Posted by If you think your toddler is ready for potty training, but aren’t sure how or when to start, I’m here to share my knowledge and experience.
After teaching both of my boys to use the potty, both at the age of 2, I’ve learned what it takes to successfully potty train a toddler (and bonus, I did it without bribes!)
Currently my 2 1/2 year old’s preschool teacher says he is the “potty rockstar” of his class. He goes to the bathroom when he needs to go all by himself without being prompted.
It’s honestly amazing.
I want your kid to discover this independence too which is why I can’t wait to share all of these important do’s and don’ts with you.
It doesn’t matter if you’re potty training girls or potty training boys. These tips and tricks are essential to successfully potty training any toddler in as little as 3 days.
Let’s get started.
Related posts:
- Oh Crap Potty Training Method: Potty Train Without Bribes
- Toddler Withholding Poop During Potty Training: Solutions That Work
- Night Time Potty Training: How And When To Begin
- The Unseen Truth About Pull-Ups For Potty Training
- How to Rebuild Trust Around the Potty When Your Child Is Fearful
This post contains affiliate links. For more information read my disclosure here.
Do Choose The Right Age To Train
The first trick to making potty training easier is simply doing it at the right age. Basically, you don’t want to delay it until your child is old enough to have fears around sitting on the potty.
I’ve known a lot of parents who have struggled with this because they waited until age 3+ to train. And based on my experience with my own kids and as a nanny previous to that, potty training earlier is better.
So when do you start potty training?
According to potty expert Jamie Glowacki, the ideal age to potty train is between the ages of 20-30 months.
It makes total sense.
I potty trained both of my sons at ages 23 1/2 months and at 28 months. They were both still too little to have opinions or resistance to the process.
If you already missed the ideal window, don’t worry. You might just encounter more push-back from your child (it’ll be ok!).
Some signs that your child is ready to potty train are:
- They can sing the ABCs
- They seek privacy (have a poop spot!)
- They tell you they have poo or ask for a diaper change
Do Commit To Potty Training
The biggest factor in whether your toddler is successful at potty training is YOU. If you’re not completely committed to ditching the diapers, your child won’t be either.
I don’t know about you, but I would rather commit to having my child potty trained at age 2, than still asking for a diaper to poop in at age 4.
Don’t let it get there. Your commitment is crucial!
So pick a date to start potty training and mentally prepare yourself for the task at hand.
Mentally prepare your child too.
Talk about how you’ll be teaching your child to learn how to use the potty soon so they can be a big boy or girl.
Grab some potty books before you start to make it more exciting too (this one’s our favorite).
Committing to potty training is exhausting, but it’s so worth it.
Don’t Use Pull-Ups (Except For Sleep)
Forty years ago, it was common for children to be potty trained by age 2.
Then what happened?
Pull-ups were invented.
And even though they’re advertised to help children transition from diapers to underwear, they actually do the opposite!
Pull-ups feel exactly like a diaper and keep kids dry and comfy, so there is no incentive for them to use the potty.
This is why parents resort to bribing them with treats or reward charts which really don’t work on a consistent basis.
Not to mention, it makes getting your child 100% potty trained take forever.
Children need to feel the ickiness of peeing their pants. It’s the consequence of not using the potty. No more hiding these bodily functions behind a diaper or pull-up anymore.
So what do you do instead?
Do Use A Naked Potty Training Method
I potty trained both my boys without pull-ups or treats by doing a naked method.
The naked method I did is called Oh Crap Potty Training by Jamie Glowacki. I highly recommend this method and suggest you read the best-selling book. It’s witty and full of expert advice and all kinds of scenarios you might encounter while potty training.
You can also read my post about my experience with this method here 👉 Oh Crap Potty Training Method
If you’re wanting to potty train within 3 days of so, a naked method is definitely the way to go.
Don’t Force To Sit On Potty
Forcing your child to sit on the potty makes them 100% more resistant.
It’s a lot of pressure.
Instead of forcing them to sit on the potty every 30 min for long periods only to hope they’ll pee, put them on the potty when they’re naked and you see that they’re about to or have already started peeing.
They will make the connection much faster of what it feels like to have to go potty. And they won’t have to sit on the potty for more than seconds at a time.
Do Use A Little Potty
If using a little potty sounds gross, well ya, admittedly it is! But I found it really essential to my children’s success.
Here’s why:
- You can keep it close to your child during the initial naked phase of potty training (and be more successful at getting pee in the potty instead of the floor)
- It is easier for toddlers to poop in the potty with their feet on the floor
- They’re fascinated when they see pee and those first few poops! Dumping the pee into the big potty is the “reward”. (You can easily dump it with a little potty like this).
