I wrote about my experience potty training my now 4-year-old back in 2018. Looking back on that blog post, not much has changed with my method but potty training my second child did bring about some new tips, tricks, and experiences!
My youngest just turned 2 years old earlier this month. Despite being told she was ready to start potty training at least 2 months before her birthday, my husband and I decided to wait until a bit longer. Part of this was us waiting for things to calm down around the holidays, the rest is just because we’re lazy. Don’t you just love the transparency here? In this post, I’ll be showing you how a lazy mom like me can get the potty training process started and be successful!
How to Start Potty Training
First, you’ll want to make sure your child is ready to potty train. Read this article from the Mayo Clinic for readiness cues. My daughter pretty much checked off all of these signs prior to us starting. Once you have decided to start, I would suggest doing the following 6 things:
Get everyone on board
First and foremost, everyone in the home and all caretakers must be on the same page. If you are all about potty training 24/7 but when your husband has the kids for a day and doesn’t pick up where you left off, it could set you back. This includes whoever is watching your kid while you work too. Make sure you let everyone know that you are in potty training mode! No diapers, and lots of supervision to avoid accidents. I even got my 4-year-old on board! She helps by cheering her sister on when she uses the potty as well as occasionally asking her “Do you have to potty?” during playtime to avoid accidents. It’s not a perfect system because she is still a child herself but being there for positive encouragement and setting a great example definitely helps!
Have the tools
You can of course just jump into potty training without a bunch of gear. Humans have been doing this for hundreds of years without a checklist or bunch of extra items but, it’s 2021 and we have amazon prime so here we go.
We use the Summer Infant potty, because it looks so similar to an actual toilet. To keep her sitting down, especially those first few days when she is learning body cues, we let her use the lap desk I mentioned in my 5 must-have amazon items blog. It is quite pricey if you’re only using it for potty training. Here is a much cheaper alternative. On the lap desk, you should keep things your kid likes so they stay busy. I would suggest wooden puzzles. My daughter loves playing with this shapes puzzle from Amazon. They have a similar version at Dollar Tree if you are lucky enough to find it!
For the creative kiddo, I would suggest the Crayola magic marker coloring sets. This is a great way for them to color and draw without you having to watch them like a hawk to keep marker and crayon art off of the walls and furniture. If you want, you can also turn on the TV and give them a tablet or Phone to play with as well.
Juice and snacks are your favorites
While potty training, especially the first few days, we kept her full of juice and water. This increases the frequency in which they need to eliminate, so you have more opportunities to show them what to do when they get that “gotta go” sensation. We also gave our daughter lots of snacks. Some moms use snacks to reward their children while potty training. Things like fruit snacks or grapes are given when they successfully make it to the potty. I chose not to do this. Instead, I used snacks to keep her occupied while sitting on the potty. Between the puzzles, TV, juice, coloring books, and iPad, she would sit happily for long stretches of time.
Pick a start date and commit to the process
Potty training can get frustrating, especially on the days when you need to leave the house or have a busy schedule. I find that if you can pick a week or weekend to start when you don’t have many events or things going on, it is easier to set a foundation that will help you when things get rough. And oh, will things get rough! I’ve cleaned up urine off of furniture and the floor more times than I would have liked. I was able to remain consistent and persistent with potty training because I was confident in her readiness, and I entered this when I was 100% ready to commit.
Have a reward system
As I mentioned before, lots of moms use snacks as a reward for using the potty. Some also use stickers on a potty chart. Although I didn’t do this, we do cheer each time she goes. Initially, this took her by surprise and scared her (we might have been a bit too overzealous) but now she looks forward to it. She also enjoys when I make a surprised face when I hear her tinkling into the potty. Now, she looks to my face for approval and I give her my best surprised, happy mommy face. It gets a laugh every time.
Positive reinforcement of any kind is a great help in the potty-training process. I do not, however, believe in punishment when accidents happen. At this stage, accidents should be expected. To be honest, a lot of accidents happen when us parents get busy and take our eyes off the ball. Instead of any punishment like spanking, we plainly explain to her what happened, state that it is an accident, and remind her where she is supposed to go. For example: “uh oh! You went pee-pee in your pull-up. Pee-pee goes in the potty, NOT the pull-up. Next time say, ‘mommy I have to go potty!’ okay?”
Have realistic expectations
Having realistic expectations is probably the most important of these 6 tips. Your child has spent their entire, however short, life going right where they are without a care in the world. It’s just not realistic to expect them to pick up potty training in a matter of days and have it down pat. Sure, some Pinterest moms allegedly have this experience (allegedly) but each child, household & family is different.
You Got This!!
I used each and every one of these tips and to be honest, I think it really helped me get through the initial potty-training phase without losing my nerve or my mind. As I said, most of the things you purchase aren’t essential when it comes to potty training. All you really need is the potty and plenty to drink. But, at this point in our lives I think we all need a few things here and there to make life easier! And when snacks and markers are involved, I’m sure toddlers find things a tiny bit easier too.
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