Amaya's Dad on Potty Training

Potty training. Two little words that mean many things to parents. It could mean your little one is growing up. It could mean saving money on all those money-eating disposable diapers. For Mom, it could mean replacing a diaper bag with a change-of-clothes bag. For Dad, it could mean no more mall trips toting that lovely Disney Princesses Diaper Bag. It could mean breaking out in song; our drumming instructor, Mark, even has a song to sing that helps kids go potty! No matter what those words signify to you, they also mean consistency, effort and patience! 

When potty training your child, you have to be consistent with potty breaks. Have your little one sit on the potty chair with or without a diaper for several minutes each day. Don’t leave them alone; stay with them. Even if they sit there and don’t go, still praise them. We know how hard it is to have a 1 or 2 year old just sit still. My mom told me she set it up in the living room, in front of the TV to have me sit still, but that’s my mom! 

Be aware. When you notice your child is squirming, holding their private parts, or even squatting, get them to the potty fast! Become aware of the signs and help your child become aware of the signs, so they can begin to head to the toilet. After a couple of weeks of successful potty trips, it’s time to wear training pants (or underwear)!  My advice is to have your child wearing bottoms that are easily removed. Don’t put them in those farmer overalls that you need a college degree to unhook. Not being successful because your equipment is not setup for success is frustrating. Soon, you won’t even remember when they wore diapers! 

Be careful with incentive rewards. If you choose to use a reward system, it should be based on the day’s efforts, not on singular events. I was listening to a Freakonomics podcast a while back and a father thought he could use an economic incentive strategy to help his daughter potty train. He decided that he could reward her with M&Ms for successful bathroom trips. But, little did he know that KIDS ARE SMART. She figured out she could go and “tinkle” every 30 seconds and get a reward for each “tinkle.” Kids 1 - Dads 0. 

It’s a tough job, but its one that parents like you have been succeeding at for thousands of years. Look at the bright side; just think of all the funny potty stories you’ll be able to embarrass your child with when they reach adulthood. I remember when...well, I’ll save that story until Amaya is 21!

 *The information mentioned in this post are the opinions of the blog owner.....................

Use this potty training chart to help with your potty training success!