With 2018 knocking on the door I have decided that I need to get serious about potty training our toddler this coming year. With our first two kiddos I was potty training as soon as they showed ANY signs of readiness but, as with most things for the third child, potty training and attention to signs of readiness have not been quite as high on my list of importance as say… survival.
For any first time potty training parents out there I cannot highly enough recommend the 3 Day Potty Training method. I successfully used this method with both my oldest children and had one trained in 4 days and the other in 1. Seriously, if you’re unfamiliar check out these posts (Day 1 and Day 3) from a couple years back from SIMPLE mom Ginny.
If toddler potty training is also on your upcoming To-Do list I have a couple tips to help make the process a bit smoother.
1) Toilet Stool Step :: after hearing stories from friends who had children that were terrified of using the regular size toilets found EVERYWHERE but their homes I decided to potty train my children on the house toilet. To make it an easier experience for everyone I invested in one of those stools that wrap around the toilet so that the littles can climb up and feel secure. The price is comparable to the plastic training toilet you’d buy otherwise and it’s a lot less work each time your kiddo has to go.
2) Underwear :: this kind of goes without saying but you’re going to need underwear and when you go to buy some DOUBLE the amount you had in mind. On the first day of potty training with one of my kids we went through 20 pairs of underwear in 45 minutes. Thankfully I was well stocked and we had enough to keep on training that day without having to run a load of laundry.
3) Bribes :: at our house we like to say that we’re not above bribery. Encouraging my kids to use the toilet so I don’t have to continue to change diapers? Definitely bribe worthy. Candy, small toys, sticker charts, figure out whatever works for your kid and go with it.
4) Cleaning Supplies :: accidents will happen and being prepared with the necessary cleaning supplies in an easy to grab bucket/case/tote will make those incidents a lot less painful for everyone.
5) Cheering Squad :: siblings, older cousins, aunts, uncles, grandparents, or just mom & dad can all be a cheering squad to help make potty training a success. Whether it is in person, on the phone, or via video chat the more people encouraging my little ones to achieve potty training success the happier they are to make those trips to the potty.
What tips would you share for other parents about to potty train or what other tips have been shared with you?
