Potty Training Tips

My two-year-old son is getting curious about the potty, but nowhere near ready to start training. How do I know? He screamed for his life when I tried to sit him on the seat. I’ll try again when he is three!

As soon as my daughter turned three, I laid down the law with potty training. She had been terrified of the potty. I think the flushing noise from public restrooms when she is out with me did it.

But we finally got her excited about it and were able to ditch diapers.

Here are my top tips for potty training:

1. Wait until your toddler is ready.

2. Make it fun. Let them mark down each time they go on a chalkboard.

3. Offer candy as a reward each time they go.

4. If they go all day, make a big deal and bring home a toy. Better yet, get a figurine set (like 10 in a box) and tell them at the end of the day or week, they get to choose one toy from the set if they go on the potty all day.

5. Buy lots of cute panties/fun underwear with their favorite characters to excite them.

6. Start with a kid potty instead of a seat that goes into a big toilet. Less scary.

7. Let them sit on the little potty while watching TV. They will go and not even know it!

8. Use pull-ups at bedtime for accidents.

9. Show lots of praise and excitement each time they go.

10. Don’t pressure them or make them feel bad if they have an accident.

Lesson learned from this post: Don’t force potty training, but do make it fun.