Last weekend we officially started potty training our two year old! It is so bittersweet seeing another little one go from diapers to undies but we are so excited for him! When I potty trained our daughter I looked up tons of articles on how to do it and what tips to follow. Now as a second time mama I want to share a few simple tips that worked for us with you!
1. Start When They Are Ready
We fully potty trained our daughter by the time she was 19 months and that included being trained at night while sleeping! I remember getting so much backlash from people saying she was too young for it…but honestly, she was ready! She showed signs like: being interested in potties, asking us about big girl undies at the store, and wanting to watch every potty video she could. She was basically obsessed with the idea of going potty! So we decided to try it out and she was trained within one week.
For my son, he was a little different. He showed readiness signs around 21 months but I didn’t feel like he was fully ready to start. When we first brought home his potty he refused to sit on it! It took him a few weeks to get comfortable with the idea of sitting his cute little bare bum on a potty. And we were totally okay with that! Potty training isn’t something that I ever wanted to rush the kids into. I wanted them to have positive feelings towards using the restroom. So I waited a little longer for him. I waited until he turned two. This time around I had people telling me: OMG I can’t believe he’s not potty trained yet! *Insert eye roll here* Whether you are potty training “early” or “late” don’t feel bad about your decision! Every child is different and you know your child better than anybody else. Start when they (and you) are ready!
2. Sticker Chart
The first thing I got for the kids was a sticker chart for using the potty. Because what kid doesn’t love stickers!? And also I needed a way to reward them that didn’t involve toys or bribing! You want something that can be an instant reward for them so that they start connecting the fact that potty time also means fun sticker time. For Lily I let her pick out a Sesame Street sticker chart we found and for Luke we printed out a simple sticker chart online and then took him to go pick out Spiderman stickers at the store that he liked! Every time that they used the potty they got a sticker to put on their chart. Once they filled up their sticker chart they got a prize. Prizes can be anything from a new puzzle to their favorite dessert!
3. Pick Your Potty
I think another important part is making sure you are getting a potty that they are comfortable with. I read tons of reviews from other parents and decided to use the Baby Bjorn Potty Chair but I let the kids choose what color they wanted. I have heard that a lot of kids get spooked with the potty’s that make noises so I just kept it simple and comfortable!
After about a month of being potty trained, I move them up to a potty seat that connects to a big toilet. I stuck with the Baby Bjorn brand. You can shop that potty training seat here.
4. Only Undies
I never use pull-ups or training pants with the kids except for at night. I went straight to using undies all day! The reason I like this is because with underwear there is no padding and if they happen to wet themselves they notice it right away. A big part of potty training is to get them to start paying attention to what the “urge to go” feels like. With pull-ups I felt like they were a bit of a crutch and felt too much like a diaper to them. It didn’t allow them to realize that they had went pee in the wrong place. When they wet themselves in underwear it is a really unpleasant feeling and they quickly begin to understand that they need to make it to the potty before this happens!
5. Be Consistent
Before potty training I made sure that we didn’t have any big events happening in our household so that I could give potty training all of the consistency and attention it needed. I also tried to stay home a lot during the first weeks so I wouldn’t have to clean up too many accidents in public and so the kids could stay in their undies all day. I know this is not possible for a lot of people so I would just try to make sure everyone in your circle is on board with the fact that your little one is potty training. Babysitters, daycares, grandmas, grandpas, etc. So that they can start developing a consistent potty routine!
6. Reward Don’t Punish
After every time they used the potty (even if it was only a splash) my husband and I would give them a big cheer and “Hooray!” and then immediately let them put a sticker on their chart. This gets them so pumped about going potty which is our real goal! We never got angry or punished them for not making it to the bathroom in time. Even when we were scrubbing pee off our couch haha! We always tried to stay calm and just remind them that they need to do that on their potty chair.
7. Make It Fun
For both of our kiddos we made a family day out of going and getting their potty supplies! They picked out their favorite undies, stickers, and potty and we read and watched potty books and videos. Remember that it can be frustrating for little ones who are newly learning how to go potty on their own. So making it exciting and letting them have control over the fun parts about it can make things so much easier!
If you’ve made it this far, thank you so much for taking the time to read! I hope this helped at least one parent out there! I’ve linked a few sticker charts below that you might like! Happy potty training! 🙂
Potty Training Charts For Toddlers: