Potty Training: Potty Chairs
When browsing the potty aisle you may feel overwhelmed by the huge range of potty seats that are available. Do not fear, there is a seat that will suit both your child's needs and your budget.
Basic potty chairs are low budget, but often a very sensible solution to your potty training needs. They are generally molded from a single piece of plastic and are designed to be dumped into the toilet and rinsed after use. Because of their low price you can even consider purchasing more than one potty so that you have them readily available in different areas of the house. Available in different colours you can find one that suits your child's tastes.
Of course there are many fancier models available. Some are similar to the basic chairs, but have licensed cartoon characters and fancier designs. Others have special reward systems such as music or changing colours that reward successful use. On the fancier end you can even find toilets that mimic real toilets with real flushing sounds. The advantage of these fancy models is that they are often more appealing to children and may encourage your child to make a better effort to use them. On the other hand, some of these seats can be quite expensive, so when spending the extra money be sure that the toilet is likely to appeal to your little one.
A simple solution for kids who are not interested in having a separate potty is a toilet hole reducer. These mini toilet seats are designed to sit on top of the regular toilet seat. Kids are often more comfortable with hole reducers as they remove the risk of slipping and falling into the toilet which can be a real fear for the little ones. When combined with a small stool to rest their feet on a toilet hole reducer can be a cost effective and relatively portable toilet training option. With padded seats and fancy patterns available they are also quite appealing to children's tastes.
You can also find all-in-one potty chairs that start out as small potties, and then grow with your child. The seats are removable and fit onto adult toilet seats. The base usually is designed to be flipped over and used as a stool. They have all the advantages of both potty chairs and toilet hole reducers, but can be relatively expensive.
Because your child is a very important part of the toilet training process you might find it easiest to let her become involved in the selection process. Take your child with you to the store and let her look over the potties and seats that are available. She just might surprise you with her choice! With her input considered she is also more likely to be enthusiastic about finally getting to use her new potty seat and will likely want to start right away.
