It seems like it was just yesterday when you brought that sweet little bundle of joy home from the hospital. Then, right before your eyes, that bundle of joy has turned into a beautiful, but mischievous little monster who would probably bring the house down if you weren’t on your toes! They’ve learned to walk, talk and are pretty good at clothing and feeding themselves, and guess what! It’s time to learn how to potty train your toddler! And while this is a big and time-consuming task that you must take on, you and your pockets will soon be relieved of those diaper expenses! That’s enough to get any parent excited about learning how to potty train your toddler. So, let's get started!

The first thing you want to do when figuring out how to potty train your toddler is to decide if you want to use a potty seat or the toilet with a child seat cover. Either one will do just fine, and both have their benefits. The potty seat will offer easy access for your child. They also come in all these cool colors, and they are making them more interactive, so the children are able to have some fun while potty training. If you decide to use the toilet with a seat cover, your child will less likely be intimidated by using other restrooms when you are out and about. The seat cover is also very convenient for travel. Just be aware that if you decide to go this route, you will most likely have to help your child with getting on and off of the toilet. It’s also cool to use both the potty seat and the toilet with seat cover to potty train. Many parents begin with the potty, and convert to the toilet and children’s seat cover once their little one gets the hang of things.

Next, you should decide what type of approach you want to use. Do you want to follow a regimented schedule, or would you rather take an easier, laid back kind of approach? Well, to make this decision, you have to think about your personality, but most importantly your child’s personality. If you’re a down-to-business type, and your child is easy-going and follows direction easily, then that’s great! You can set up a schedule and easily get your child to comply. The problem comes in if you are a down-to-business type, and you have a strong-willed child who is resistant to being potty trained. This will be sure to give the household some serious drama in the coming months! As the parent, you will most likely end up having to adjust your approach to suit your child’s personality.

Another thing that you want to think about in learning how to potty train your toddler, is if you want to use disposable training pants, or use underwear. Using disposable training pants are great because there are less messes to clean if your child doesn’t make it to the potty in time. Using underwear, however gives the child a more “grown-up” experience, and it’s more cost-effective for you than using disposable diapers.

So, if you want to know how to potty train your toddler, start with making these three decisions: potty or toilet with seat cover, regimented or laid back approach, and disposable training pants or underwear. Once you have made those decisions, you will have all you need to at least begin. Good Luck!