Potty Training 101 : Tips from Moms
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As a Mom of three kids, I can confidently say that no potty training journey is ever the same.
My firstborn took longer to potty train than my son. Contrary to the belief that boys take longer to train than girls, my son actually potty trained himself after realizing he was the only one in our home in diapers. (And this was before he turned 3)
It really boils down to this…
Is your child ready?
Potty Training 101 : Tips from Moms
I’m a MOPS Mom (Mothers Of Preschoolers)Â and I love being able to fall back upon my army of Mom friends for advice, tips, support and encouragement when it comes to my kids.
This also holds good vice versa. When a Mom in our group has a concern, we rally around to offer what help we can.
Two of my MOPS Mama friends have just given birth to sweet baby girls. They’re both also blessed with 3 year old daughters who’re yet to potty train. This has been a concern especially for one of the Moms who has never potty trained a child before.
Thanks to Pampers‘ generosity, I was able to host a potty training playdate of sorts to encourage these Mamas with their journeys.
Each Mama got to take home a goodie bag with a pack of Pampers Easy Ups and Laura Jana’s fantastic book : It’s You and Me Against The Pee.
With everyone’s schedules and coordinating a meeting while older siblings were at school, we agreed to meet at our local Chick-fil-A. This way our toddlers and soon-to-be-preschoolers could play in the play area while we chatted.
Of the 4 Moms, my friend who has just delivered twins is the only one who has never potty trained a child before, so this is one journey she isn’t looking forward to.
We all agreed that potty training is unpredictable but NOT impossible.
Here are a few Mommy tested, baby experienced potty training tips we shared with her (and reminded ourselves with for our next set of kids who’re ready/almost ready):Â
1. Don’t push your child to potty train. She will show signs that will let you know she is ready to learn.
2. Gauge what excites your child and use that to reward her. Create a reward chart to help her see how awesome she’s doing.
For my daughter stickers motivated her to use the potty. For my friend’s son it was being able to get an M&M or candy of choice helped. For my son, ‘x’ number of stickers on his chart, when accumulated, would allow him to pick a car from my save-for-a-rainy-day toy box in the closet.
3. Use training pants and not diapers when you begin the potty training journey.Â
Pampers Easy Ups have an underwear design that encourages a child to pull down his training pant to use the potty versus waiting for you to remove the same. It also has graphics on the same that fade away to show a child she has wet the same. Easy Ups are 25% more absorbent than any other training pants in the market, making these great to use especially when on-the-go and not at home, while potty training.
4. Take your child with you when you go pee
Imitation is something that works wonders! Have your daughters watch Mom and sons watch Dad. It always helps though to start little boys sitting down and then graduate to standing up once once potty trained.
5. Be patient. Potty training can be a stressful journey but if both parents are calm through it all, it makes the journey an easier one on the child.
6. Be consistent irrespective of where you are and what you are doing. If you aren’t your child will be confused and will take longer to master using the potty.
Dr Jana also encourages parents to build up the momentum to when your child actually begins to potty train. This helps break the child into the new routine gradually and comfortably.
Oh and Mom, don’t hold back from asking your Mama friends to pray for your child while on the journey. (And yes, you will need the prayer support too.)
Do you have any potty training tips to add?
I certainly don’t miss this phase in my kids lives. I always used Pampers when I trained them.
If you have a boy, appeal to his boyishness. We had our son aim for a Cheerio in the potty. He was always excited to hit it. LOL.
This was perfect timing for me to read! We’ve been wanting my son to potty train for some time now. I think I’m going to use one of your recommendations and create a sticker chart for him. He loves stickers and I think that will work well.
I agree whole heartedly with two of your photo tips – stickers RULED for my son, and we had to be very consistent to keep pace with him. It takes time.
We had a reward system tied to going potty. The kidlets would get a series of stickers and once they had 10 would get a prize.
Pay attention to cues as to when they’re ready to be trained! My daughter just ran around naked lol. She’d pee on her potty seat that way.
My son is potty training right now! He only needs a diaper for night time and sometimes even then he is dry.
