My mom always told me that she potty trained all five of her children with help from a popular book called Potty Training in Less than a Day. While she said potty training using the book’s method really took about a week, she still found the results impressive. So in later years when I was potty training my own boys, I made sure to pick up a copy of the book for myself. By combining some of its methods with a few tricks of my own, my boys were using the potty on their own in just a few days! Since June is Potty Training Month, I decided to share the four tips that I found most helpful during the process.
Make Using the Potty Easy
It goes without saying that dressing your child in overalls or a complicated jumper during potty training is a recipe for disaster but for the first few days, take things one step further and skip pants altogether. The goal is to teach children independence so making it easy for them to get their clothing off to use the potty just makes sense. Buy a few pairs of loose-fitting underwear and let your little ones wear just that while mastering the process of pulling down their underpants to sit on the potty. (Following this tip is why I also generally potty trained my boys during the summer!)
Reward with Drinks
Kids learn through repetition, so the more times your child successfully uses the potty in a day, the better. While you’re potty training, forget nutrition guidelines for a day or so and stock up on your child’s favourite drinks and a few salty snacks. Then use those treats as rewards during the process. Since drinking more will ensure more trips to the bathroom, your child will get plenty of chances to practice the process of pulling down their underwear, sitting on the potty, using it and wiping themselves after.
Teach Through Example
Kids love imitating others and what they consider a fun game is also a great teaching tool! Ideally, let your child see you using the bathroom so that they understand how the process works. You can even talk about the various basic steps as you do, so that a child understands the process and what it entails. If you’re not comfortable doing that, consider getting a toy doll that can “pee” when filled with water to illustrate the process of using a potty for your child.
Don’t Expect Perfection
Expecting your child to immediately master some of the trickier aspects of using the bathroom, like proper wiping or undoing buttons, is a sure-fire way to put yourself through unneeded stress and frustrate your child. Instead, assume that mastering some of the more complicated aspects of using the bathroom will take time. Proper wiping was one of the biggest challenges for my boys and for my youngest, it continues to be an issue. Kandoo products have been a dream come true for this. The Kandoo Flushable Wipes ensure that little ones do a more thorough job of cleaning themselves, without filling the potty with toilet paper! And the Kandoo Wash Your Hands Moisturizing Hand Wash makes it easy for kids to thoroughly wash up after, with the bonus of a fun fruity scent and brightly coloured foam!
To help your little ones master their bathroom routine, Kandoo has a very special giveaway just for you! One lucky Mommy Kat and Kids reader is going to win a prize pack containing 4 42-count flushable wipes, 2 Boogie Wipes, 2 Kandoo Body Wash, 2 Kandoo Hand Wash, 4 100-count flushable wipes, 2 Boogie Mist, 2 Kandoo Bubble Bath, 1 90-count container of Boogie Wipes and 4 50-count flushable wipes with container, a $150 value! To enter to win, just leave a blog comment with your best potty training tip.
No matter what techniques you use when the time comes to potty train your child, remember to be patient and make the process as fun as possible for you and your little one. After all, it’s a big accomplishment so celebrate every little victory and enjoy knowing that the days of diapering are finally done!
Just be patient – every child is different
patience and don’t push your child! start them when they are ready. all children potty train at different times/ages
Patience, persistance and rewards worked for me
Honestly I need all YOUR tips. I’m having a hell of a time potty training my nearly 3 year old. He has absolutely zero interest, I’ve tried bribing, praise, rewarding…everythin gI can think of. I wouldn’t be in such a rush, except he starts preschool in the fall and they want him potty trained to start :(
Lots and lots of praise and patience, plus I like to give a small treat when they go on the potty!
Definitely use your patience. Accidents happen and don’t be surprised if it takes longer than you’d like.
Consistency. Every time you go to the washroom, get the little one to try to go potty too.
patience goes a long way..don’t stress!
Patience cannot be stressed enough, but also, can we leave the electronic devices out of potty training? (I actually know someone that allows their child to play on one).
Don’t rush. No need to stress….everything works out when it’s supposed to.