— Do not expect immediate or clear-cut results for several months. There is no fixed time scale for infant potty training (IPT). Many parents feel frustrated if their baby doesn't seem to care about staying dry, forgetting that they taught their baby to pee in a diaper in the first place. It takes most babies considerable time to unlearn this.
— Use an open-door policy by letting your baby accompany you or dad (fathers are especially helpful with boys) to the toilet. Let your baby observe you and/or other family member(s) using the toilet and talk to her about using the potty or the toilet with a child seat attached. Learning by example and observation can be helpful for many, but don't make a big deal out of it. If your child is curious, she will observe and learn.
— Be relaxed, gentle and patient. Accept and enjoy your child's learning pace. Never compare your child's results with another in a competitive or judgmental way. Avoid any and all pressure, anger, punishment and other negative emotions, words, intonation or actions.
— If you feel elimination is "yucky" (a Western hang-up, IMHO stemming from using and having to change/clean diapers), strive to get over this feeling. This is where kids gain control or get stubborn, if they know it bothers you. In non-Western societies, mothers just smile at accidents and clean up, with no negative emotional reaction.
— Always remember that every child and every family situation is unique. Use trial and error to find what works for you.
— Some parents have no trouble getting their baby to pee in the potty but reap no results for quite sometime with pooing in the potty, or vice versa. Don't worry! This too shall pass.
— Go with the flow of your baby's natural learning process. A common scenario is for toddlers to let you know they peed or pooed immediately *after* they have gone in their pants or diaper. This is all part of the learning process, and your child will eventually learn to inform you beforehand.
— There will be good days and bad days, amazing successes and the inevitable setbacks. Expect one step back for every three steps forward. Small children are very busy learning many new skills and achieving milestones, as well as going through some occasional discomfort such as when they are teething or ill. Many things (including travel or guests) can interrupt their potty learning on a temporary basis, but they will get back on track if you hang in there.
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