I really lucked out with potty training. All of my kids have been eager to be like the big kids, so I don’t really have any tips to add.
We are going through this phase right now with my daughter. I used all the same tricks that had my boys potty trained in a week. But my daughter has learning disability and it is taking FOREVER! She grasps the concept. But she can’t seem to recognize the feeling that she needs to go. Being patient and consistent is very important.
I’m struggling a bit with my toddler and her potty training. She can go forever without a diaper and not go, it’s like she’s a camel. She refuses to actually sit on a potty..any potty.
I remember those days. I didn’t think I was ever going to get my son potty trained. One day I took him to the store and let him pick out his own big boy underwear. He picked the Power Rangers. From that day on he was potty trained. He didn’t want to pee on the Power Rangers.
Those are all super-true. A potty chart was really helpful to me and when I wasn’t consistent, we ended up taking a step back in the potty training…
I am so glad I am out of the potty training stage for my kids. my daughter was the hardest to train. Not til she was 3 and 1/2. My oldest was completely potty trained by 18 months old.
My girls also ran around naked. This was easy because they never wanted to make a mess, so they’d sit on their potty when they need to pee or poop.
These are some great tips for potty training! I definitely agree with small rewards and doing a “potty dance” when they go!
Potty training can be very hard! These are surely really great tips, a small reward always works best. It teaches them that it is a good thing to do.
What would I have done without Pampers? Back in the day we were told that our kids should be potty trained by 2. Mine were all completely trained by 18 months except for my son. He was 2-1/2. I wish things would have been more relaxed back then. 🙂
The sticker chart is great. We used one for both our kids.
I definitely think consistency is extremely important when it comes to potty training, so that would be my tip as well. Children need to know there is only progress to be made.
Always let the kids decide when they are ready to be potty trained. Once they are fully ready it’s fairly easy to potty train them.
What a cool idea with the thought bubbles. My daughter gets a Hot Tomale candy every time she uses her potty. I hope to get her potty trained by the end of summer.
I think the best thing you can do is wait until the child is really ready to potty train. Until then, it is a waste of time almost! I love all of these tips for moms going through potty training with their little ones.
It’s been a while since my girls were out of diapers, but what worked for my daughter as actually sitting behind her on the big toilet and letting her go potty there. For some reason, it just made her want to use it more.
The biggest tip is to be patient. I know that it sometimes takes a while for the little ones to come around, but eventually they do. Especially if they know that it’s what everyone else does!
I agree with Dawn, the biggest tip isto be patient. My two kids are grown now and I feel you, this is a great tips for those new moms.
Some great tips… now the magic is finding what works for each kid. We had twins and totally different training for each one.
We tried the potty in the living room so that he might use it more often and not be so concerned about interrupting his playtime. It did NOT work for us, and I don’t think I’ll try it again with my youngest.
Know the signs that are specific to your child. We’re finishing up potty training with our second son, and I know his body language and facial expressions when he needs to go. It’s very helpful!
I do not miss potty training. Each child is different and ready at a different time. And sometimes they need a little motivation. (or bribe).
These are great tips. It would have been fun to have a potty training party when my kids were little. I will have to share this with my friends with little ones. We used to put Cheerios in the toilet for my son to aim at.
Great tips! Being patient is a huge part of potty training!
As a mom of 4 kids myself, I can completley agree. These are awesome tips! Thanks for sahring.
So I’m not there yet, but I do have a funny story about diaper changes. Looked after my neighbours baby there the other day while she was at the dentist, and the lil’ dude had a butt explosion out of his diaper. I’m pretty sure his diaper was on sideways and upside down by the time I was done with him. He’s only 10 wks old, and I could TELL he was laughing at me…. he smiled as I changed his diaper because I swear he knew I had no clue hahahahhaa
My kid was not ready to start potty training but we couldn’t wait any longer! Luckily we got it to stick and we haven’t looked back!
Potty training can be so rough to do!! Consistency is always the most important thing for the kids to get the hang of it!
