magical moments each day.

Keep a journal to record something special your baby does each day and make a big point of focusing on some new experience, or learning either of you have. Perhaps one days you’ll write about how delighted your baby was with a new food they ate, and perhaps another day you’ll reflect on how much patience you felt you showed during a tough moment.

Tip Four:

Pamper yourself regularly. You spend so much time doing things for every one else, it is time that you do something for you. This is the one quality that I am sure all of us lack in to some extent.

Many of us end up feeling guilty if we do pamper ourselves because it feel like there are five hundred other things that we should’ve been doing. Guess what, the world will not end if you give yourself five, ten, fifteen, twenty, ooohhh even thirty minutes. Get a facial, take a bath, go tanning, buy a new lotion, paint your toenails! If you do not take the time to care for yourself you can’t really care for anyone else.

Tip Five:

Ask for help. I know you are thinking that asking for help admits weakness. On the contrary, asking for help shows strength. You need help everyone once in a while so ask for it. Being able to admit that you are not perfect and can’t do everything all on your own, is extraordinary.

Here’s to your success as a mom!
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