Potty Training 101! How to Get The Job Done Quickly!

 

Most of the time potty training can be a very frustrating and stressful situation. Thankfully it doesn’t have to be. My daughter is 2 1/2 and I swore she would never get it. Because I stay home with my girls I swore she was going to be potty trained super early. The cost of diapers alone was motivation enough to get the job done. Besides, who wants to change a stinky poop filled diaper? Not me!

As time went on I began to notice she just wasn’t ready. She kept having accidents and it was making her frustrated and upset as well. I finally let it go for a few more months until she was 2. Then it was game on! She was trained in less than a week! FINALLY!

Here are a few tips and tricks that helped us to fully potty train. Trust me when I say I did a lot of reading to get this stuff figured out. There is no magic button or technique. Each child is different and not everything works for everyone. You have to do what works for you and your child. It’s potty training 101!

Let your child eat, drink and play as normal, but be sure to put them on the potty every 15-20 minutes. This is a pain for both of you, but the reward will be great! If you leave the house a diaper or pull-up are just fine. As soon as you get home the diaper goes off and potty training goes back into action.

Show them how it’s done. Kids learn by seeing and doing. If they can see you going to the potty they will want to also.

Let them be naked!! This is by far the best thing that helped my daughter. She didn’t want to be wet so she would realize that she had to use her potty or else that’s what would happen.

Make sure you reward BIG! This is a huge milestone for them and shouldn’t be taken lightly. Kids love stickers, M&M’s, bubbles and other exciting things. Make sure they know they are doing something great. If they stayed dry all night have a small celebration. A trip to get a cheap toy, a pizza party or anything else to show them how proud you are.

Make sure your team is on board. Moms, Dads, Sisters, Brothers, Grandparents, Daycare Providers…. you get it! They all need to be willing to make sure they take your little one to the potty often as well for it to be effective.

Read books! If they are having issues staying on the potty read them their favorite book. It will keep them distracted long enough to help them go. Maybe have the sink slowly running to help give them the urge. Plus you can find toddler books about potty training just about anywhere.

Get them an awesome potty chair they will want to use. My daughter is in love with Mickey & Minnie so we were lucky enough to find her a pink Minnie potty. It makes a pretend flushing noise and Minnie cheers her on. They have so many to choose from. You can even spruce up an old one with some fun stickers. Get creative!

Place their potty chair in a room they are in the most. I had mine int he living room for a few days and slowly moved it down the hall into the bathroom. It’s not gross if it’s clean 🙂 (ok, maybe only a little gross, but whatever works)

Be sure not to give your child anything to drink at least an hour before bed to help prevent any overnight accidents. But remember, nighttime training often comes later than daytime training. You might want to focus on one at a time so you don’t overwhelm yourself or your little nugget. My daughter still wears an easy-up to bed. Most of the time she wakes up dry.. and sometimes she doesn’t. I hate laundry! And after washing bedding so many times, I would rather play it safe.

The most important thing to remember is not every child is the same. Don’t compare! Children learn at their own pace and potty training is not a race. Be sure you and your child are 100% ready before starting the journey and it will totally take the stress and headaches out of the equation.