Tips & Tricks for Potty Training

Tips & Tricks for Potty Training

When it comes time to get your Little Peanut out of diapers and into underwear, a lot of parents get overwhelmed. Potty training can be a very difficult task, that can take a long time to conquer.  In order to make this trying time go a little more smoothly, here are some tips and tricks to help.

When Should Potty Training Start?

Every child is going to be at a different age and time when they are ready to start using the “potty”. Potty training can occur as early as 18 months, but as late as 3 years.  Boys tend to stay in diapers longer than girls, and children who in general do not like to be dirty, will catch on a little faster than those children who don’t care.

Some parents want to get a head start on the potty training thing, but if your child is not receptive to the idea, it may be better to hold off until they are, because in the end it will take a longer and more difficult time to potty train.  The general rule for when you should start with your child, is when they are interested in the concept, willing to participate, and able to complete the task. So what does that mean? Your child should be curious about what the toilet is, be interested in sitting on it, want to join you and watch as you use the potty, and able to walk to the toile, sit on it, and communicate in some form that they have “to go”.

Here is a checklist you can go by to see if your child is ready for this next milestone in life:

• Can Walk to their destination
• “Pees” large amounts at once, not a lot of tiny pees throughout the day
• Has regular, large bowel movements usually around the same predicted times throughout the day
• Can sit for several minutes at a time
• Can pull his/her pants up/down (with help is ok, as long as the child is willing to try)
• Does not like to have a dirty diaper on
• Tells you that they have “peed” or “pooped” in their diaper or when you can tell when they are going (grunting, equating, etc.)
• Interested in Bathroom habits/behaviors: wants to watch you go, wants to wear underwear…
• Takes pride in accomplishing tasks
• Wants and enjoys to be independent
• In a cooperative stage in their development, not a child who is testing their limits, or does the opposite of what you ask
• Understands and can follow simple instructions

If your child seems to check off on this list, then it might be time to start potty training!

 

Step 1: Make Sure You are Equipped

• Make sure that you have the right equipment for your child to use the toilet comfortably
• Most experts say that is is better to get a child sized potty so that your toddler can lean forward and have their feet securely on the floor, and because lets be honest the “big potty” tends to be scary especially when it flushes Look at Pottys Here
• If you prefer to buy the adapter that goes on top of the regular toilet, just make sure that it attaches and is secured, and that you have a stool to help your child get up and down.
• It may also be helpful to buy a few books, videos, or other visuals that explain and talk about potty training. Everyone Poops by Taro Gomi is a great book to have! Buy Here
• Here are some other aids to help with Potty Training Click Here
• When potty training it is also important to have lots of extra clothes available weather you are at home or out.  Overload on undies, pants and shirts! (yes, pee will travel to shirts during accidents)

 

Step 2: Imitation

The second step to getting this potty training thing down is to let them watch and see what its all about! After all imitation is the biggest form of flattery, right?

• Take your child to the bathroom with you when you go. If you have a girl, let her see how mommy goes. If you have a boy, let him see how daddy goes.
• Let them see and learn exactly how it goes down
• Show your child that everyone who is “big boy” or “big girl” uses the potty
• Engage in conversations with them, about how all the people in your family use the toilet

 

Step 3: Let’s Get Comfortable

It is important to get your child comfortable with the changes that are about to occur, here are some ways to help that happen:

• let his/her know that this is their very own personal potty
• You can decorate it, put their name on it, get one with a character that they love
• Start the process with having your kid just try sitting on the potty with clothes on
• You can use their dolls/stuffed animals to demonstrate how to sit on there
• Once your child is comfortable with sitting on with their clothes on, you can move on to them pulling their pants down and sitting down. It is important that at this stage you don’t force your child to sit on the potty without pants, as it can derail your progress.  Just keep trying with pants on, until he/she is ready.

 

Step 4: Bribery Never Hurt Anyone

Sometimes in life, we all need a little motivation to get things done.  Rewards are always an option to encourage your child to go potty.

• Buy your Little Peanut some awesome/fun underwear, something that they will be so excited and proud to wear.  You can start by having them put the underwear over their diaper and then gradually move to removing the diaper and just having the underwear. Look at Undies Here
• Show your child that they have Big Boy/Big Girl underwear just like mommy and daddy!
• Make a reward chart. You will want your child to go try sitting on the potty every 20-30 min. You can make a chart that gives them a check or a sticker (sticker are magical things to kids) each time they participate, and after a certain amount of checks/stickers they get a “reward”.
• The reward an be anything that you make, and should be something that you child will look forward to getting!

Step 5: Pencil Me In

• You will need to set up a training schedule for your child that you go by. In general you should be taking your child to the potty to at least try every 20 to 30 minuets.
• If your child is in a daycare/preschool make sure that they can help you with this process (most daycares will), so that your child doesn’t derail in their accomplishments
• Decide what method you want to use: pull-ups or “quitting cold turkey”.  In general the best method is to ditch the diaper and pull ups, as it can give your child mixed messages, but it all depends on your schedule and what works for your family. (If quitting cold turkey, diapers during naps and nighttime are still acceptable!)

