Potty Training Hints and Tips
...for potty training in less than a day
Tip #1 - Buy a copy of Toilet Training in Less Than a Day and read it.
It is an inexpensive paperback that will save you many dollars and many headaches. Read my review of Toilet Training in Less Than a Day.
Tip #2 - Keep a good attitude.
Remember, you are helping your child develop a new skill. This is an exciting time for you and your child. Don't let yourself get worked up or frustrated. Be patient and keep yourself on an even keel.
Tip #3 - Don't try too soon.
Before I potty trained my first child, a wise friend told me not to even mention it until the age of 30 months. I trained three girls at ages 25, 26, and 29 months and one boy at 30-months. They were all successfully trained in less than a day, but the two who were closer to that 30-month age were much, much easier.
Tip #4 - Check for a willingness to follow instructions.
If your child is resistant to following your instructions, you have some parenting issues to address before potty training. You don't want potty training to be the issue on which your toddler decides to take his stand in a battle of wills.
Tip #5 - Don't pick a bad time.
Common sense tells you that potty training two weeks before a new baby arrives is not a good idea. Similarly, right before vacation or a move to a new house is not a good time.
Tip #6 - Pick a good spot for your training session.
I always train in the kitchen. It has a linoleum floor and it is a larger space than our little bathroom. If we're going to be spending the morning together in one room, I'd rather it be the kitchen. Have some books or toys available for later in the morning. Keep your child in the kitchen until he or she is reliably pottying on the potty chair. Accidents will be easier to clean up there.
Tip #7 - Use flushing as a reward.
If you withhold the privilege to flush the toilet from young toddlers, they will consider it a great reward to be allowed to do the flushing themselves when they potty on the toilet or in the potty chair.
Tip #8 - Don't expect complete independence.
This is an area where I part ways with Toilet Training in Less Than a Day. I think it is unrealistic to expect a 2-year-old to successfully clean up his or her own bottom following a bowel movement. Likewise, having a 2-year-old empty the potty chair is not the most sanitary way to clean up. After your child is trained, don't go into the bathroom with them. Just say, "Call me when you are done, and I'll come help you."
Tip #9 - Make sure your toddler can "pee-on-demand".
A day or two after your training, work on having your toddler "pee-on-demand". Wait until you know the child likely will be able to urinate. Then, sit your child on the potty chair and say that you need him or her to go potty now. Do this a couple of times so you both understand each other. This will be helpful when you tell your toddler to go to the bathroom right before you head out the door to go somewhere.
Tip #10 - Have some predictability during the first few days.
Train during a week when your routine is predictable and not hectic. Keeping your child in a familiar setting is helpful. If you have to go somewhere, take the potty chair with you, if possible. Make sure your little one knows where it is or who to tell when they need to use the bathroom. I always try to train on a Monday morning so we have a whole week's practice before going to church and Sunday school.
Tip #11 - Expect a few (but not many) accidents in the first few days.
It will probably happen. Expect it and plan for it. My most recent trainee had only two accidents after we finished our Monday morning training session.
Tip #12 - Expect naptime wetness, but only for a couple of days.
Put a double-layer of thick training pants on your toddler during nap time for the first couple of days. Unless you are giving a lot of liquid right before nap time, he or she should begin staying dry during naps within the first week.
Tip #13 - Use prunes for prevention.
Before potty training and for several weeks thereafter, it is wise to make sure your child does not suffer a bout of painful constipation. I've found that adding baby food prunes to the diet keeps everything running smoothly during this transition time. I particularly like Gerber 1st Foods prunes because the prunes are not mixed with applesauce. I give a small jar at breakfast every day or every other day. You know your child's bowel habits and can make adjustments as needed.
Tip #14 - Look forward to success with BM's.
It has been my experience that bladder control leads to bowel control. No separate training is usually necessary.
Tip #15 - Handle willful "accidents" in an unpleasant, but matter-of-fact way.
