MC #17 – Potty Training Tips & Tricks

I didn’t push potty training with Christian. Around 26 months old I bought him a little training potty and put it in his room. I would occasionally ask him when I was getting him dressed or before a bath, if he needed to go to the bathroom and encouraged him to use his potty. Sometimes he was more willing than others. If he didn’t want to, I just left it at that. As time went on, he would start using it in the mornings, running in and waking me up and telling him he used his potty! I would run in his room so excited and proud of him! Once he saw my reaction and encouragement, he wanted to use it more often. I started a potty chart with him and let him pick out his favorite stickers from the store. Click here for a free potty chart template. If he went potty consistently for 4 days ( I don’t actually remember how many days I used with him, I’m old I know! But you get the point! ) He would be rewarded. It didn’t have to be anything “big”. Here are a few examples I used: allowing him to pick out “big boy” underwear, letting him chose dinner or dessert that evening, going out for his favorite ice cream, letting him pick something out at the dollar store, picking his favorite outdoor activity to do that day, renting a movie he wants to see, going to the library and allowing him to check out a few books. I don’t know whether it really made a difference, but I taught him to pee sitting down on the toilet instead of standing up. I think the size of the toilet and standing over it intimidated him. Of course there were a few accidents, but he caught on rather quickly. As I’ve said in previous posts, consistency and patience is key! Making a big deal, getting upset or being negative pushes the child further away from accomplishing the goal, rather than striving to work towards it.

I haven’t started potty training Isabella yet, I don’t think she’s quite ready. We got her a princess potty for Christmas just to create some excitement, and it’s in the kids bathroom but she’s not too interested in it yet, and I’m okay with that! She will be two in May so I won’t start working with her until early Summer, unless she begins to show more interest before then!

My name is Kristen from The Mrs. & The Momma. I’m the momma of three girls (ages 7, 5, & 3) and a little boy (18 months). Here are my tips and tricks for potty training:

So far, I’ve potty trained three girls, so my advice can only go so far when applied to boys. (Check back with me in a few months and I might have some boy pointers for ya!) Potty training is something that’s necessary, but certainly not fun. It is, however, manageable. Here are 3 tricks and tips I’ve learned about potty training:

1. Your kid won’t go to kindergarten wearing a diaper. My pediatrician lives by this statement in reference to deciding when to potty train, however, I’m not a fan a waiting (as she implies). I prefer to potty train my kids as soon as I think their bladder and their other potty-related abilities are ready. (Reminder: I haven’t yet potty trained a boy, so I might eat my words later.) This statement does ring true for me in terms of patience and not stressing over potty training. What it comes down to is this—it’s going to happen. Eventually. Try and make the best of it for your children.

2. Use food coloring for incentives. With our first daughter, I had a little stash of M&Ms to reward going potty. After that didn’t do the trick, I tried stickers. Nope. Then we took a break from potty training. But before round 2 started, I spoke with a grandmother who had potty trained all of her children and grandchildren. She told me the her secret to success was letting the kids put a drop or two of their choice of food coloring in the toilet bowl AFTER they did their business. Then they had the pleasure of flushing and watching the water turn the color THEY picked out. Well let me tell ya….I’m so glad I learned this technique with my first child (and not my third), because it worked like a charm. And has worked 3 times now!!!

3. Don’t use pull-ups unless you have to. Okay, besides the obvious exorbitant price of those suckers, let me explain. I think in the beginning of potty training, pull-ups at nighttime or if you have to go on a road trip are okay, and definitely better than a big mess. However! I think that kids who are ready and able to potty train are capable of staying dry throughout the night….or in the other case, until the next potty break. One thing I definitely recommend is getting a plastic cover for the child’s mattress. I promise this will make your life much easier. Avoiding the dependency a child can quickly learn from using pull-ups is essential in expediting the success of your potty training. I know all kids are different, but in our family, once we took that option out of the equation…it just worked.

Potty training can be frustrating and trying, but just remember….some one had to do it with you.

Your Turn:

Do you have any potty training advice? Tips?

Leave us a comment; we love to read your tips and advice!

Need advice? Check out these previous Mom Connection topics:

Setting Goals with Your Children

Teaching Your Kids to Share

Getting your Preschooler Dressed

Balancing Blogging and Motherhood