Friday, January 25, 2013

Potty Training Tips and Tricks


I have gotten quite a few emails asking how I potty trained my barely two year old so quickly. So I will explain in as much detail here what I did. Enjoy and good luck in your potty training adventures!

Things Needed
•Treats (lollipops, Hershey kisses, Reese Pieces, M&M's etc)
•Container for treats
•Big kid potty
•Time
•Patience
•Cleaner and rags
•Cheerful attitude and a BIG smile! :D
•Juice
•Salty snacks

Before you begin even attempting potty training ask yourself, " Is my child ready?"
Can your child tell you when they need to potty? Can they go through nap time without wetting their diaper? Can they pull their pants up and down by themselves? If you answered yes to these questions your child may very well be ready!

The day you begin be prepared to spend basically the entire day in the bathroom. Yes, I said ENTIRE day. Turn off the tv and other distractions, if daddy and sibling are home send them out for the day. It needs to be strictly you and your child, period.

Give your child lots of juice and salty snacks. Salt will make them thirsty, juice will make them potty. :)

When your child wakes up, before they can even rub their eyes, rush them to the potty and put them on it. Encourage them! Sing silly songs, clap, play games etc. Don't just sit there like a bump on a log and expect them to do something. When they finally do potty, even if its just a little PRAISE THEM! It may shock them at first, like why is Mommy going nuts because I just tinkled? But they get in on it and expect it. Do not let them potty without praising them, you won't go very far in your potty training. After they potty let them run around naked! Yes, naked bottom! That way if you see them start to tinkle or poo you can rush them to the potty. Do not use training pants during the day, they will think of it as a diaper and have more accidents. If they have an accident DO NOT spank, yell, discourage or reprimand them! That will scare them and they will hide somewhere and potty or cry every time they potty. Instead, tell them , "Tee tee or poopy goes in the potty" Have them HELP YOU clean it up and put it in the potty while they watch. If your child tells you they need to potty yes rush them to the potty but by no means snatch them up in an angry way and take them. Again, I beg of you PLEASE DO NOT spank your child because of an accident! It is just that, an accident! What if someone hit you every time you made a mistake? You wouldn't like it very much, would you?

Put your child on the potty EVERY 15 minutes. Yes, it sounds like a lot and that's why at the beginning I said expect to spend your day in the bathroom. They won't go every time you take them but they'll get the idea of why they're there and start to go. Set a timer if need be.

For Kensley, she has to tinkle literally every 20 minutes or so. I can't complain because I do the same. ;) So for her I got a toddler potty for the living room/dining room so she can potty when she needs to because she is still way too small to climb on the big potty to use it. So this is a great idea for your smaller kids so you don't have to take them every time they need to go, they use their small potty when they need to and mommy just dumps it and cleans it. One more piece of advice, train them on the big potty to begin with so they won't be afraid of it, then let them start using the toddler potty.

Have fun with it! It only took Kensley 3 days to be potty trained and she has not had a fall back. She has been going potty on the toilet since the end of November. Even when we are in town. She had two accidents while out and both were my fault because I didn't take her soon enough. It's takes some time for them to learn and for you but eventually you and your child get it. And there is nothing cuter than seeing your baby in big kid undies. ;)

Kensley's little potty
"Treasure Chest" with snacks

Kensley using the big girl potty
and finally......BIG GIRL PANTIES!


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