How to potty train your toddler
Ready to take the plunge and potty train your little one?
There’s no denying that this is a BIG step for you and your toddler. I always had an element of self-doubt as we were both so comfortable with nappies. I wanted to wait until summer as my little one would then be over 2. Sounds like the perfect time, doesn’t it?
I didn’t expect things to go smoothly, but summer never seemed to come around. At least for a while anyways! No matter how many days passed, there never seemed to be a good time to get started. We were both unsettled due to house renovations and his dad also went away for work. Neither of these factors helped those feelings of turmoil! There was also an element of fear that I wouldn’t be capable of doing it but I knew that I had to bite the bullet.
We tried for one day at home and one day at nursery, both seemed to be a complete disaster. I couldn't even get him to sit on the potty and at nursery he had about 7 accidents. So, I decided to wait a couple of weeks until we had a clear schedule and a good routine. It was now time to try again!
Interested in knowing how I finally got this to work? Keep reading for some valuable tips and tricks on how to potty train your toddler!
Round 2
Tip 1: Ensure you have some free time. Don’t try to fit potty training into your busy schedule!
I started on a Friday as we had swimming in the morning and would then be free for the remainder of the weekend. By Monday, he would have nursery and I would get a little break. From my personal experience of raising a toddler, I think it’s really important to make good use of childcare settings, so you get a break from potty training, and they can give you support. Especially if you are doing it alone.
Tip 2: Do it YOUR way! You know your child better than anyone.
Not everything needs to be done by the book. I decided to give him some freedom. This meant that he would now be running around pant less! If you want me to be completely honest, he only wanted to wee and poo outside in the garden. Not ideal, but definitely easier to clean up! Over the weekend, we managed just 2 pees and one poo on the potty. But for me, this was progress! As we were still taking baby steps, I decided to keep him in his night-time nappy the following morning until I was showered and ready for the day. It was the only way!
Tip 3: Encourage your toddler to talk about their business but don’t repeatedly ask them!
On the Monday, he only went once throughout his day at nursery. This definitely worried me as he was obviously holding it in all day! We then had two more days at home where we only went on short trips to the shop or the garage. We made even more progress throughout this time, perhaps due to the bribery…
Tip 4: Reward your little one!
Not everyone will agree with my method, but you should always do what works best for you. I don’t usually allow my little one have any sweets or chocolate. However, I used chocolate buttons as an extra special reward! I decided that he could have one chocolate button for a wee and two for a poo. To my surprise, this helped A LOT! Especially as he wasn't keen to even sit on the potty beforehand. Even when in his nappy, he now asks for a wee in the evening and morning. It’s only been a few weeks and we have already progressed from the potty to the toilet seat. This is something that I really encouraged him to do throughout the whole process of potty training!
Tip 5: Be patient and take small steps!
These things definitely take time. Although I still haven't tackled overnight potty training, we are certainly one step closer to being nappy free! As soon as he gets up now, we get take his nappy off and he goes for a wee. Excitingly, some mornings he is dry!
Tip 6: Read books, articles and blogs. Educate yourself but add your own little twist.
The books I read were Oh Crap! Potty Training by Jamie Gromacki and 3 day toilet training by Lori Jensen. Although they did help, there is no denying that once you are in the middle of this process, you really do just go with the flow! It’s important that you figure out what works best for you and your little one.
One of my takeaways from Oh Crap Potty training was not to over prompt and keep asking them if they need the potty. I did this first time round due to fear, I guess. My little one literally ignored me, I was like white noise! I also realised that he is a bit of a camel as he has pretty good bladder control! By asking only once an hour, you are also giving them a little bit more freedom and independence.
For the bathroom, we purchased the Kelpin Potty toilet seat with steps. For out and about, we used the Potette 3 in one Travel potty, this is great as you can also use it over public toilets as a seat!
As always, if you have any tips that I can share with other parents or things that helped you out on your journey, please let me know and I will pass them on my social media!
I would like to finish by saying that I salute anyone who can potty train their kid in 3 days! Well done to those mamas and every mama!