POTTY TRAINING: 101

Do Not Go Potty Over Potty Training!
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Potty training your son or daughter can sound like the most terrific thing since they were able to hold their bottle. The thought of no more smelly or exploded diapers, and no more having to buy diapers is amazing! In between the transition of diapers and your child using the toilet, there’s potty training. Potty training can be a nightmare for both parents and kids. This post will help mom’s stay sane during this potentially trying time. I have accumulated a few hints and tips for you.

Do Not Push!

A great example is my own experience with my son. I tried to potty train him before he was ready and it was a brutal mess with pee and poop everywhere! I tried to potty train him before he was willing because I heard other parents with children similar in age were doing it. What I learned is that all kids are different so do not get hung up, worried, disappointed or discouraged if your child simply is not feeling it. In a few months, you can try again.

Keep Your Cool

Look, I know it is easier said than done after getting peed and pooped on for what feels like the 500th time. I know it can seem hard, but you have to try and stay calm, so potty training is a positive experience for your little one. If you don’t your children will feel as if the potty is a punishment. Keep potty training as encouraging and happy as possible, even when you’re trying to figure out how poop managed to get on the wall (facts). 

Sit On It

Now we are not talking about The Fonz (thank you, Nick at Night for that dated reference) but what I am talking about is getting your child to sit on the potty. If they have not needed to use the potty for a while, ask them if they need to go and get them to try. Get you child in the routine of going to the potty when they need it and not when it’s too late. Your child may fight you in the beginning, but the aim is to make using the potty as natural as possible. 

Two Potties For Every House!

Having two potties is something that helped me out greatly! If you live in a two story house, have one potty upstairs and one downstairs. This saves you having to unleash your inner Supergirl and fly up or down the stairs to grab the potty because your child has decided they “need to go.” Stay ahead of the game and have one upstairs and one downstairs.

Have A Potty Chart

Ok so here it goes, I managed to get my son to use the potty with some good ole' fashioned bribery. Some moms will tell you that this is not a good idea, but I can tell you from personal experience that enticement can work. My son loves food especially jelly beans (I don’t generally give him candy), so we had a system where each time he used the potty and did not go in his pants, on the carpet, or behind the couch, he would get to pick out a few jelly beans to snack on. To say this worked and helped with potty training is an understatement. So if you are having a hard time and just need that extra little trick to help, maybe bribery could be the way to go.