Potty Training-Tips & Tricks

“Oh potty training, how I loathe thee”

One of the most common questions asked among parents is how do I start potty-training, my child? My husband and I have started on this journey with our 2-year-old daughter. We introduced the potty to her a few months before her 2nd birthday.  We are slowly becoming more successful with her each day and have been utilizing tricks we learned from our first child’s experience to help. Deciding when and how to start potty training your toddler can be a daunting task.

Here are some tips and tricks to help you out during your potty training adventure.

• Get them a special potty-chair or seat. Many kids will be excited to have their own chair to sit on and this will help engage them in the process. My daughter was actually scared of sitting on her potty chair for the first few weeks after I brought it out. She cried each and every time I tried to have her sit down on it. I decided to leave it in the bathroom and ignore it. One day she finally wanted to sit on it herself and the rest was history.
• Set a good example. If our children see us using the potty they will want to use it as well. (If you have a boy, let him go into the bathroom with daddy and vice versa).
• Bring a toy. When your child is ready to sit down on the potty, let them bring a small toy to the potty with them. While they are sitting they can hold on to their toy. This helps them to sit longer on the potty and the toy will hold their attention.
• Buy the character pull-ups and undies. We picked up Minnie Mouse pull-ups for my daughter. She loves that she is wearing Minnie Mouse. Pull-ups and Underwear make it a little more uncomfortable for kids to wet themselves. They also may not want to get their favorite character undies wet or dirty. I found using regular underwear works best when around the house and when traveling out, put them in a pull-up.
• Easily accessible clothes. Those onesies with the snaps are not your friends during potty training! When you need to get a little one with an irregular bladder to the potty quick, avoid hard to put on clothing. If you are around the house, sometimes it is best to let them run around in just their pull-up or undies. This again helps them to become more aware of when they need to go and you can get them to the potty quicker with fewer accidents.
• Tell them “it’s time to go potty.” At this point, if you start asking if they need to go, they will tell you no. Hey, they may tell you no anyways but let’s try to give them less of a reason to. Let’s face it. At some point in time, we’ve felt “no” was our kids favorite word.
• Use a reward system. Get your child excited to use the potty by looking forward to a treat. For my son, M & M’s were his favorite candy. Each time he sat on the potty he earned 1 candy. If he sat on the potty and went pee he earned 2 candies. Sitting on the potty and going poop earned him 3 candies. My daughter has never had M&Ms and refuses to eat them. She wants to hold them in her hand until they melt. So needless to say we don’t use those but have found mini Hershey kisses work great as her potty treat. You can also use goldfish or other treats your children like. Trying to avoid using treats as a reward? Try making a rewards chart that utilizes special stickers and let your child place them on the chart.
• Learn your child’s queues for when they need to use the bathroom. Many times they will give us hints through their body language such as grabbing at their undies or jumping up and down. I know a certain kid who likes to disappear when its time for number 2…sneaking off quietly to a corner to take care of business. Try to watch out for these times and redirect them to the potty.
• Use a diaper for bedtime. Try not to stress about nighttime in the beginning. Use a regular diaper instead of the pull-ups to reduce leaking at bedtime. We want to first master potty time during the day. Little by little your child will become more aware of when they need to go potty.

Hey working mommas, this one is for you!

• Include babysitters on your child’s potty routine. Sometimes we can’t be with our babes all the time. If this is the case make sure to fill in your daycare provider so they can help keep up with training while you are away. Make sure you leave plenty of supplies at the sitters and if possible your child’s potty seat. This will help to keep potty training consistent.

I actually missed my daughter’s first time peeing on the potty, she was at my mom’s house. I was thankful my mom sent me a video while I was at work so I could be there in spirit!

Yes, accidents will happen, and all too frequently in the beginning. These times can be frustrating, having to clean up pee from the floor or changing pull-ups/undies constantly. Try not to get angry toward your child or punish them for having an accident. This can sometimes hinder the process.  It is also okay to try potty training again later when your child is a little older. This doesn’t mean you are giving up just that our child is just not quite ready and that is okay.

It is important to remember PATIENCE AND CONSISTENCY. Remain calm and patient with your child as they learn a completely new task. Maintain consistency with your steps during your potty training process to allow them to learn and grow. It is amazing what things these tiny humans are capable of learning with the help of mom and dad.

Check back on the InterSweetz for an update on our potty-training progress!