At 3 1/2, your child may be about to start kindergarten, but most preschool programs do not take the kids in diapers or training pants. Most children are excited to start preschool, and you can use this to motivate your child to learn to use the potty. At this age, children naturally want to exercise control in all areas that he can then use this desire positively to emphasize that the child can control his body.
Lay the foundation
Tips for Potty Training to 3 1/2 years
- The key to potty training a 3 1/2 year old is motivation. If the child has no interest in using the potty, nothing you can do will make him use it. Rather than trying to force the issue, work on creating the desire to potty train. If your child will start soon preschool, take you on a tour of the school. Show you all the new and exciting things he will have to do. Let him know the teacher. If you can, mention ahead of time that you are about to potty train. The teacher may be willing to reinforce the importance of potty training your child.At the same time, invest in a dozen or two diapers simple prefold and 2-3 covers.Unlike paper diapers, prefolds not wick moisture from the skin of the child, so that it feels uncomfortable wet the instant it eliminates. This discomfort helps provide child care for their bodily functions and creates the desire to be dry.
- The most effective way to teach potty skills is through imitation and practical experience. Let your child accompany you to the bathroom and explain every step you make it. This is especially effective with the parent of the same kind, but can be done with the opposite sex parent well. When finished, tell the child it's your turn to try.Books and videos with their favorite characters are a great way to reinforce what you have taught in the bathroom.
- Help your child set goals for yourself. His big goal may be starting preschool, so help you break it down into smaller goals and targets. For example, you can start by challenging him to stay dry between visits to the potty. Take it to the potty, then set a timer for 45 minutes or an hour. When the timer goes off, tell the child that it is time potty. If it is dry when it comes to the bathroom, celebrate. Reward you with a sticker on the calendar or a silly song and dance and point quickly he can return to play.When he has mastered this goal, challenge you to stay dry for a day. When he was dry for several days, celebrate taking a trip to the store to choose their own underwear big boy. Continue to praise and celebrate each successful trip to the potty.Be prepared for accidents and regressions. Many children who are excited to Potty Train and seem to get very quickly regress after the novelty wears off. In this case, simply clean up the mess (or better yet, have the child help you clean it) and change.During this process, point out how much faster it could have been back playing he had chosen to listen to your body and gone to the potty instead. Do not punish, just to point out the logical consequences of their choices. At 3 1/2, most children are very interested in exercising control so often simply recognize that they are in control of their bodies is sufficient to cut a short regression.