My only tip would be not to bother trying when you are ready – wait for them to be ready. A lot of people try too soon or push it and IMO it makes it harder and worse. Take their lead.
I have to say first of all, I love how you photographed this. Next I love all your tips but especially the “Are they ready?” and Consistency. Both are super important.
Pampers were a lifesaver when the kids went through potty training school. The tips are fantastic.
It’s not about how parents are ready but how the kids are ready. When they are ready, they will definitely do it.
We are currently potty training our youngest and he’s almost there. It certainly is different from child to child.
Goly I remember those potty training days, and I do not miss them one bit!
Kiddo was 3 when she came in to my life and was already in her big girl panties. She was prone to accidents though and when she saw that pull up coming you would have thought her life was over. She had accidents until she was about 6 because she was afraid if she left to go to the bathroom she was going to miss out on something. Some of it was stress related as well as the home environment at her mothers was not a good one. Thankfully, we have custody and she is doing so much better with everything.
My husband was a stay-at-home when my kids were little so he took the reigns on this. Bribery worked wonders!
I do not miss the potty training days at all. It’s a small miracle when they finally use the big potty!
My youngest has no desire to potty train. He seems interested but not ready to go potty on the potty.
Potty training can be quite tough! Being patient is really the key to it all. If you aren’t patient, your child is going to know and get even more aggravated.
I was lucky as it took only two days to potty train our daughter. The treat method worked like a charm.
I can’t imagine having twins to potty train – my little guy was a bit of work to be sure – and I don’t remember using training pants – it was a very patient time to be sure – You have offered great tips and ideas!
I don’t have kids but reading this makes me have a ton of respect for those of you who do 🙂 PS I love the visual style with the conversatio bubbles!
I’ve just started potty training my son and it’s been “fun” so far! lol thanks for the tips – I appreciate it!!
I love the idea of a potty training playdate. My daughter is 3 and I promised her she would be potty trained by 2.5 years old. She was ready but I wasn’t so I drug my feet. It was harder to potty train my oldest, part of it could be that we had never done it before.
I was team Pampers with both of my kids, I loved their products.
What a great idea! I think moms helping moms is the best thing. I’m ten years past potty training, but we used Pampers back then, just like my mom did in the 70s. They are the best–you get what you pay for!
Thankfully, I have my mommy to guide me on the potty training journey. Having support is so important
We had a two part process in our potty training. One went really quickly and the other took a very long time. We had rewards, special toys that only were used on the potty, etc. You are right that every child is different but they all get there eventually.
Potty training is such a tough part of childhood for me, I think it’s only super tough since every child goes at their own pace. I think thinks tips will help any parent including me keep up with this interesting yet vital sage of babyhood.
I think it’s cute and fun what you all did and I know that not only were all six of my kids different, but it was our youngest and only daughter who was the hardest and took the longest to train
Great tips you got here. I’ve never had problems with my son in his potty training and he started at two years old. It was like, it just happened naturally. 🙂
What great tips!! We are in the middle of potty training right now! Ughhh….. Lol… Can’t wait for this phase to be over!
I’m so glad I’m past those days. These are some great tips, wish I had them when I trying to potty train the boychild.
How cute is this potty support group! LOL at the “I Need Help” sign! My mom is a home daycare provider and I call her the Potty Whisperer lol!
I remember going through the potty training phase. Sounds like you had a great time with your friends! 🙂
I’ve potty trained a girl, but I am def anxious to potty train a boy!
I have a little toddler who is showing interest to go on the potty. He has already gone many times but it needs to be consistent.
I potty trained my kids over 20 years ago and I still remember the stress. I remember once they started when we were out it seemed they needed to check out every bathroom no matter where we were.
Consistency is key. I would make sure my kids had scheduled potty times and it seem to work!
Wait till they are truly ready, otherwise you will just make yourself and everyone else crazy with it! It will happen in good time!
I could never keep track of things like sticker charts (to me just one more time suck); fortunately my daughter basically potty trained herself. She just decided that she didn’t like diapers anymore.