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Showing posts with label potty training. Show all posts

Best Potty Training Tips from Real Moms

Crowd sourcing is an effective way to get a bunch of good ideas quickly. I recently took to Facebook to ask for the best potty training tips and what you wish you would have known before starting. This is what you said.

Best Potty Training Tips from Real Moms | Potty training | #pottytraining


Wait Until Your Child is Ready

Andrea said: In all honesty what worked for us was waiting until they are ready. I tried when I "thought" she should be ready a few times & it was a frustrating battle. I completely backed off and waited. She let me know she was ready and we never looked back. It was a piece of cake at that point. Follow your child's time frame & not yours.
  • Rachel said: So, so true. I pushed too hard with my first and am taking a more relaxed approach with my second.
  • Aubyn said:  Same!! Waiting was the best and easiest potty training!!
  • Nicole said: The same worked for Isaac! One day he came to me and said he wanted to go on the big potty and that was that

Emily said: I'd say just go back to diapers until you feel you have the energy to clean up accidents...worked for me! My son ended up being 3.5 yo but he and I were both ready at that point 😊no need to rush it when you have your hands full with a newborn!

Lindsay said:  I agree with the "waiting until he/she was ready" comments. With my oldest son, we thought he was ready so we pushed. Yea, no go. It was frustrating for him and us, and was a waste of time. He was ready when he was ready - and all of a sudden, one day he was in diapers, then next he was going standing up and everything - including being dry at naps and night! With the 2nd boy, we were more patient. He was "trying" to go every day at preschool so we said enough is enough and took a weekend to work with him. He spent most of that time commando but it worked! A week and a half later and he's dry all day, poop and all! He is still in PullUps at night and naps, but we're getting there. Patience and one step at a time....

Yooli said: My kid was not into being bottomless and pressing him when he showed interest around 2.5 led to him shutting down and having a bad reaction. We just had him sit on the potty before his bath as part of the routine and any other time he asked, but otherwise dropped it. He didn't seem keen on it again until after 3, but it was pretty much self led after that. We got him undies he was excited about, reminded him that we don't pee on Paw Patrol, and he just got it. Our son did not like potty seats and preferred the big potty, so I suggest a padded soft potty ring since in the beginning they just sit there forever. We keep his seat on a nail in the bathroom, a small step stool, a fun hand soap, a faucet extender, and a towel at his level and he can do most of the potty process himself.

Julie said: We waited till she was ready. She happened to enjoy Daniel Tiger at the time and the potty episodes/songs got her to do it. "If you have to go potty, STOP and go right away. Flush and wash and be on your way!"

Clair said: Wait until they're ready! If it isn't working or if it's causing emotional turmoil, then stop and try again later. 👍🏻 I had a "false start" w/ two of mine and once I picked it back up again later, it clicked pretty much immediately!

It Takes a While Until the Child is Fully Trained

Evie said: I wish I would've known the many many steps that a child has to master before we consider them "potty trained".   I started sitting her on the potty when she was 1. She was out of diapers by 2, but at 3, she still doesn't tell me when she has to go. I take her every couple hours if I want to avoid an accident. Also, she doesn't just walk in, pull down her pants, go, and wash her hands. Everything has to be reminded every single time. I wish I would've known that this is a LOOOONG process and things click on their own timetable. Potty training is more "patience training for parents" than anything. 
  • Katie said: Totally agree! Also my MIL says "when they're dry at night, they're night trained!" We went with that and it worked for 2 of 3 kids so far. Obviously there may come a point with any child that you intervene further but in general we don't worry about it until the ped does which in our case would be 7+yo.

