So we are in the midst of potty training… round two.. What amazes me is how different one child is to the other. My eldest was pretty much fully potty trained at 2 years and 4 months, the age my youngest is now. The thing is, he is just damn lazy 🙂 . He knows exactly when he needs to go but will purposefully go and run away from you.
So I’ve thought back on what worked with us with my eldest, and we have shown significant progress! SO here are some tips to keep your sanity, and your home, “poop” free.
Lose the nappies
I’m going to tell it to you straight. Lose the nappies. Completely. Not even pull ups if you are serious about it. All they create is a “safety” shield for the kids. The most effective way I’ve ever come across is letting them run around butt naked. So with that…
Take a weekend
You need at least 2 days of not going anywhere. It’s a positive! You’ll get unlimited family time (YAY) and are easily able to run to the loo when needed. This is the most effective method for potty training quickly. You need to put your toddler on the toilet every 30 minutes or so initially, to get them used to the concept. No nappies allowed, the whole day!
Make sure you have easy access to a toilet/potty.
I never really used a traditional “Potty” with my kids. I can handle changing nappies but I can’t handle the thought of having to wash out a “potty” after every session thanks. Instead we use those kiddie toilet seats that make the seat comfortable for smaller behinds. You really do want to be able to pop them on fast or every 30 minutes as a guide, so make sure you have “ablutions” close by.
Brush up on your singing/acting skills
Kids need entertainment on the toilet! Especially when they are learning, there is nothing like a leisurely “session” to get the job done. We have a couple of games and songs handy to keep our boy entertained 🙂 Be liberal with the praise, for some reason for toddlers its a HUGE achievement when they first poop on the toilet, so celebrate with them!
Expect accidents and be prepared
They WILL happen, take it in your stride. It’s all natural. All mummies have been in a situation where their kids have had wet pants. We were picking berries in the middle of a field once. I had literally just asked my son if he needed to wee, of course he said no. 10 minutes later he said “mummy whoops”. On the day I forgot spare pants, of course! ALWAYS. PACK. SPARE. PANTS.
Night time bed accidents will also occur. It’s OKAY. It happens. Don’t harp on it, just change them and the sheets and move on. Don’t make them feel bad or create anxiety.
The hard part comes in if you need to travel or night time wee’s. I learnt from experience don’t wait too long to do the night time training, in fact, if you can, do them together. We would take my eldest initially to the bathroom twice a night (he pretty much stayed asleep). I then cut it down to once a night when I went to bed, around 12h30 and eventually a month later he would wake himself if he really needed to go.
I hope my tips helped you in some way. Please feel free to comment on your experiences or share to mummies who may need some encouragement.
Oh I’ll save this for next summer! Great tips!
aahh, i need this. my toddler is on her way to potty training 😀 thanks for sharing
Thank you for sharing these tips. I needed nr 1 especially. I have to do this with my little one in a few months.
Oh My GOD!! I so needed this.I’v been trying.My Lil guy is 2yrs 10mnths on Sunday.I was fretting this so much.I tried 2 take him(he’l go if I take off his diaper 2 bath him)I have asked him 2 Tel me went he needs 2 wee or boomboom(our special word)bt he will do it in his diaper then say he wants 2 go toilet!Frustrating bt he did go a few times and I did praise him 4 his effort.He seems comfortable with the idea(we have a potty,never been used & have the toilet seat which he loves) I’m gona give ur ideas a try,lol,he’l love running around butt naked though!! Tanx
I will be going through this very soon. I think it will harder with a boy than it was with a girl. I remember she didn’t finally learn until she was ready. Great post!! Thanks for sharing.
I agree with your tips. However I do not know what to do with my 2 year old who does not like to poop. On the potty, in her diaper, nothing. It’s interfering with potty training.
Oh no !! Sorry to hear that ! Is it because she feels “dirty” or is it more medically related like constipation? If it’s about “feeling” then maybe just try more positive reinforcement? Perhaps a treat after every time she goes ? (Not too many though)
It is the feeling that she doesn’t like. We do a great, but it’s not really helping. Thanks for the advice though!
Great tip!. We are currently potty training, and I’ve found that loosing the diapers and pull ups was the way to go. It has helped us tremendously.
100 percent ! They are great for if you have to pop out or if you are on a long journey but otherwise if they are on they will just go in them ?
“Brush up on your singing/acting skills” – good one :).