- You’ll take the little potty in the car occasionally.
Using a little potty does not mean that they will be afraid to go on the big potty. In fact, I recommend you also have a potty seat for the big potty too.
We kept the little potty in our main bathroom and the potty seat in our downstairs bathroom so the kids could get used to both.
Then when you go out to public places, you can either put the little potty in the back of your stroller or bring a travel potty seat (I have this foldable one that has its own bag and can fit in a large purse).
I have done both.
Again, you have to be committed to potty training even if it means toting a little potty around wherever you go for a while.
Do Praise Your Child
Whenever your child pees in the potty, even if it’s just a trickle, make it a BIG deal.
Just praise, praise, praise every time.
You can hand out M&M’s if you want to, but my point is that you don’t have to. I never gave a single treat.
Your child will be so proud of themselves with tons of praise from you.
Don’t Shame
On the flip side, there are the accidents that happen along the way.
It’s frustrating when your child seems to have the hang of it, but then suddenly pees all over their bedroom rug.
It’s important not to shame your child for this though.
Learning to use the potty is a skill that takes time to master.
If your child has an accident, here’s what to do instead👇
Do Use Statements
Whenever your child has an accident, clean up the mess without fussing about it and make a statement such as:
“You peed on the floor. Pee goes in the potty. Sit on the potty to pee.”
You want to be firm, but not mean or shameful.
Avoid saying “It’s OK”.
I once nannied a little girl who would have tons of accidents and happily said “It’s OK!”. She just loved to change her clothes LOL. So for some kids, saying “it’s ok” implies permission to be lazy and not go to the potty when they need to.
Statements that reinforce the expectation are the way to go.
Don’t Ask If Your Child Has To Go (In The Beginning)
During training, asking your child a zillion times if they have to go potty puts pressure on them, which often backfires.
And the reality is that in the beginning, they most likely don’t know. They’re still figuring out the connection.
So instead of asking them if they have to go, learn what your child looks like when they have to go potty.
Do they do a dance? Look down? Look like a deer in headlights?
You have to super pay attention to this at the start of potty training. When you see it, tell them “It’s time to sit on the potty.”
Do Keep Things Soft
During the first few days of potty training, your child might resist the urge to poop. Mine did.
After all, they’ve only ever known pooping in a diaper (and possibly hiding behind a chair or couch to do it in private). So it can be a little intimidating to poop anywhere else and for someone else to see.
My son was doing great at peeing in the potty, but by day 3 he still hadn’t pooped. I could tell he was super uncomfortable as he tried to hold it in. It seemed like every few minutes we were sitting him on the little potty as he moaned and groaned from the belly ache.
But he JUST. WOULDN’T. GO.
If this happens, have some Miralax on hand and ask your child’s pediatrician the dosage. One dose of that to soften things up and he could no longer hold it in. We had our first successful poo in the potty. 💩
We used Miralax for about a week to keep things soft until he got used to pooping in the potty (realizing it wasn’t painful).
Do Wear The Right Pants During Potty Training
Once your kid gets it enough to put them back in clothes, ensure their success by dressing them in the right pants. Ditch any pants with buttons, ties or zippers.
You want to make it as easy as possible for you or for them to get their pants down in a hurry.
The best potty training pants are ones with elastic waists such as leggings or jogger pants. My kids also wore a lot of Carter’s pajama bottoms around the house.
Don’t Rush Underwear
While underwear with unicorns or your kid’s favorite superhero might seem like an enticing way to get your child to use the potty, rushing the transition from diaper to underwear actually leads to more accidents.
Why?
Because it feels like a diaper again. They think they can conceal their bodily functions behind it.
Instead of rushing underwear, get your naked child back into clothes after you feel like they get it, but have them go commando for about a month.
Do’s And Don’ts Of Potty Training: Final Thoughts
That wraps up my do’s and don’ts of potty training. I hope you found it helpful!
Potty training is one of the most difficult tasks for parents of young toddlers to take on.
Unfortunately, there’s no way around it. It has to be done!
If you’re serious about starting potty training, in addition to following these do’s and don’ts, again I highly recommend Jamie Glowacki’s book Oh Crap Potty Training.
My kids were so successful with it at age 2 that I feel like I’d be doing you a disservice if I didn’t tell you how awesome the method works.
Here’s to your child becoming the next potty rockstar and to your financial freedom from diapers!
Good luck!
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