    I opted to just wait until they "grew into" telling me when they needed to go. I guess we kind of did a combination. We take long road trips (we used to live a long way from all family, now we are a long way from some, plus we love to travel) and I need them to be able to "try" when we have stops. Mine were around 3-4yo when they began to tell me consistently if they needed to go. But they didn't have accidents before that, because I usually just had them try at transitions - like before snack, before lunch, etc. However I think for some parents/kids that approach works better and for others it doesn't work. Potty training really is more specific to each parent/child combo than some other aspects of parenting. And like sttn, where each person seems to have somehow a different definition of what that means, "being potty trained" means different things to different people. My 4.5yo still wears a pullup at night but I consider her potty trained!

It is Hard. Miserably Hard.
Rhiannon said: I just wish I had known how miserably hard it is. 😭😭 --said the mom with a newborn and a 3 YO who has been working on potty training for 4 months. 😫

Go Without Undies
Ali said: We have done pant less/no undies and it worked well for both our kiddos so far. I think the best thing for me to remember is to stay relaxed, and don't put pressure on myself or my kiddo. If it doesn't happen now we can always try again in a couple of weeks or even a couple of months.

Kristen said: Yep, nothing on bottom for at least 3 days. Salty snacks and water or juice so there will be plenty of opportunities. This was a big treat at my house as we don't do juice normally.
Best Potty Training Tips from Real Moms | Potty training | #pottytraining

No Pull-Ups
Carissa said: I have potty trained 3 kids. My oldest daughter was the hardest. It took a year to potty train her and once she was DAY trained it took her another year to be night trained as well. She was 3 when she finally was day trained but has to wear pullups to bed til she was 4. My son was 3 when he finally trained and once he trained it was day and night. My youngest daughter potty trained at 2 years 2 months old day and night. I think the difference for us was with my oldest two I used pullups even during the day. They could care less. They would poop and pee and it wouldn't bother them. With my oldest I finally switched to underwear and at first she would pee in the potty but would poop in the underwear. I finally made her clean her panties and she finally quit pooping in them. My son was kind of the same as my oldest but not quite as bad. My youngest i went straight to panties right after her second birthday and she did awesome! Had a few accidents at first but that is normal!

Stay Home 
Natallie said: Staying home for three days is part of the method I followed! That way you can “allow” accidents to happen. By experiencing accidents it helps make that connection in their brains, like “oh...this isn’t good”. I would also recommend just keeping her in panties throughout the day.

Reward Dryness:
Shea said: Reward for staying dry and give a different reward for success in the potty! Staying dry is just as crucial to training as putting their business in the toilet!

Potty Training Methods Mentioned:

Jananya said: I have a busy toddler so I dreaded having to be cooped up in the house for any length of time. My mom and I taught lil miss the basics in afternoon, every 15 mins or so we sat her down. Wiped, happy dance, repeat. Straight to undies. Next day I put the potty in a cloth bag and went about our day. In the park, playing in the sand, in the yard. Wherever lil miss went, so went her monster potty. And she got it in a few days! She had been clothed diapered and she was almost 2.5. We had a few accidents here and there but within a few weeks, she was accident free and she loved the no diaper changing routine. If you are a SHM with a busy bee, give it a go. Toss a roll of toilet paper, a 3oz spray bottle with pinesol and plastic bag for on the go poops and u are good to go.

Natalie said: Lora Jensen’s 3 day method! I didn’t pay the full fee on her website, but just bought the book on Amazon for $7. So worth it. Worked amazingly for my daughter when she was 2.5. I recommend it to everyone I know!

Marnie said:  The wee was easy, the poop was hard. 

Babysteps, scaffolded around her natural rhythms. It took like 3-4 months. First I started asking her to poop in her diaper in her crib before her nap. Then I would change her. Then I asked her to poop in the bathroom, but I let it take a million years and she could read books. I just gave her privacy and time.

We used a star chart with rewards (treats from Whole Foods bulk bins!)

Her grand prize was a skateboard. She's afraid to use it, but that's another story.

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Potty Training Tips

There are some parts of parenting that are very hard in the moment but you still look back on fondly. I remember being super tired getting up in the night with a newborn, but those nights are still precious and fond memories. There are other parts of parenting, however, that you laugh maniacally at in the review mirror. Potty training is one of those things for me. I have not yet looked back fondly on potty training days. Potty training can be hard and stressful, and we moms need all the real-life tips we can get to get through those days. This post takes you through some key potty training tips to get you through your potty training experience as smoothly as possible.

