11 Tried and True Potty Training Tips

Potty training…  Those who haven’t yet experienced toilet training a small child don’t usually understand the process. Those on the precipice or in the midst of potty training generally cringe. Those of us who have gone through it nod knowingly. Yes, it’s a THING for parents.

Everyone has issues with it in one way or another. Every child is different. What works for one will most likely not work for the second or subsequent kids. But take heart! They all will learn!

Here are eleven tips to assist you and your little one to get things going, literally and figuratively.

11 Tried and True Potty Training Tips 

  1. Avoid power struggles. Keep potty training low key. When the child is ready, he’ll use the toilet.
    Rule of Thumb: you cannot make them eat, sleep or use the potty.
  2. Take the child on a special shopping trip to pick out “big kid” underpants. The thought of pooping on Superman or Cinderella is a great incentive to use the toilet.
  3. Choose times to work on potty training when the child is well rested, feeling well, and there’s time. This goes for the parent as well. Patience and fatigue don’t mix well.
  4. If the child is dry after a nap, give him a chance to use the toilet. It’s a good readiness cue and the child will most likely need to go. When night training, limit liquids in the evening. Place a nightlight in the bathroom.
  5. Provide a basket of “bathroom only” books to read while on the toilet.
  6. Purchase a doll that wets so the child can see how the body works… in one end and out the other. Some children are frightened by the thought of something coming out of their body and being flushed away in a noisy, watery toilet. Explain to the child every living thing poops. Food is fuel. The body uses what is needed, the rest is waste.
  7. Try dedicating a day for potty training. Feed the child salty foods so he’s good and thirsty. Let him drink all he wants. He will spend a lot of time “practicing” with that much liquid in his system! Give lots of praise and a small treat when the child is successful.
  8. Sticker charts work well for some kids. When the child is successful, award a sticker. When 10 stickers (or any predetermined amount) are earned, reward the child. The reward doesn’t have to be a thing. Extra reading time with Mom or Dad, making snow angels in the backyard as a family, or a trip to the park to go sledding are great rewards. Increase the number of times the child is dry, then proceed to days he’s dry.
  9. Fear can set in after a bout of constipation. Yogurt and high fiber foods help soften the stool and take the pain out of the experience. A warm bath will help too. It also helps to keep the child’s mind otherwise occupied with the basket of books to read while on the toilet.
  10. Have your child contact a grandparent or special friend to report on the potty progress.
  11. A mom in one of my classes had Cheerios on hand to float in the toilet for her son to aim at to keep things neat AND to provide incentive to use the potty. Use a novel technique that matches your child’s personality to get the job done!

© 2017 Becky Danielson FaithFirstParent.com