Have you seen that commercial? The one where a little boy, after struggling to accomplish his goal of going pee-pee in the potty, runs outside to a parade complete with clowns, a band, and adult men dressed as toilets.
I hate that commercial. Mostly because the other day my daughter finally went #2 on the potty, and then ran to the window and asked, “Where’s my parade?”
I gave her a chocolate chip, which thankfully she was happy with.
Potty Training is not easy. Judging from the sheer number of items that come up in an Amazon search for “potty training” (5,299), it’ a pretty hot topic with the preschool set. Everyone has war stories, ranging from most inappropriate place to have an accident (in church), to stories of the sheer obstinacy of toddlers who sit on the potty for 20 minutes, then pee on the floor next to the toilet.
I am by no means an expert on potty training. Heck, my youngest (3) still wears her “special underwear” (ie. training pants) at night. But here are a few tips that worked for me – and none of them involve the “iPotty” – a device that encourages children to bring an iPad to the bathroom with them.:
1. Don’t be afraid to do the “no-pants-dance.” When were were on Day 1 of potty training both our kids, we let them run around the house pantsless, and that way they (and we!) knew exactly when something was about to happen (or more often, already in progress).
2. Bite the bullet and set aside a few days to really work on potty training. I know this strategy doesn’t work for all families, but it really worked for us. With both kids, we chose a long weekend when both my husband and I would be home, and stayed at home for all three days. We went cold turkey on the diapers and had the kids wear new, cute underwear for all three days. By honing in our focus and not getting distracted by outings, both kids were really able to focus on the task at hand.
3. Let the child choose his or her own underwear. Having ownership and responsibility in the situation goes a long way toward helping children feel in control of the process.
4. Don’t throw out those wet wipes. Just because you’re not changing diapers anymore doesn’t mean you won’t need baby wipes next to the toilet and in the car. I really like the Seventh Generation Baby Free & Clear Wipes, especially for when we’re on the go. They’re made from renewable resources and free of fragrances, parabens, and pthalates. They make clean up MUCH easier and the Seventh Generation wipes are super-soft on little tushes. Trust me — kids will be more likely to wipe with something soft and comfortable than with rough toilet paper.
Pin It This post may contain affiliate links, which help support this site.Would you like to win a box of Seventh Generation Baby Free & Clear Wipes? Enter below!
It sounds crazy, but my tip for potty training is don’t be afraid to let them pee on the lawn. When we started training my daughter, it was summer and she was running around pantless in the backyard. I’d ask her if she wanted to go potty and she’d say no. Finally, one day, I said do you want to pee on the lawn? And, of course, she said “yes.” So she did it then and a few times more and lo and behold figured out it felt good to pee without a diaper. In no time at all, she was heading to the potty. May not work for everyone but it worked for us!
The one thing I’ve learned after training 4 kids is that if they aren’t ready, they aren’t going to train. If you start before they are ready, it just ends up being a power struggle and takes longer than it should.
Still struggling with my 4 year old to be completely potty trained. I’ve tried everything I could think of and still having issues :/
Hang in there
My son was 5 1/2 (yes, five and a half years old) before he would do ALL business in the potty consistently. I absolutely feel your frustration. Eventually , worst case, he/she will be tired of the hassle of accidents. I also tried everything, and the first thing that helped, was letting him play games on my iphone since he was SO impatient about sitting on the toilet. The other thing, he was refusing to drink water, and very constipated. The mild laxative was a joke, so the pediatrician suggested FIBER vitamin gummies. This may have done the trick, but it wasn’t until we got a soft seat on the toilet that he stopped having so many accidents. It was a troubling situation though. I was afraid to leave him with sitters, worried he would get sent home from school & held back in pre-K, and also hesitant to initiate play dates for fear he would have accidents.
My best toddler tip is to plan ahead and be prepared. An extra change of clothing, diapers, wipes, toys, drinks and snacks can help with mid-day melt downs.
My tip… stick with it. once they learn a day or two and if they regress stay with it. teaching after they decided they didnt want to is way harder.
Focus on the positives, not the negatives. We just started potty training today actually, and I’m constantly reminding myself that it will get better, and it will be worth it. And then when the accidents happen, I comfort my son and make a big deal out of the successes.
