Practical tips for potty training
When you just can't do it alone........................
Call in the potty squad!
Now that Logan is potty trained, it's been a huge excitement in this house. When he needs to go to the bathroom, he announces it and then everyone wants to follow. If you're under five and you live in our house it's a potty party every time. I had to stop telling my younger kids when I was going to the bathroom because they never failed to meet me there. This is when the ninja strategy comes into effect. You distract and then sneak into the bathroom. I know this sounds bad but when you have children, you just have to do it. If you have older children who can keep an eye on the younger ones, LOCK the door when you use the bathroom, or you will have no privacy. Any other time, your kids can wait five minutes to ask you a question but when you’re using the bathroom, forget it. The question can't wait. Let me not forget to mention that locking the door does not always eliminate the need for them to want to talk to you while you handling business. Every now and then you'll get the occasional items under the door or the pack of cheese your child wants you to open. I like to call my little group of sweetness "The potty squad."
Potty squad:
is a group of little people (mainly under the age of 5, but can include your dog or cat also) who like to follow you to the bathroom and get into stuff. Toilet paper, soap bottles, trash, toothbrushes, toothpaste, lotion, shampoo anything that could cause a mess.
So, what does the potty squad have to do with potty training?
If you have several little ones, the potty squad can either hinder the process or expedite it. Either way, you're going to have an audience when you're trying to teach your diaper-wearing babe how to use the toilet.
I'm by far no expert here but I've had my share of teaching little people how to independently do things on their own for over thirteen years now. Teaching your little ones how to perform small tasks not only gives them a sense of accomplishment, it's rewarding for both of you. Watching your baby grow into a toddler and then into an independent little person is bitter-sweet. Especially when it comes to this milestone. Oh...... the obstacles you face along the way. Let's just say you will have lots of unforgettable moments!!
When it comes to potty training we like to start our children off when they show signs of being ready themselves. Every child is different, and some learn faster than others. I read somewhere, where a ten-month-old was potty trained. That's quite impressive to me!!! In our home, the average age of learning to use the bathroom independently is between the ages of two and four. With all of them, we've noticed they share a common readiness for the bathroom. They first start by taking their diapers off on their own. One minute you're cooking dinner and the next minute you're stepping on a wet diaper that your kid through on the floor. And after you get over the initial gross moment, you laugh and realize wow, I guess it's time. If you don't read the clues they're just going to do this more and more. Especially since they know how to take it off and that it feels better to be dry. In our house, when they start taking their diaper off every time they pee, that's when we know it’s time. So how do you start?
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INTRODUCING THE POTTY:
Instead of harassing and making your children sit on the toilet against their will, start introducing the idea. Take them to the bathroom with you, read them children's books about toilet training, and watch potty videos. Let them have fun with it and get comfortable with the idea. Then have them sit on the potty a few times. You can buy them their own chair or a small toilet seat that fits on top of the one you already have.
Once they are comfortable and show interest in it, have them sit on it for as long as they can before they want to get up. I would try this several times over a period of days to weeks, sometimes months. It really depends on your child.
TOILET TRAINING:
Take three dedicated days at home and create a strict bathroom schedule. Some parents let their children run around naked until they pee and then they take them to the bathroom while they're in action. I find this hard to do when you have a large family and minimal space. If you can, have their other siblings out for the day with friends or family. This will help. If you don't have a way to do this, you can always buy underwear and put that on them. However, you will be washing and changing lots of underwear in a small amount of time. This can be gross but hey, if you've made it through all the dirty diapers you can make it through this. Just think about the end goal.
NO MORE DIRTY DIAPERS TO CHANGE
I also like to set a timer and take my child to the bathroom every thirty minutes. Yes, this is very tedious, but it works!!! You may start dreaming about it after the second day, but I promise you that by the 3rd or 4th day, you should be well on your way to having a potty-trained child. At night, I like to put a diaper or pull up on them for accidents. When they wake up in the morning, we go straight to the bathroom and sit or stand. (Depending on what's comfortable for your child) Don't make this a stressful thing for your child or you will have a hard time. After the first pee of the day, we start the day with the timer. You can create a rewards chart with stickers if you want. We never had to do that with any of our children, but I've heard that it helps some kids. Whatever works for your child. Once your child has grasped the aspect of peeing in the toilet, then you can teach them how to poop in the toilet.
In our home, the pee came first, and then the poop. This is the tricky one. Most toddlers do not want to be watched when they poop. (We can all agree with that.) They may even get upset about it and find a place to hide to do their business. I suggest when you think they may be pooping or getting close to doing it, take them to their potty chair or the toilet. Give them a little privacy by not hovering over them. Crack the door and watch from a distance. When they poop give them some praise. Show them how to wipe and how much toilet paper to use. If not, your toilet will get clogged up.
AND DON'T FORGET TO WIPE BEHIND THEM
As they get older they will get better with this but for now you definitely want to follow up on this.
If you have a little girl, make sure you teach them to wipe front to back to prevent urinary tract infections
WHAT ABOUT BEDTIME?
We always put a diaper or pull-up on them before bedtime. When they start to wake up with dry diapers, then I would switch to underwear at night. When you make this transition, make sure you buy a waterproof cover for their mattress because I guarantee you they will at least have one accident in their time. Regardless, it's always good to have a mattress protector. You never know when your child will have an accident or get sick. If you don't have a waterproof mattress cover, place a towel on the bed. You can also place it under the fitted sheet of your bed. We had one that did not want the towel on the bed, so we had to sneak it under the sheet.
ONCE TRAINED:
Don't forget that your little one is still learning the concept of doing this independently, so you will need to go behind them and clean. If you have a potty squad like I do, then you may end up with a clogged toilet and half a roll of toilet paper missing! Or you may end up with an empty bottle of soap and a wet countertop.
I could go on and on about the things you will possibly see but you get the point. So.... if you have any little people to train in the future, just be patient with them, pray, know that everything will work out in time, and beware of the potty squad.
Thanks for reading!! I hope this post was helpful and you enjoyed it. If so, be sure to leave a comment below and I'd love to hear about what has worked for your child.
