Myth 1: Boys Are Harder to Train Than Girls
FALSE: And it’s a good thing it’s false because I have three boys. Just because you have a boy doesn’t mean it will be hard, and girls aren’t always easier. I have seen girls struggle with training and boys take to it easily and vice versa.
Age and personality play a bigger factor than gender. My son Ronin is very independent and strong willed whereas my son Jett is my easy going laid back one. Can you guess which one we had an easier time potty training?
Birth order also makes a greater impact than gender. My third son had two older brothers to model after. He had been copying them, imitating them and looking up to them since birth. He also had much more exposure to using the potty before we started than my first ever did.
Gender aside, enter potty training with the idea that each child is unique and will have his or her own journey sets both of you up for success.
Myth #2: Pull-Ups Will Help With Potty Training
FALSE: This might not be what you want to hear, but pull-up are diapers. I actually never use them for day time potty training. The first thing I do on day one of potty training is to say goodbye to diapers.
Using pull-ups is confusing to kids and will prolong potty training. It’s like telling a child he/she should drink out of a cup but only giving them a bottle. The goal of potty training is to teach kids to go in the toilet. If we tell them that it’s ok to sometimes go in their pants, it will take that much longer for them to make that connection.
Now I totally understand that there are situations where pull-ups might be required (ie. your Day Care/Preschool requires them or you have a long flight planned). The goal is to use them the least amount possible when you can. So if your child needs to wear them at preschool set the boundary that they only where them there. Put one on when you arrive and take it off before you leave.
Myth #3: Potty Training Will Take 3 Days
Sadly, this one is FALSE. I wish it were true but in reality, most kids will not be completely trained in three days. Potty training is just that, training. You can’t expect them to unlearn 2 years of going in a diaper in a matter of days. Think of how they learned to walk or start eating solid food. It took a series of steps over time, same with potty training.
In three days, your child will learn a lot. They might even be having some great success. But even in the rare cases I’ve seen of kids that are ready for full clothes and long outings after just three days, accidents will happen. For a while, you will still have to remind your child to go to the bathroom or take them right when you get to a location.
Take potty training day by day and appreciate and reward your child (and yourself) for each little success. They will get it, but don’t feel discouraged if it takes more than 3 days.
Myth #4: I Can Wait to Start Potty Training Until My Child Tells Me He is Ready
For most kids, if you wait until they tell you they are ready, you will never get them potty trained. This just won’t happen.
Get my FREE potty training readiness checklist HERE
I like to think that in potty training, you, the parent, are in the driver’s seat. Your child is along for the ride but ultimately you are the one steering the car.
Did your child tell you they were ready for solid foods? No, but you learned what was developmentally and physically appropriate and therefore you introduced them to this new skill. It’s the same with potty training.
Have confidence that you can read the signs, know the steps and can guide your child through it.
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