Potty Training Tips


Prepare Before You Start
Before you start potty training, prepare yourself and your child. Have a game plan. With some kids, you can just wing the whole process, but with most, you need to know what you will do. How often will you take your child potty? Will you stay with your child all day, or do a normal routine? Will you go bare-bottom, underwear only, or fully clothed? Will you do treats and/or rewards? If so, purchase those. There is more than one way to potty training, and there is no ONE right way. Find what appeals to you, but be aware of other strategies, or at least be prepared to research other strategies if the one you go with ends up not being the right formula for your child.  For details on how I potty trained, see my post on how I do it. 

Make sure you have time in your schedule to focus on the task at hand. Potty training needs your attention. Talk about potty training before you actually start so your child can be prepared, also. 

For more help on what to do before you start, see my post 5 Things To Do Before You Start Potty Training. 

Focus on Your Child
I mentioned above that you need to clear your schedule before you start so you can focus on your child. You need to be mentally focused on your child and able to help and guide at any moment. Your child is learning a new skill. She isn't just adding a skill to life. She is changing the way she has been doing something her entire life. She will likely fall back into her old habits at times, and very understandably so. If you are not fully focused on this learning process, you are more likely to be cleaning up more accidents. Potty training is challenging, for both you and your child. 

Set the Space for Success
Potty training can be stressful experience for both you and your child. Set the space up around your child up so that when accidents happen, you won't freak out about it. If you are using a potty chair, set the chair on a surface that is easily cleaned or set it on top of an absorbent towel. Have your child play on a surface that is easily cleaned or on a towel. If you are grossed out or stressed out by a potty accident, it will bring more stress into the process. 

Give Lots of Liquids
For most any method you go with for potty training, you need your child to NEED to go potty. If your child doesn't NEED to go potty, he will be able to hold it for a long time. A big part of potty training is your child simply realizing he can pee on the toilet. That comes from doing it, and that comes easier if his body needs to so badly that he just can't hold it in. 

For that reason, it is smart to have your child drink a lot of liquids. You can do that by offering liquids he likes or by offering enough dry snacks that he just needs to drink a lot of water. 

Many times, a child just needs that light bulb moment of experience of actually peeing on the toilet to realize what it is all about. THIS is how it feels. THIS is how you do it. If there is lots of liquid, there is lots of opportunity for practice. 

Have Some Sort of Reward System
Your reward could just be verbal. It could be hugs, kisses, and high fives. It could be a sticker chart. It could involve treats. It could be anything your child loves. Have something that gives your child reward.

You will want to decide what exactly to reward. I like to reward success on the potty, but I also like to reward success off the potty, meaning staying clean and dry. We aren't just celebrating what happens on the toilet, but we are also celebrating the fact that an accident didn't happen. 

A reward system is really the biggest difference among the different potty training methods. How you reward, when you reward, and what you reward for. You know you. You know your child. You can best guess what type of system will work best at your house. 

Tell Your Child it is Time to Go Potty
In the beginning, your child might have a hard time recognizing when to go potty. So far, she has just gone when she has gone. If you rely fully on her deciding she needs to go, you will most likely have more accidents, especially if she is two or younger. It is wise at first to have set times to sit on the potty and try. You can do every 15-30 minutes. You could decide to let her guide when, but still have some key times you require sitting.

Just don't give full control to your child. Even once she is potty trained, you will have times you want her to go to potty. Before nap time. Before bed. Before leaving the house to go somewhere. Establish from the beginning that there will be times you tell her to sit and try to go potty.

Expect Accidents
Remember when your child first learned to walk? There were times he fell down. Accidents and mistakes happen when we humans are learning new skills. The same is true for potty training. Accidents will happen. Do not let them stress or freak you out.

