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Confidence in little ones is so important. Have you ever watched the kids at the playground, and how there’s usually one or two who just aren’t sure about going down a slide, or aren’t sure if they want to try the climbing wall? Sometimes they just need a little confidence boost, a little, “You can do it!” in their ear before they take off to play. Building confidence in our little ones starts early, and it definitely starts at home. As parents, it’s our job to encourage them, to help them overcome any fears, and to tackle big and small tasks.
There’s a very particular time in a child’s life when confidence is incredibly important. It’s early on, past the crawling and walking stages. It’s called potty training and it’s a BIG time in their lives (and our lives as parents). Hello freedom from carrying around an oversized bag filled with all the necessities (and then some)! Well, maybe bringing some extra clothes isn’t such a bad idea.
One of the things that can really hinder potty training is lack of encouragement. You can do all the sticker charts and special treats you want, but if you don’t get down to their level and tell them, “Hey, you are doing such a great job at learning how to use the potty/toilet, I’m so proud of you!”, what are you encouraging? You’re just building a habit of “go pee, get a sticker/go poo, get two stickers” or whatever reward system you have. Build their confidence, show them it truly means something special, it’ll last longer and have a deeper impact. It’ll set you up for the future when you need to encourage them before a big presentation, or a big game, or that first date.
Another big element of potty training is the overnight training. This is when a lot more accidents happen, and when confidences can fade. It’s okay! It happens! As mom or dad, it’s important that we don’t get too upset, that we let them know it’s okay, we can keep working at this. You can set yourself up for some success by doing a few things:
Limit drinks before bed. I know, it can be hard, but start limited the amount your kiddo drinks a couple of hours before bed and be sure that right before bed, they go to the bathroom and atleast try to go.
Keep the bathroom accessible. This means keep the door open, have a nightlight, leave their stool close by, any potty seats they might be using, whatever. Keep everything at the ready.
If you get up in the middle of the night to go yourself, gently wake them up and encourage them to go as well.
Don’t get upset if you have to change their pajamas and the sheets if they have an accident overnight. This is tough. It interrupts our sleep, we like our sleep. But when we get upset, it gets them upset, and that confidence starts to slip down and they feel bad, and they feel like they did something bad. Trust me, this one is hard but it’s worth it.
Prevent leaks in the first place. Get a few packages of GoodNites® Bedtime Pants in whatever design your child will love the most. They feel like real underwear, they let them sleep normally, their stretchy and even odor absorbing. Not to forget, they won’t make tons of scratchy noises that could wake up your child or keep them awake as they shift to get comfortable.
Bedwetting happens – one out of six 4-12 year olds wet the bed.
No matter their age, there’s a design for them, including Marvel’s Iron Man (S/M) or camo print and skateboards (L/XL) for boys and cool designs including Disney’s Cinderella (S/M) or hearts and butterflies (L/XL) for girls! Check them out at CVS in the baby care aisle.
Head over HERE for more information and tips to help you through this phase from other parents.