Potty Training: What Worked For Us

First off, my daughter is a fairly quick learner. These tips worked for us but might not work the same for everyone. I started potty training with my daughter when she was 25 months old and she had only gone on the potty once before. I always heard that I should "wait until they're ready" but I wasn't quite sure what to look for. My daughter at that point was still happy to wear a diaper and never seemed interested in using the potty. We did have a very lousy first day of trying but in the end, I'm very happy I didn't give up.

 {A Free Printable I  never got around to using} Source: pottytrainingconcepts.com via Miranda on Pinterest

1. Be consistent. If I have any advice, this is it. It is very hard, very time-consuming and the first day will probably feel like a disaster. Don't give up. They hear and learn more than we know and by giving up, they get the wrong message.

2. Take away the diapers/pull-ups (in the day-time). My daughter still wears a diaper for nap time and nights but is using underwear in the day time. For the first few days, I didn't even bother with underwear and she was going bottom-less.

3. Stay home the first week. I didn't completely follow this advice. We went to two weddings on the weekend and she wore pull-ups the whole time. She didn't regress at all but she wasn't making any progress either. I think that by making them comfortable at home using the potty first, makes it easier than trying to potty train them while going on errands or going to friends' houses.

4. Use the big-kid potty. I got a step and a little potty seat to put on the toilet and she's been using that ever since. I do have the little stand-alone potty for car trips but we haven't gotten much use out of it yet. It makes it that much easier to go places if they're not afraid to use the big potties.

5. Have incentives. My daughter loved the fact that if she went potty, she could use tissue and flush the toilet all by herself. She loves doing "big girl" things and by having these incentives it made her very eager to go potty all by herself.

6. Rewards. I used something very simple - stickers. After each time she went to the bathroom, I would stick a sticker on her hand, say how proud I was that she was such a good girl and I thanked her for going potty. She loved this ritual and by the end of the week she was reciting it back to me!

7. Praise them. When my daughter first went potty, I was almost beside myself with excitement. I danced so wildly that my daughter laughed at me :)! Whenever I heard that she had gone, I did my happy dance and praised her for a very good job. Not only was it fun to focus on something good, but I'm sure it aided in my daughter's confidence.

8. Be patient. Not knowing what to expect, the first day of potty training was a big let-down. We had a lot of accidents and only two pees in the potty. I felt like giving in. But I stuck with it and I'm so glad I did. It paid off! They do learn and they will eventually be potty trained. Each child is different and will go potty in their own time. It will happen and when it does ... oh its glorious :)!

9. Seek resources. Ask your mom, ask your friends, browse your favorite blogs to see if they've posted something on potty training. Some resources that I found helpful were:

Potty Training In Ten Days Or Less @ Life As Mom
Top Ten Steps To Potty Training @ A Wife Loved Like The Church
20 Best Ever Potty Training Tips @ Parents


10. What advice would you give? Have you already written about potty training? I'd love to read them. What worked for you?


Linked to Oh Amanda's Top Ten {Tuesday}.