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!
Kandoo giveaway
Let your child show you when they are ready. Once they get it, it will work.
When it comes time to teach your little one to leave diapers behind it is extremely important to make it a memorable and fun experience in order to encourage their use of the potty. The first time can get a little messy and can potentially ruin your favourite hat or shirt if you are not fast enough! The best tip I can give is to stay close to the potty at all times when not using a diaper because when they have to go, THEY HAVE TO GO! Never get upset and always be supportive as this is a new adventure that can take some time to master. Using props such as stuffed animals along with making funny noises always gets a smile :)
I found that patience,persistence and consistencey worked best.I also used treats like chocolates to reward them.
Be patient and watch for cues that they are ready.
I don’t have any tips since I have been unsuccessful in potty-training my toddler. I guess I can say “don’t give up”
Have lots of patience and don’t stress out about it, your child will pick up on that
Take it slow, beware auto flush toilets!
be patience, no need to rush. I sometimes sit my child on the potty and read to them. just make them relax. if they have done their business I gave them a treat like a couple smarties
Lots of praise and patience :) each child develops at their own pace.
I’m just about to potty train my son. This giveaway would be so helpful! My tip is to wait until your child is ready. Premature potty training can lead to disinterest.