By Diane Ball

First, be sure your child is ready and establish a potty training routine with your child. These two steps are the basis for quick and stress-free potty training. However, many children will still resist, so you are not alone if you are often faced with a screaming child or one who is learning early to talk back (good luck with him or her as a teen…). Refusing to potty train can be simply frustrating, or it can have real health consequences if they chose to hold it for long periods rather than use the potty. Remember to consult your paediatrician if resistance continues for a long period of time.
Rewarding your child is an appropriate step in the potty training process, and one that will possibly make your child less resistant. Have him or her help choose the prizes. For example, visit the local toy store and purchase some new items that your child may not have until he or she meets certain goals. You may also wish to talk to your child about what he or she cannot do without being potty trained (staying the night at grandmas, going to school, visiting friends, etc). Motivation is the key to successful potty training.

Talk with your child if he or she is normally well behaved, but extremely resistant to potty training. Perhaps your child is scared of using a potty seat. Have him or her use, instead, a small potty chair and decorate this chair with stickers. Some children, for example, are scared of the flushing noise a larger toilet makes. Wait until your child leaves the room to flush, or have him or her flush the toilet themselves, both when they use it and at other time in the day, simple to get used to the idea. You may also wish to have your child watch while you, older siblings, and family members use the toilet to show your child that it is not scary.

Punishment is appropriate when your child knows that he or she is acting inappropriately. For example, if he or she wont let your change his or her dirty diaper, even though they have been previously telling you when they have to go, you may wish to punish your child. Also consider punishment for inappropriate behavior such as hitting or throwing temper tantrums.

Punishment is not appropriate for accidents, on the other hand. Remember that your child may simply not know he or she had to use the toilet. Even with older children, accidents sometimes happen, especially with urination during play as they get distracted until its too late to make it to the toilet. Try to be understanding about this so that your child does not continue to resist using the toilet.

There are many tools on the market to help make potty training fun. If you make it a fun activity, your child will not be as resistant, and the process will be much faster. Use a variety of games, songs, and activities to teach your child about using the potty and remember that each child is different and will learn toilet use at a different pace.

Diane Ball has an interest in Potty Training. For further information on Potty Training please visit http://www.painlesspottytraining.com/potty-training.html or http://www.painlesspottytraining.com/blog/2006/10/17/potty-training-resistance/ .