If your child has been successfully potty trained, but begins willfully refusing to use the toilet, you have some parenting work to do. This is no longer a skill-building issue, but rather a defiance issue. Every time you discover such a mess, say very matter-of-factly, "Oh my goodness, look at this mess! We've got to get you cleaned up right away." Pick up your toddler and take him or her to the bathtub. Remove the soiled clothes and quickly shower your child off with VERY COLD (not lukewarm) water. A handheld sprayer works great for this, but use whatever you have. You may have to do this a half-dozen times, but I bet it won't take too long for Junior to decide that this is not the battle he or she wants to fight.
Tip #16 - Limit liquids at appropriate times.
First rule: make sure your child is properly hydrated. With that said, there are times you can restrict liquid intake. For instance, having a second cup of juice or milk at the breakfast table right before going shopping or to church is not a good idea. Give them something to drink at supper time, but nothing else in the evening--except maybe a few swallows of water when brushing teeth.
Tip #17 - Carry the potty chair in your vehicle.
Once trained, your child may wish to investigate the restroom in every new public place. Carry the potty chair in your vehicle. When you are in the grocery store, and your toddler announces that he or she has to go potty, you can say, "Do you want to go outside and use the potty chair in the car?" If the answer is "yes," you'll know it is a real need and you can take your child out to the car to use the potty chair. If you do this a couple of times, they will not get in the habit of needing to visit the restroom in each new place. You will also develop a sense for when it is the "real thing" and needs attention.
Tip #18 - Don't use diapers or pull-ups at night.
Go cold-turkey without diapers and pull-ups--even at night! In my experience it has taken each child about 6-months to achieve nighttime bladder control after being potty trained. I dress the child in two pairs of thick, padded training pants at night. This is often enough to keep the sheets dry. If you dress your child in warm PJ's, you won't need a top sheet or blanket over him or her. You'll have less laundry to do, and it will be easier to quickly change the sheet. It sounds like extra work, but it is only for a few months. I think that being able to feel the wetness is a big help in achieving control.
Tip #19 - Try waking the child up to urinate before you go to bed.
Our kids go to bed at 8:00 PM, and we usually head to bed around 10:00 PM. I've been waking up the newly-trained one at 10:00 to visit the bathroom. She is usually still dry at that point. Then I put her back in bed and she is often dry in the morning.
Tip #20 - Eventually switch from the potty chair to the toilet.
Make sure you have an appropriately-sized step stool for your toddler to use when getting up on the toilet. A couple of weeks after training, just leave the potty chair in your vehicle after you've gone someplace. When your toddler needs to go to the bathroom, take him or her into the bathroom and show him or her how to place the stool in front of the toilet. Help him or her get up on the stool and sit down. Your child may be nervous about sitting on the toilet, so help support them on the seat and reassure them. Do this every time, gradually lessening your support until you are just standing nearby. When they are comfortable sitting on the toilet alone, you can revert to sending your child into the bathroom alone and asking him or her to call you when finished.
Tip #21 - Think about previously unsuccessful attempts.
If you have tried and failed at potty training your toddler, you need to do some thinking. Buy and read Toilet Training in Less Than a Day. Review my tips. What do you think went wrong? Give yourself and your toddler some time off so you can read, think, and plan. Maybe you need to start from scratch with all the methods in the book. Or, you may just need to borrow a few of the ideas. Perhaps just the practice sessions will be enough. Think it through while you are not in the middle of the struggle.
Tip #22 - Have an "I can" attitude.
If you are thinking, "This is too much work! It's unrealistic. It doesn't fit my circumstances. I can't do this," then you need to check your attitude. Yes, it is work, but it is up-front work which will save a lot of extra work in the long run. If you need to adapt, adapt. Don't focus on what you can't do, focus on what you can do. Just try to think long-term, and take action now to avoid a long, drawn-out, frustrating experience.