Don't Be Afraid to Quit
Potty Training Tips With that said, if it is clear after a few days that your child isn't ready for potty training, stop for a while and try again in a few months. Some people are terrified of stopping because they think they will set their child up for failure forever. I personally have stopped and then started again with a child. I know many others who have, also. All of those children have gone on to potty train at a later date. If it just isn't working, and you can tell it won't, try again a different day. Don't give up after a rough day--give it some time. But once you know this isn't working, stop and come back later. 

Conclusion
Potty training can be challenging and exhausting, but you can do it! As in all things that are difficult, there is great reward at the end. So while it is hard, it is worth it. And you can kiss that step good-bye and look to diaper free days ahead!

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5 Things To Do Before You Start Potty Training


One of the first thoughts I had when I found out I was pregnant with Brinley was, "Oh great, now I have to potty train another child." I had just finished potty training McKenna and felt this sense of freedom! Potty training is one of my absolute most dreaded tasks as a parent. This isn't because I have had some tramatic experience. No, we have actually always had things go quite smoothly overall. For some reason, though, it is a daunting task for me, and I know I am not alone. Here are five things for you to do before you start potty training that should help your process go smoothly.

1-Give Fair Warning 
It is quite helpful to give fair warning to your child that his/her world is about to change. "On your birthday, you are going to start wearing underwear and pee in the potty!" Use a timeline the child can measure somewhat. A birthday or holiday are good, measurable moments. So are vacations. Think of something coming up in the future that your child will be able to measure time by.

Giving a warning, or heads up, that life is about to change in a major way gives your child time to think, ponder, and digest what is coming up. Talk about it, read books about it, watch shows about it...Daniel Tiger has a great episode on potty training. As you talk about it, be excited! "Right after Christmas, you get to start wearing underwear like a big boy! Isn't that exciting!" 

2-Make a Game Plan
You need to have a plan for how you are going to go about this potty training business. Do not go into it with your plan being "Take away diapers." Despite the fact that peeing and pooping are normal human functions, your child doesn't know how to do so on a toilet yet. Your child has always been wearing a diaper, which means peeing and pooping anytime, anyplace has so far been okay. Your child hasn't had to learn things like taking into account time to get to the toilet before the pee and poop comes out. It is all new.

So you will have to teach. And teaching this isn't easy. It is about as easy as it would be to teach someone how to swallow. Most children being potty trained aren't full conversationalists. Most still only follow 1-2 step commands. There are a lot of facets to potty training, so it will take some practice to get there.

Decide if you will do rewards or not, and if so, for what? Will you make going potty part of the routine or will you wait for your child to declare she needs to go?  Potty training is an amoral activity, which means there is no one right way to go about it. That means you get to decide what would work best for you and your child. Just have a plan before you get started. This is how I do potty training. 

3-Clear Your Calendar
You don't want to be in the middle of potty training when it is time to head out for a vacation. You don't want to start on a day when you have a huge meeting you have to get ready for. Ideally you will have at least 2-3 days at home where your main focus is on your child. Remember, you are teaching your child how to do a normal thing in a whole new way. Your child needs your focus and attention. Your child also needs some consistency to get it down.

4-Buy All of Your Supplies and Treats
Before you start, you want to be prepared. You have made your plan and now you need to make sure you have everything you need. Potty chair, books for you, books for your child, treats, drinks...make sure you have everything you need before you get going. Note that potty training can be much easier if your child is drinking enough liquid that she HAS to go potty. That is why having snacks that make you thirsty as well as drinks on hand for your child helps the potty training process. You might be surprised how long a child can hold that pee in. Having too much liquid makes it impossible to hold (which is also why you really want to be around to watch for that potty dance).

5-Mentally Prepare
Your first couple of days are most likely going to be you and your child together the whooollllleee day long. No independent playtime. You might do a nap. No having your child do something in the other room. It is just you and the child. That can be mentally taxing, especially for those whose child is in the "ask one million and one questions" a day phase. 

