Potty training is one of the largest milestones in a child’s life. It can also be one of the most stressful experiences in a parent’s life. While many people, including my grandmother, told me that “No child is going to graduate high school in diapers” it sometimes felt like that is where we were going to end up. Here are 11 Potty Training Tips that helped us when potty training our daughter and son.
#1) Wait until your child is ready. With both of our children, I started trying to potty train them at 2 1/2 years of age. Both of them were smart kids who caught on to everything quickly…. except using the potty. By the time my kids were potty trained they were 3 1/2. Of course we didn’t spend a whole year trying to potty train. We took a break after a week of realizing that it was just not going to happen.
#2) Pick a week or weekend with NO plans! You will want to make sure that you can spend the week or weekend at home. By being able to stay close to a familiar potty, you don’t need to worry about messy accidents in strange places.
#3) Let them get naked! Most kids will be able to listen better to their body if they are not restricted by clothes. Allowing them to run naked around the house, they will notice the first little dribble and hopefully run for the bathroom.
#4) Bribes, bribes and more bribes! Normally I am not a huge advocate of bribing children for different behaviors. However, you will be surprised what a little incentive will produce. With positive reinforcement like sticker charts, candies, small toys or electronic time your little one will look forward to using the potty.
#5) Juice them up. Nothing “runs through” kids faster than juice. This allows them to need to pee more often which helps them learn and listen to their body.
#6) Set the timer. Setting a time for every 15-30 minutes helps the kids remember try to use the potty if they don’t feel the need to go. This also helps the parent not forget to take their child and will hopefully avoid accidents.
#7) Set routine. Good hygeine in the bathroom is a MUST! Set the routine of potty, flush, wash hands. Kandoo Moisturizing Hand Soaps are brightly colored foam soaps that contain Vitamin E and Natural Fruit Extracts to moisturize while cleaning. These soaps are dermatologist tested and hypoallergenic so you can be sure they are safe for little hands. Because of the colored foam, your little one will be able to tell if they have covered the whole surface of their hand making sure all the germs and dirt is scrubbed off.
#8) Expect setbacks and accidents. Day 1 your child may be super excited and ready for the adventure ahead. By Day 2, the novelty may have worn off and they are getting frustrated with having to stop play in order to use the potty, or annoyed with accidents. As parents, being patient and realizing that setbacks and accidents are not the end helps us keep our frustrations at bay, therefore encouraging our young ones.
#9) Buy flushable wipes. Wiping can be tough especially when it comes to larger jobs. Often, little bums can become sore with constant wiping. Kandoo Flushable Wipes are the perfect solution.
- clean up to 30% better than toilet paper
- pop up with the push of a button. No rolling or ripping required
- ensures a thorough fresh cleaning
- and are safe for sewer and septic systems
#10) Target practice. Let’s face it. If you have a boy, you know that messes can (and WILL be) made in the bathroom. Things start out well and they have no intention of making a mess (most of the time) but after a few seconds their attention will waiver and they will start looking around the room, which causes them to turn and…… you can imagine the rest. By placing a small item in the toilet like a cheerio, it allows them to focus on something and not lose concentration.
#11) Going out? Be Prepared! Chances are, there will be a time during potty training, or shortly after, when you will need to leave the house with your little one. The best tip I can give you for this is to be prepared. Bring extra clothes, a familiar potty seat for those scary public bathrooms and lots of wipes.
Remember, with all these great tips, if your child is not ready, they will not succeed.
**Stay tuned tomorrow for a fantastic potty training prize pack valued at $150**
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