At one time or another, every parent can use some potty training tips to face this very difficult toddler milestone. Now, having raised a few of our own, we know that every child is different and different methods work better for some than others. Andrew Garner, M.D., Ph.D., FAAP says, “The most important way to keep a child interested in being diaper-free is to provide loads of encouragement and positive reinforcement for even small steps in the right direction.”
The latest trend in potty training is Elimination Communication and going diaperless. EC is a method traditionally used in countries where diapers aren’t readily available and — while it saves money and is more environmentally friendly — it may take a toll on your friendships since it requires a lot of time, attention and mad dashes to the kitchen sink. Whether you’re a devotee of EC or are trying the 3-day Potty Training Method…for the third time this year, here are 10 easy potty training tips so you can ditch the diapers for good.
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Advent-Style Calendar
Put up a chart similar to an Advent Calendar and let your child open a tab for each successful potty trip. You can make your own super-simple DIY envelope calendar like this one from A Few Things From My Life.
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Kitchen Timer
Set up a kitchen timer to go off every 30 minutes to remind you to take your kid to the potty.
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Fruit Loops for Boys
If you’re training your boy to stand up from the start, try dropping a Fruit Loop into the toilet bowl for target practice.
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Pantyliners
When your child has graduated from diapers but still has an occasional accident, or lets the first two drops out before realizing it’s time to go, putting a pantyliner in their undies saves on clean up.
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Wee Wee Pads
Wee Wee Pads are great for keeping doggie accidents in check and they’re one of best the little-known potty training tips. They work like a charm for keeping bedding and car seats dry.
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Toilet Decals
Make the toilet fun and exciting with toilet decals.
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Poop Feeds the Fish!
We can’t believe this one’s on our list of potty training tips but we recognize that parents are willing to try pretty much anything in the trenches of potty training so here goes… Tell reluctant poopers that when they flush, their poop goes out to sea and feeds the fish. They won’t want the fish to starve, right? We know, we know…we’re shaking our heads too.
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Toilet Alchemy
Potty training tips can be festive too! Put red or blue food coloring in your toilet bowl and have your child observe how it magically changes to orange or green when they pee.
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Foot Stool (no pun intended)
Dangling feet off the toilet can tighten rectal muscles and make it harder for kids to poop. Try setting up a foot stool so their feet are comfortably supported to see if that helps them relax and let it out.
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Gadgets
In addition to potty training tips, there are lots of gadgets on the market manufactured specifically to make things much easier during potty training. From the Wet Stop bedwetting alarm to the Potty Watch, a quick search for potty training tools will bring up all kinds of fun accessories.