Potty Training Tips
Having just completed potty training my 2nd child, I thought I would share with you my top tips for getting through this interesting, messy but eventually liberating stage of life!
Firstly - Timing is everything! I believe there is a sweet spot. And it’s not too long after they turn two. Any younger and they might not be able to communicate it and be a little bit too little. At around 2, they really want to achieve things and show off their new found skills. That pride is what you want to grab on to! After 3 they get way more independent and confident in their right to refuse to cooperate! But every kid is different so you know your child best and follow their lead. If you start and they don’t get it, leave it and give it another month or so.
The lack of privacy you have pays off. Take them to the toilet with you, they follow you there anyway! They can see the process, hear you tinkle, wipe, pants up, flush, wash hands etc. It starts to connect the dots in their brain. Older siblings are great for this too!
Make it fun - We have lots of books sitting by the loo and my kid tells me to sit and makes sure I read them. They relax and things come out!
Excitement - The cheering we do when it does come out, you would think we just won a gold medal. There is high fives, woo hoos and lots of happy dances.
Treats - You can call them bribes if you like. Mini M&M’s are amazing! Tiny pay off for huge gain! Plus you can teach them colours, so you know, educational as well! 1 for a pee, 2 for a poop!
Equipment - I love this toilet seat from Bunnings. It has adult size and kids size. We didn’t bother with a potty in the house. However, you must get a CAR POTTY! This hack is my best tip - Put a potty in your boot, decorate it with stickers of whatever they are into (ours is Elmo). That way they can go whenever you are out and don’t have access to a toilet. We then pour it on a tree or bag it up. You will also want their favourite undies with cool characters. We have Elmo & Paw Patrol. I ordered these from the US and love them, they are padded so hold in a little wee for small accidents.
Cues - We take Angus to the toilet every 1-2hrs. But you will start to notice certain behaviours. Angus has always been a morning poo’er and he also goes off by himself and plays with cars… It’s his tell! Thats when we grab him for the win!
Boys & Girls - So many people told me that boys take longer than girls. Personally, I don’t believe it. Just because my son has a penis doesn’t make him any less capable than my daughter. The only difference I found is that he was less verbal than she was at the same age, but he caught on quick enough. For me, communication was the biggest sign that we were ready to go. Both trained just after turning two.
Time - You will need to stay home for around a week for it to really click. We did it over the Christmas break which I highly recommend. Don’t make any plans for a week and commit to the cause! Easter isn’t far away and another good time to give it a go.
Daycare - Try have them trained for at least a week before making your poor childcare workers deal with it. I have heard a story of a family deciding it was time to train without ever actually doing any at home first, turning up and saying we are doing it starting today! Thats not cool for anyone and won’t set them up for success. And really, they don’t get paid enough to deal with that! But once they are done, give your daycare a list of all of their cues and their routine and lots of spare changes of clothes.
Bedtime - We still do nappies for naps and bedtime until they are older and able to get to the toilet on their own. This is more developmental and occurs later on for most kids.
Be brave! The first time you go our without a nappy is nerve racking! Take lots of changes of clothes, don’t go anywhere without wipes, 3 pairs of undies and shorts and an emergency nappy! Know where the toilets are and good luck!
You can both do it! It’s scary but not changing nappies is a great game changer and so much better for the environment too!
