The biggest thing to remember when you start potty training your daughter is that your toddlers toilet training success depends on beginning when she is ready and not before. The age to start depends on her developmental progress and could begin as early as 18 months, or as late as four years. Studies have shown that if parents begin the training process before their daughter is both physically and emotionally ready, then the process will take much longer.
To start your toddlers toilet training, buy her a kid-sized potty seat. She may also feel more secure on a kid-sized potty than a full-size toilet. Also available are adapters or training seats that will fit on top of your toilet seat. Just make sure it attaches firmly and feels comfortable and secure to her. If you choose an adapter to your full-size toilet, then you will need to remember to have a stool available so that she can climb on and off the seat any time she needs to go.
A good way to get ready to toilet train and to get your daughter focused on the benefits of being potty-trained is by taking her shopping to buy some pretty underwear or cloth training pants. Let her choose whichever kind she wants. Talk with her about the shopping trip ahead of time so she gets excited about the adventure. She will be pleased to be old enough to use the potty and wear underwear just like her mommy or sister.
Teaching your daughter how to wipe properly is one of the most important things you will need to do. Start by explaining to her that she needs to make sure she moves the toilet paper from front to back. This is especially important when she has a bowel movement to avoid spreading bacteria from feces to her urethra and vagina.
She will likely have a few accidents, but eventually she will go into her potty. This is the time to make a big fuss over her. Reward her with a big girl treat, such as watching a special video or getting an extra bedtime story to reinforce the idea that she has reached a significant milestone. Try not to make too big of a deal of every trip to the potty though or she may start to feel nervous and self-conscious with all that attention.
When you acknowledge your toddlers toilet training achievements, you reinforce her pride in the new skill set she has acquired. The more she uses the potty chair, the more adept at potty training she will become. A few potty training tips to keep in mind though; dress her in easy to remove clothing, never demean or punish her for accidents and give her praise when she does well. She has accomplished a great deal when she can finally say goodbye to diapers once and for all.