 

Step 6: For the Fellas

• If you have a boy, it is important that you teach them to sit first and then stand.
• “Poop” and “Pee” usually tend to occur at the same time, so in the beginning its important to teach them to do both sitting until they can verbally and physically make a distinction between the two.
• This will also help them get less distracted with aiming, and the accessories that come with the potty. Sitting = concentration
• While sitting to go pee make sure that your child know to push his “Pee-pee” (or whatever word you use) down into the toilet, or you will have a pee mess.
• Once he has mastered the sitting you can then show him how to stand to go potty.  make sure that daddy or another male can show him how its done. There is no rush to this process.

Step 7: Distraction Free Zone

• Make sure that your child sits on the toilet until they go but no longer than 10-15 minuets. Anything more than that will lead to distractions
• Do not provide any TV, tablets, Phones while your child is on the potty, it is important that they focus and remember why they are in there: The bathroom is to go potty. (books are good)

 

Step 8: Naked Time

• Let your child spend some time “naked” this helps them to really discover and find out when they have to go
• Have the toilet nearby while they are playing naked, so when you see them clench, squat, wiggle you can have them sit down on the potty right away
• Accidents will occur during this and any process: we all make them, and we all learn from them

 

Step 9: Celebrate! Celebrate! Celebrate!

• Accidents will occur no matter what, but when your child finally gets “something” in the toilet, make a big deal about it and celebrate!  You need to show your child how happy and how proud you are, so that they want to do it again.  This process also starts in the beginning with our child siting on the potty, let them know they did a good job for “trying to go potty”
• Tell Everyone: make sure to let the world know that your child went in the potty. Reinforcement and acknowledgment from others will encourage your child even more!  If your child does not react well to attention, then just keep it between the two of you, but make sure your child knows that they did a good job
• Make sure your child gets a “big kid” reward for doing such a good job

Step 10: If at first you don’t succeed, try try again

• Everything takes time to master, and this is the same with potty training
• Accident will occur: It’s OK
• “Pee” or “Poo” won’t occur at every sit on the potty: It’s OK
• Don’t overreact or punish your child for having an accident, this will only cause anxiety related to the toilet, and that is that last thing you want your child to feel. using the potty should be a peaceful and relaxed experience
• if you get frustrated try and remove yourself from the situation, when you have calmed down explain to your child that its ok and accidents occur, but why it is important for him/her to go in the potty
• If you are not seeing any progress at all and its becoming too stressful, its ok to take a break and come back to potty training in a few weeks

 

Step 11: Make it Fun!

• If you approach this potty training thing as fun experience, your child will be more inclined and motivated to participate
• You can put blue food coloring in the water, and show them how they can change the water to green
• Have books and/or magazines next to his/her potty so that they can have something to look at when sitting Click Here to Shop
• If your child starts to lose interest, bring the rewards back into play.  Stickers, charts, whatever it is that will keep your individual child interested!
• Keep track of how many times your child has gone potty, or how many days they haven’t had an accident, and offer something once they hit that special number that you both decided on.
• Get your child hyped and involved in the process!

 

Step 12: Now We Master Nighttime

• Once your child has mastered using the potty during the day, you can go on to focus on nighttime.
• The fist step to see if they are ready in this process is to see if their diaper is staying dry throughout the night(and naps) until they wake up, if it consistently is then he/she might be ready.
• Usually around 6 months into potty training most kids will be ready for this next step
• This nighttime process can sometimes take longer to conquer, because it depends on how long his/her body can hold the pee, and no matter what accidents will always occur
• If your child seems ready, start with naps and move on to nighttime.
• Once your child stays dry about five nights in a row, it will be time to ditch the diapers and start an all underwear party.
• Make sure that you limit the amount of liquids at night, try to stop around 5pm so that they can have time to expel their pee before bedtime
• Make sure that you take your child potty right before bed, and as soon as they wake up.
• This process takes all children different amount of time, and thats ok.
• when your child is ready it will happen, and we need to remember that accidents happen well into grade school children.

 

Step 13: Bye Bye, Diapers

• Now its time to ditch the diapers and invest in undies.
• By the time your Little Peanut has reached this stage, so much progress has occured
• Make sure that you explain and reinforce how proud you are of your child, and how much they actually have accomplished
• Now its time for one last hooray, and let’s send the diapers away!

Potty training is no easy task, and it requires a lot of time and patience from both parents and children.  Hopefully this guide has helped relieve your stress a little, and has given you some tips to get this thing started. Remember, all children are different, some develop faster, some may take a longer time, and that is all perfectly ok. Accidents are a new part of your life, and as long as you are prepared a little “pee” never hurt no one.  Now lets go and get your “Big Kid” ready for this exciting new stage in their life!

Some Info From BabyCenter