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Let’s be real. Potty-training is not a fun part of parenting. It might be the WORST part of parenting. It’s messy, it’s frustrating, it’s 24/7, it’s a guessing game, it’s smelly, it makes A LOT of laundry…like, A LOT.
You really have to get creative if you want to be successful at getting your littles potty-trained as fast as possible. So I’m going to share some of my tips and tricks we learned when we potty-trained our 2 boys.
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When we potty-trained our first, we didn’t know what the heck we were doing. We started too early, for one thing, which made for all of us getting frustrated because he just didn’t get it. We got all the little potties, toilet seats, fun underwear, reward candy, popsicles, timers, etc. But he just was not interested.
So we waited a few more months and tried again. But we continued to talk about it and tell him that he is a big boy and just remind him that when he’s ready, he will learn how to go on the potty. We didn’t want this to be a negative or scarring experience for him. (Or for us).
So one day, he and I were doing our thing at home while John was at work. I had just gotten some cute little Thomas the Train stickers, and I created a potty-training chart. I told him what I was doing and that if he went to the potty, he could have a sticker. At this point, he was OBSESSED with Thomas the Train. I knew this would work, because he wanted those stickers SO BADLY.
He told me he was ready to try to go potty. I was floored. So after I had already filled him up with apple juice, we hurried to the bathroom, and he climbed up by himself….AND PEED!!! The look of how proud he was will always be engraved in my head. He knew he did it and how long we had tried to teach him this milestone. I grabbed my phone, snapped several pictures, and sent them to the family. And we went right to the new chore chart and he picked out the biggest sticker he could find and smacked it up there.
From then on, we kept the chore chart on the fridge, he got 1 sticker for pee, 2 stickers for poop, and after he filled up 20, he knew he could pick out a new toy.
The poop was tough, I’m not going to sugarcoat it. The poop on the potty didn’t come for a few weeks after, because he was so scared. And I have read that it can be traumatic because it’s like they are losing “a part of their body,” which totally makes sense if you think about it from a child’s perspective.
But after time, he did get it. And your child will get it too! Our youngest wasn’t nearly as hard because we didn’t put so much pressure on him. And he wanted to be so much like his big brother, that he was excited to go potty.
I am personally opposed to the whole let-them-be-naked-walking-around-the-house-cleaning-up-after-them-as-they-pee-all-over. Like, hell no.
We did our thing with Pampers pull-ups and it was a lot cleaner and better for my anxiety. It didn’t get done in 3 days like those gurus say, but I just couldn’t bring myself to doing this. But if it works for you and your family, go for it! More power to you, you are braver than me!
Other than the chore chart and stickers, we also used M&Ms as a reward, suckers and popsicles. We put Cheerios in the toilet and had him “aim” to the target.
We even put a few drops of blue food coloring in the water. And we told him when his pee goes in there, the water will change color. Can you guess how excited that made him?? (Blue + yellow pee = GREEN toilet water!)
Like I said, we were VERY CREATIVE.
To help you out, I have linked which products really helped us throughout this process.
And if you want your own potty chart for your little one, you can download FOR FREE below! It will be delivered right to your inbox! It’s my gift from me to you as you cross this (toilet) bridge in your life.
It takes a lot of prep to get ready for potty training, so please consider my recommendations. These are all tried and true x 2. Don’t forget that waterproof matress protector. Maybe get a couple to have on hand in case your laundry piles up like mine does! The books really do help too. Joey’s favorite was the Daniel Tiger interactive book. If you aren’t familiar with Daniel Tiger, well, you should be.
You ready for your freebie?
Keep scrolling!
But first, here is my little guy, almost 3 years old here, who just needed some corresponding reading material.
Here is your FREEBIE!!
Your very own potty chart for your little boy or girl! There are 2 versions, one for boys, one for girls. Just enter your email below so you can have them right your inbox.
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I hope I helped you in some way as you conquer this chapter. Just remember, your kiddo will get it in their own time. Be patient. Then be patient some more. And get some wine, you will need it, Mama!
Cheers,
Jackie