Plan it as a day of fun. Have movies to watch, books to read, games to play, puzzles to put together...I like to have some activities for my child to do independently while I read or something just so we have little breaks. 

You also need to be mentally prepared because teaching potty training is difficult at times. You can't explain it. You can't demonstrate it. It is like trying to explain what salt tastes like without using the word "salty." Some kids just get it. For others, it is hard! And honestly, if someone took your toilet away and told you that you have to now use the restroom in a totally different way, it would probably take you some time to get used to it. Be prepared to be patient. Be prepared to get mentally worn out. Be prepared to clean up messes. If you are ready for the worst, you will most likely be pleasantly surprised. For great tips on surviving this, see Surviving Potty Training.

Conclusion
Potty training can feel scary, but it is very doable. Start with these five steps, consult the posts below for more help, and you should be well on your way to success!

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Potty Training Regression

As if potty training itself wasn't stressful enough, when a child has a "potty training regression," you can feel like the rug has been pulled out from under you. You have lived the dream of no diapers and suddenly you are left cleaning up accidents in underwear. The accident can have spilled onto the floor or couch... and this cleaning obviously is a much grosser and longer process than just changing a diaper. 

Let's be clear. A true regression is different than an accident here and there. Accidents can and most likely will happen. Your potty trained child can get so engrossed in playing that he/she forgets to go potty. You child can simply forget he/she is actually in underwear and not a diaper. Your child might have just waited a bit to long to make it to the potty in time. Just like a child who has been walking for a couple of years can trip and fall, a child who has been potty trained for a couple of months can have an accident here and there. 

We also aren't talking about a child who has never truly been potty trained continuing to refuse to move beyond diapers. 

We are talking about a child who was potty trained but is now having accidents multiple times a day. So how do you get a handle on the situation?

KNOW REASONS FOR REGRESSION
There are many possible reasons for a potty regression.
  • Transition: The most common reason for a true regression is a big transition. Toddlers and young preschoolers often have potty regressions when a new sibling comes home. It can be a new school, mom going back to work, moving, etc. Think through life and see if your child is facing any big changes in life right now.
  • Constipation: If your child has a hard time pooping on the potty, he/she might avoid visiting the potty because the potty starts to become associated with pain.
  • Bladder Infection: This is along the same lines as the constipation.

DO THESE THINGS
  • Stay positive. Scolding potty accidents is very rarely a helpful reaction. Chances are your child will feel bad about the regression, and that feeling can be expressed in a variety of ways from deciding potty training is stupid to hiding out. Be supporting and encouraging. 
  • Focus on being clean and dry. This method is discussed in Potty Wise. Success isn't just in peeing or pooping in the toilet. It is also in staying dry. If your child is not putting effort into staying dry, offer small rewards for a time for being dry. Randomly ask, "Are you clean and dry?" Check. If the answer is yes, offer a small treat or sticker and cheer your child on for staying dry. 
  • Require potty breaks. If your child is having regular accidents because he/she can't accurately predict how long it will take to get to the potty, institute a regular potty schedule and stick to it. 
  • Go back to diapers. If your child really can't handle underwear for now, just go back to diapers and return to underwear when life settles back down.
  • Healthy diet. Make sure your child is getting enough water and foods that help move along bowel movements.
  • Good hygiene. Keep things clean. Help your child stay wiped and clean to avoid infections. 
  • Just keep trying. Setbacks are common for children in all areas of learning. Your child may have had her ABCs perfect last week and this week seems to thinks she has never heard of letters. This is common for children. Just stay patient and keep on trying. 
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Brinley Preschooler Summary: 37 Months Old

She loves princesses so I just bought this cute Ariel Cake Topper

This is a summary for Brinley from 36 months to  37 months old. This is the first month of her life as a three year old.