As far as potty training advice… Celebrate the victories and make the accidents ok. We do a “pee pee on the potty” dance and song to celebrate and for accidents, we clean up quickly and move along with our day. It gets frustrating for the kiddos too, so it is our job to keep it fun and exciting.
I love the wise woman who told me that even though you may be struggling with potty training now, they will be able to use the potty on their own by the time they graduate high school. It made me laugh and realize it will happen. Someday.
Picking out new undies were always a big incentive. We also had the “potty bucket” of items they could only play with while “waiting”, like play dough, special stickers, dry erase activities.
I have potty trained two kids now. The first one was a breeze! The second one was not! LOL. My advice is for the parents and not the kids. If you are having a hard time getting your child trained try these great ideas listed above. And then relax and take a deep breath! Think about it, how may 10 year olds do you see walking around in diapers still. Keep at it with love and patience and it will happen.
For boys, I wish I had waited longer to start training him. But my Mother was pressuring me once he turned one to put him on the potty!
Oh geez, I have no potty-training advice! This was our daughter’s first week out of the house without diapers. We finally took the plunge!
I think they need time without wearing a diaper to potty train more easily
one thing I know is when your child is ready their ready dont force your child that will just cause frustration and make your child discouraged
Let them decide when they are ready for the potty. It will make life more easy on parents and child.
My biggest tip is listen to your gut. If other people are saying your kid is too young or too old for whatever it is you’re trying to do (potty training, big bed, etc) ignore it if your kid seems ready.
just relax and make it fun and rewarding for them. We act silly and celebrate every time my little one makes it too the potty but we don’t get upset about accidents we just explain where the potty is and let it go.
My best tip is to praise your toddler when potty training. Make a reward program to what interest them the most (sticker’s, small prize box, m&m’s,etc.) Moreover, maybe a song or dance (my daughter loves music/dancing which interests her as we are potting training now).
I tried not to pressure my son too much. I praised when he did it but didn’t make a fuss when he didn’t.
Have patience
Definitely plan ahead and always have something to keep them entertained.
I get rid of the soother at 9 months or earlier. They may cry for a few hours before they forget about it but if you allow them to have it at 2 years old, they will cry for a week!
Get Rid Of It!
Laugh off the bad moments and embrace them.
My best tip is to take a moment for yourself when you need to. Sometimes I feel like I’m going to lose my mind, so I just step away and take a few deep breaths.
My potty training tip is don’t stress about it! Know your kid, what motivates them and try to encourage them to use the potty but son’t pressure them or yourself. Sometimes it takes time but they will use the potty when they are ready. My oldest was using the potty by age 3 1/2. Starting at around age two, I would ask him every few days if he wanted to use the potty but if he said no I wouldn’t push it. I offered incentives like big boy undies, stickers, etc but I really don’t think his body was fully ready until 3 1/2. He did use the potty for number two at around 2 1/2 though. With my second son, he was 2 and once we pulled out the big boy undies he was trained within a week. All kids are different.
kids are ready when they’re ready
I love the new Seventh Generation Free and Clear Baby Wipes for my toddler care
use cloth diapers
After potty training 3 kids, I have to say the best advice my Mom gave me was they will go potty when they are ready and not a moment sooner. We always followed that advice and never had major battles in getting the kids potty trained.
When i was worried about potty training, I had a Mom tell me. Don’t worry. He won’t walk get married in a diaper. LOL It’ll happen when they’re ready.
Such great tips!
Once you start using the underwear don’t go back to diapers it will only confuse them
My potty training adventure will begin in the near future, so no advice here.. but very helpful to read everyone elses~
For toddlers that hate having their hair brushed I suggest Knot Genie’s Teeny Genie. It’s great!
the POTTY POWER DVD really works!
jmatek AT wi DOT rr DOT com
keep lots of baby wipes handy
i make my own wipes since even natural ones have chemicals. i would like to check these out.
Also, be aware of anything that may be troubling them. If there is tension in the home, disciplinary problems with an older sibling, a brand new baby, a move or transition to a new pre school… don’t be hard on yourself or them if they have a setback. I’ve known a lot of people who have had this issue arise.
You’re totally right — tension at home can definitely affect potty training.