Potty Odessy Part Dos and some great tips from Dr. Andres Cotton and Jeannette Kaplun

by PapiBlogger on April 1, 2013

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In my last post about potty training Jacob, I didn’t emphasize enough how important it is to make potty training a family affair. Imagine, if abuela takes Jacob for the weekend, she must implement the same rules and training tips we’ve been using with Jacob. Same with a nanny or daycare professional, or even babysitter or aunts. Everyone must be on the same page so the child doesn’t become confused and gets used to his routine.

Dr. Alberto Andres Cotton is a well-respected Miami based pediatrician with 17 years of experience. Dr. Cotton has dedicated his career to the well-being of children, as well as providing Hispanic mothers with the right information to give the best care. Dr. Andres Cotton has teamed up with the Pull-Ups® Every Flush program to share his expertise with Hispanic moms by offering tips and advice that challenge some of the preconceived notions of potty training.

During the #EveryFlush Pull-Ups Teleconference that I participated in last week, I learned quiet a few tips about engaging and educating friends and family about training pants, the process and the fun rituals that make sticking with the process easier.

Jeannette Kaplun is an award-winning journalist and internationally recognized parenting expert, has over 17 years of experience on TV, radio, online media and as a published author and conference speaker.

The #EveryFlush Teleconference answered some questions that I myself have wondered about. For example, ” At what age should I start to worry that my kid is not yet potty trained? Dr. Cotton answered, that there is no age to worry in particular. There is no adult that wets the bed. What does it mean that potty training deals with maturity? Because it has to do with maturity. For example, we cannot ask a 5-month-old baby to walk or talk because they are not mentally prepared. Well. This is similar to potty training. If the child is not mentally ready, they will not be able to go to the restroom even if you persist or if the daycare tells you they should be ready. They will not have control over it. You cannot force it upon your child either his mind, nervous system, and/or bladder is not ready. Also, something I often pondered before buying training pants was when to make the switch from diapers to training pants? To underwear? Dr. Cotton said that when the child is able to go to the restroom, stage 2. The child asks to go to the restroom and uses it without a problem. At that point it is easier for the American Pediatrics Association to say the child is ready because he/she can pull their underwear and it is more comfortable than putting on and taking off diapers. You waste more time with diapers.

Have you ever wondered about the chances of all your hard potty-training work becoming irrelevant if your child regresses? Well, Dr. Cotton also addressed this issue during the teleconference. He said regression is very normal. We shouldn’t get mad at our child. It can happen that your child reverts at a moment of stress. If at that time he cannot control his urine, he will most likely revert so he/she can advance later on.

Ever felt on the verge of giving up? You’re not the only one! I felt relieved when a blogger asked “Did you ever feel like giving up on your potty training endeavors? What made you kept going? How did you keep your sanity?” I can personally say I have felt like giving up..but this teleconference and talking to other Latino Dads and Moms about my personal proccess made me realize it was normal to experience set-backs, important to get family involved, and that there is no certain age where you should feel the child is “too old” and should have learned by now. Every child is different and as long as he isn’t 11 and still using diapers, I think we are good and need to keep on trying! For more tips about Potty Training your children, stay connected to Pull-Ups by visiting them on Facebook: www.facebook.com/pullups to learn more about Pull-Ups and check out the video on YouTube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FCS-fQU0Tcc This is part of a compensated campaign with Latina Mom Bloggers and Pull Ups. However, all opinions expressed are my own.