SLEEPING
Sleeping continued on pretty much as usual. She was continuing on with her non-napping for many naps, until one day. One day something happened. Her siblings went back to school. Once that happened, she started napping almost every day again. Aha! Why didn't I think of that?!? 

Brinley is a light sleeper. Super light. Her room is very quiet, and she has a humidifier going on in there, but even so, no doubt she could hear what was going on and it was keeping her awake. Couple that with wanting to play with them instead of sleep and you have a child who stays awake. Now that it is just me here, she is sleeping. 

EATING
This is all good.

VACATION
We went on another vacation to Wyoming during this period. We went camping this time. Camping in Wyoming is often exciting because the temperature at night can get very cold. Oh boy did it get cold! 40s one night, then down to the 30s for the next couple of nights. Brrr...not warm in a tent. Luckily my parents were also there and they had a camper, so Brinley spent the last two nights in the camper. Big difference. 

This was a family reunion, and Brinley made friends with many of my uncles. Her favorite was one of my uncles who is gruff on the outside but really a big teddy bear inside. She saw that teddy bear and latched right on to him, and it of course he loved it. 

SWIMMING LESSONS
Swimming lessons continued to progress....slowly. She is still swimming. We typically do lessons every other week during the school year just to keep life less crazy, but Brinley really needs more consistency right now, so we are doing once a week until she is at a place where she can go longer and still remember what she learned AND be happy about going.

POTTY TRAINING
I was happily going about my summer, thinking in the back of my head about potty training and how I would tackle that once the kids were in school and life slowed down.

Problem one with that thinking--life doesn't slow down. I was talking with a friend who has a girl Brinley's age, also her fourth child. We were talking about how life just doesn't ever slow down anymore to where you think you can do something like potty training with no interruptions.

Then I realized something. Brinley was about to start dance class and I did not want to send a child to dance class in diapers. That meant we needed to potty train ASAP. By the time I realized this, we had one week.

I told Brinley she needed to get into panties so she could go to dance class. I gave her a few days of warning. When the day came for panties, she told me she didn't want to go to dance class anyway. I called her bluff and she admitted that yes, she did want to go to dance class. So she put in the work and was just basically potty trained. It was easy as pie (an easy pie, I guess. Pie isn't necessarily easy). 

She did well with her potty training. As soon as she went potty on the potty one time, she was golden. This happened after she spent a long time playing in the tub and she had to pee bad enough it was easy. Then she had it figured out. She had a few accidents over the next couple of weeks, which is to be expected. She pooped on the potty easier than she peed. She loves the song from Daniel Tiger, "If you have to go potty, stop and go right away..."

We did treats for the first few days, then she stopped asking for them after she peed in the potty. This shocked me because the girl is a sugar-holic. With my other children, I had to slowly back off the treats. But she just stopped asking for them after a few days and we never spoke of it again.

So the thing I learned this time around is you really need to find the right motivator to get children on board with potty training. Potty training is hard if the child does not want to participate. Super hard. With Brayden, I had to set a rule that he couldn't wear diapers after a certain date. He is such a rule follower that it worked for him. Kaitlyn just wanted to do it and taught herself. McKenna was motivated to be like her siblings and very excited. Brinley wanted to go to dance class. Once she was on board, it was a super easy process.

DANCE
Speaking of dance, Brinley has loved her dance class. She is having a great time and is doing really well with it.



SCHEDULE
This is her typical daily schedule for summer--not a lot of structure. I am sharing the summer schedule because most of this time period was still summer. 

8:45 AM--Wake up/Breakfast/Get ready
Sometime between breakfast and lunch, have Independent play for 60-90 minutes
12:00 PM--Lunch
1:30/2:00 PM--Nap
4:30/5:00 PM--Wake up and Free Playtime
5:30 PM--Dinner
6:00 PM--Family Time
8:00 PM--Get Ready for Bed
8:30 PM--Bedtime

During the day, we will do learning activities, play outside, go for walks, go to the park, go do other fun stuff...what we do each day varies a lot.

