Potty Training Tips
Start Early
We start sitting our kids on the potty as soon as they can sit on their own around the 6-8 month mark. This may seem silly but they become comfortable on a potty and soon learn what to do on there. I usually sit them on in the morning, before lunch and after, after nap time and before bed. Try and look for your child's signals when they usually go, most of the time they have a rhythm.Be Consistent
The more consistent you are with sitting them on the potty the quicker they will be diaper free. Both parents have to be on board and involved. I have been very motivated to get Boaz out of diapers, (because two in cloth is a lot of work!) so it actually happened sooner with him than with Phoebe. It also helps when they have an older sibling to encourage them and model it for them.Plan Ahead
If you want to be consistent when you go out have a potty in the car, especially for long trips. This keeps you from having to drive all over to find a restroom and public bathrooms can be very scary so if you can avoid them with little people all the better! Those collapsible potty seats are nice to have as well for travel but you can just hold on to your child to keep them from falling in too. I always pack an extra set of clothes in case we don't make it in time.Have Fun Rewards
My kids are rarely allowed to have "treats" but when we potty train I make exceptions. Little treats like a chocolate chip, a corn syrup-free gummy, raisins, little bite size cookie or a butter mint. It makes it really special to get something new. Food can be a powerful motivator. If your kid is not a foodie then stickers on a chart that add up to a new toy may be more effective. You know what makes your kid's eyes twinkle. I had one that was a foodie and one that liked stuff so you just have to experiment a bit.Have a "No Pants Week"
When you find that your child is going well on the potty and only goes in their diaper 2-3 times in 24 hours then it is time for "no pants week." You will be cleaning up messes for the first few days, so stay on hard floors, but I have found that both my kids hated to pee on the floor. They both learned to fine tune their bladder control very quickly, and it didn't take either of them a whole week. For girls I just had her in a dress all the time to make it easier. For a boy we went from just underwear to underwear with sweat pants or pants with an elastic waist so he could take them down himself. I have to say this was the hardest part of potty training a boy, those dumb jeans!Encouragement
No matter how bad the day was it is always good to keep your attitude positive toward your child, nothing dampers the spirit like an angry, frustrated mom! After all we are also raising little people so lets set a good example on how to deal with disappointment as well as going to the bathroom. You don't want to make the potty a battle field, when they do a good job keeping their pants dry then let them know how awesome they are!This is what we have done for our last two children and it has worked great. Some days can seem very daunting, like you will have a child that pees their pants till they are 12, but that is just one day tomorrow is usually better! Phoebe was potty trained by 23 months and Boaz is 21 months now so there is hope! God is good He will never give you more then you can handle :)
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