There is one thing, as a parent and child care provider, that tops the list as my least favorite childrearing activities - Potty Training. Here is the thing, every child is different. What works for one, does not always work for another. This goes for siblings too! I have potty trained (or assisted training) about 10 children in my time as child care provider, the last being my own son, and it is hard. There are so many methods out there. No matter how many M&M's you dole out, dealing with bodily fluids is just gross. This post is not to tell you how to potty train your little one, heck no, but maybe it will give you a few ideas.
I hate pull-ups: I know the cute little princess and cars pull-ups are suppose to be a help, but I can't stand them. There is not a big difference from a pull-up to a diaper. In fact, with my son, every time I put a pull-up on him he would wet himself. I am not talking an hour down the line, I am talking the very minute. It became a clutch. In fact there were a few days after having many accidents in underwear, he told me he needed his diaper. Ditch the clutch, people and get that kid some undies. The plus of undies is you can get them with pictures of things your child is interested in. Let them pick them out, it gives them a little say in this whole situation and will get them excited to wear them. I know that it is making more work for you. I had days with laundry up the ying yang, but in the end it saves you money and a huge hassle. Heck, in your own home let them run nude (If you have carpet, maybe underwear with a cloth diaper cover or place a towel under hind quarters), but let them know what it feels like to go to the bathroom without something absorbing it right away and keeping them dry.
Give them a ton to drink and get them on the potty often: I have had a lot of children that just have no idea what they are suppose to do when they get on the potty. Besides perhaps watching their parents, they have nothing to go on. So give them a bunch to drink, get them in undies and keep putting them on the potty. They are going to have accidents, and I mean a lot. But hopefully one of the times you put them on the potty they will actually go. When they do (even if it is a little), make a huge deal out of it. Once they have gone on the potty a few times and you have celebrated like they have won a gold medal, they will get it. This method actually worked really well for one of the children in my care, after a few weeks of this, he just got it. No more diapers or accidents.
Yup reward: Here is the thing. I have always rewarded. Some have cared about the reward, others not so much. Kids need to know they are doing something right - so whether verbal, chart, stickers or the dreaded, candy, do something to show them how proud you are. For my own child, I will buy him a book and if he can go a full day or two (then we will keep moving up), he can have a new book. It may seem like they will expect a reward for the rest of their lives, but you slowly just make it disappear. What may have been every time, move to everyday, then every week...
Ditch the little potty: I know that it is convenient to have a potty that your child can put themselves on. Those little potty's are so nasty. They have all kinds of bacteria on them - ewwww. They sell little seats you put on your existing seat. I actually have one for the child care bathroom attached right to the top of the toilet seat. First they are easier to clean! Second you are not re-training them to go to the potty on the actual potty. Eventually you are going to do your time helping them in the bathroom- do it up front.
Technology can help: There is an app called "POTTY TIME", which is wonderful. There are videos and sticker charts to help make this experience more fun. There also is an option for a woman to call your child after he/she has made it to the potty (and there is one for accidents too). My son loved the phone call, which got me thinking, with so much technology why not take advantage. We had his grandparents, aunts, uncles and friends call Tango and leave messages on how wonderful he was doing on the potty. Don't have Tango on your phone, plan Skype days with people who will encourage your child. Trust me, it gets tiring saying "Great Job", over and over again. Get some help.
The potty basket: There are going to be times where your little one might just have to wait it out - especially after the "give them a ton to drink and get them on the potty often" method. There are only so many times you can put them on the potty before you want to pull your hair out. Switch it up by putting a basket with washable board books and toys by the toilet. This will give your child an option to play when they are waiting. When they are distracted is when they go. Do yourself a favor and put a magazine in for yourself.
Breathe: Potty training can be really trying. When your little one has an accident try not to get angry. When they have pooped in their undies, I know it can be hard not to get angry. Take a moment to get yourself together and then remind them where it is that they need to go potty. Let them flush that nastiness down the potty and then put them in another pair of undies. The last thing you want to do is make them scared of the process and by yelling, you might make that happen.
Routine: Here is the big one. Mom's, Dad's and Child care providers. Get on the same schedule. I can't tell you how many kids have gone to the bathroom for me like champs, but once they get home it all ends. Make sure that you talk with any other person about the routine you are planning on using. If everyone is on the same game plan it is going to make it easier for everyone. Child care providers have an easier time, because their days are often the same. I have found that at the beginning of training - once they figure out the toilet is where they are supposed to go potty, that getting them on the potty every 45 minutes is key!
Don't compare: Don't compare you little one with the little boy/girl down the street who was potty trained by 2. It is hard to do, I know, but it just gets us worked up. I have had some potty trained by 2 and others by 4 - but guess what, they all are potty trained now!
There are so many other choices out there for potty training. Try to keep it fun! If you find that your child is not responding to potty training, there is no harm in stopping and trying again a month or two down the line. In fact I stopped potty training my son after he turned 2 because I was going to have a baby a few months later. I knew that a baby would change his routine, so why not wait until we established a new routine with the baby.
What methods have worked for you?