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Surviving Potty Training


There are two things about parenting that I truly dread. One is sleep training. The other is potty training. Now, I haven't necessarily had a terrible experience with either. When it comes to potty training, there was a failed attempt with my oldest, but on our second attempt, he just clicked immediately. My second potty trained herself. My third was easily potty trained in a few days with little to no fuss. My fourth has had a failed attempt and we are gearing up to do it for good--she has been warned.

I think it is the unknown that I hate about these processes. You don't know how long it will take. You don't know the best way to go about it. You don't know how hard to push the child and when to call it and wait for later. 

You also put a lot of mental and emotional energy into these processes and even an easy process can leave you drained. 

So I wanted to know, how do you survive potty training? Here are the responses.

ATTITUDES
  • Humor: Tiffany said, "Keep a sense of humor about it."
  • Malinda said: "Don't stress! Your child will pick up on it and it will be so much worse!"

METHODS
  • Jennifer said: "There is not one right way to potty train! Make sure to choose a method you can live with. I think it's actually more important for the method to fit the parent than fit the child. We started with one method and it was awful. It's premise is that they will learn through having accidents... Well I couldn't stand the accidents! smile emoticon we ended up using your method. I would much rather take my child to the bathroom at consistent intervals then deal with messy floors/couches/bed. Two very important things - 1. It's ok to start then stop. If they aren't getting it after a few days it's probably too early. 2. Tackle daytime first, then nap. Nights are a whole different ballgame. I initially thought we would be doing everything at once. Not only was that not realistic it was more stressful too! Potty training works when everyone is relaxed and positive!"
  • Heather said: "Just starting pt a few days ago. (Going great!) I suggest reading lots of potty books before the big day of ditching diapers. And don't force sitting on the potty. I read about two methods.. One where you have regular bathroom breaks. Other one you just say over and over "let mommy know when you need to go potty". The latter won in our house. When I made him sit to "try" there were just tears and no pee. But he would respond well to "let me know when you need to go potty""
  • Elisa said: "Remember what Babywise says about the bladder. Their little bladder has got to be ready in order for potty training to be a success. I have been paying attention to my sons diapers and know that his bladder is getting close. I don't plan on starting until I feel good about that development."
  • Tiffany said: "We have been doing the 3 day potty training Queens method. It has worked pretty well for us. The only issue was that i broke the rules and started making her sit even if she didn't want to. In return, she would go with ease for my husband and not for me. Today I decided to never make her sit, unless she wanted. It's gone so much better. No accidents! So basically try not to make them sit unless their willing."
  • Amy said: " I would do half day in underwear and then rest of day in diaper. There was no confusion plus it was less stress for parent and child. Plus I always focused on staying dry versus peeing on potty and I took my sons to bathroom at certain times."
  • Rachel said: "Tried and true: No Pants while training. Bare bottom. There's a LOT to be said for them seeing what happens and making a visual and sensory connection when an accident does occur. I have a girl so it's not quite as exciting as letting a boy run around sans pants. I think I'd recommend loose shorts or (if you can ignore stereo types) a skirt to help contain the inevitable spray factor. "
  • Rachel also said: "Also - treats/prizes MUST be exciting and a true reward. Food doesn't always work. My 2 year old daughter was fully trained in 3-4 days but we had no success with food treats. Bubble parties (we blew bubbles for a few minutes after a successful trip to the potty), beaded necklaces worked for her. To up the excitement factor for going #2 on the potty we used and tea cups and plates and other tea party toys. Talk about motivation! She got one piece each time she pooped on the potty so a set lasted for quite a while.

    And mommas - you MUST stay positive and get SUPER excited when they have any measure of success (no matter how small). They will pick up on the faintest hint of doubt in your mind and it will make the entire process almost impossible. If your child is ready and interested - they CAN and WILL be successful. It might not happen exactly as you had imagined or hoped but hang in there! You really do have to be more pumped up and excited about the process because you truly must have enough excitement and positivity for both of you. grin emoticon Pop in movies or books that make you giggle so you can bounce back from any feelings of discouragement. Good luck ladies! You'll get there!"
  • Lisa said: "Years ago, I saw the "Dr. Phil Method" of potty training on his show, and used it with five of my six children (girls and boys; my youngest is almost six months). It worked very well with all of them because they each were truly ready (between two and three years). I highly recommend it."
  • Tara said: "we let him lead. we introduced the potty. we sat him on it once and loaded him up with water. once he figured out what it was for he did it on his own over time. we also left him bare bottomed once he showed interest."
  • Nina said: "You being consistent. Potty breaks every hour or half. Reward potty in the toilet and teach them it's all normal and ok, sometimes they get scared or weirded out by the process"
  • Shaundra said: "Three day potty training system works so well!"
  • Macaria said: "In my experience, don't try to train until they are physically ready and don't use pull ups. Let them run around without pants for a few days and accept there will be accidents. If you pay attention you can usually divert accidents to the potty without too much mess. Give a good reward for success and even better reward for poop:)"
  • Malinda said: ""Oh Crap! Potty Training" is a great resource. I just pt my 2yo daughter (birthday is today) in 2 weeks with very few accidents. She's even dry at night!!"
  • Sarah said: "After doing it now, I'm all for the gradual method. Start sitting the child on the potty once a day for a while and go from there. Made it way less dramatic. We'd tried earlier to go cold turkey, and it wasn't so successful, so we dialed back. Now she's 2 1/2 and in panties except for nighttime!"
  • Ali said: "We did naked potty training on a long weekend when both my husband and I were home. It worked like a charm. Now my son is usually commando at home so that it is easier for him to do it all on his own, but when we are out and about an for bed he wears a pull-up. I think he caught on fast, but the most important thing for us was to not get worked up about it, we tried to stay laid back and relaxed as much as possible."
  • Natalie said: "My best advice is just I wait until they are ready! So many people try to push potty training so early (mainly because a lot of activities, MDO...etc require children to be potty trained by a certain age) and ended up with months and months of accidents to clean up, emergency bathroom trips out in public, and a lot of frustration. It's hard to feel like your kid is the last to do something, but in the end it was SO MUCH EASIER. Potty training was a breeze for us--very few accidents, and was "done" in about 2 days, even for night and naptime! We haven't looked back since!:
  • Sarah said: "My three-year-old had a lot of accidents in underwear (and still does) but was immediately almost perfect when commando. I think it feels like a diaper so he forgets to use the potty when wearing them. My advice is to not be afraid to break with conventions, and give commando a try if you think it will help (just be sure to warn the grandparents!)."
  • Amy said: "My genius mother-in-law gave me a vinyl tablecloth to use as a floor mat those first few days when accidents are inevitable. We had play time on the mat, and my daughter thought it was a fun game. I could carry it from room to room and not feel chained to the kitchen which would be my only easy cleanup room. It worked brilliantly!"
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  • Rachel said: " pull ups suck i wouldn't recommend them just go cold turkey into unders"
  • Heather said: "I would say go all in with the underwear all the time. We tried pull ups for naps and at night, and nearly pulled our hair out. Once we bought a ton of cheap underwear, and just went all in, it finally clicked."
  • Diana said: "what worked for my son is buying a doll that pees, teach them to give baby a bottle, and then make it pee on the toilet, and clap and hoorah, then they will want to do it. I was skeptical when i read it, but it worked for my boy!"
  • Jennifer said: " Sesame Street - Elmo's Potty Time video is awesome before and during while you are sitting on the potty for long periods of time"
  • Rachel said: "I was also able to find a Potty Time with Elmo book that had push button sounds. Found it at Staples of all places while I happened to be looking for something completely different. They had just the book but there was also a potty-training doll pack as well. I was lucky enough to have a large Elmo doll already so we put a pull-up on Elmo AND read his book with him when we started training. smile emoticonWorked great!"
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