potty training | a guide
disclaimer & intro
my daughter is 18mo which is considered early in potty training. i by no means came up with these systems and ideas on my own, i was fortunate enough to nanny for a family of two boys and a girl and assisted in their potty training efforts. i have used the things that work best for our family and tailored our system to be what makes the most sense for my daughter and our family. children are different and will be ready to embark on this in their own time—don’t force it. i’ve also seen in my experience that the stereotype that boys are more difficult to train than girls is true. what may work for me, may not work for you in your unique circumstances. that’s okay. your child is not going to be in diapers forever so keep that as the light at the end of the tunnel.
my approach
followed her lead, waited until she showed signs of being ready, not forcing it
low expectations
no date that this needs to be accomplished by
celebrations/rewards for all steps in the process
telling me she’s gone, telling me she needs to go, trying, going, wiping, flushing, washing hands
we use small candy/mints for rewards, celebrations but adjust for the level of the step and then a big reward when she’s completed the tasks for the week (see links below)
everyone in the house is on board and is taking the same approach so that she isn’t confused
we use training undies or cloth diapers which make it more uncomfy for her to sit in when soiled (link here)
we have a small portable potty and a seat to go on the big toilet for her to use
sticker system on the chart i created (linked in next section) where she gets to place a sticker on the chart for completing tasks
note: the tasks and rewards change each week
system and charts
i get stickers from her swim school and/or trader joes for free to use on the charts
i use mints (she’s obsessed) when she tells me she needs to or has gone potty, tries on the toilet, wipes, flushes, and washes hands. if she actually goes in the potty, she gets two mints
each week as you’ll see the tasks progress and the “size” of the prize increases.
first week was really introductory and she got a lovey from five below that she picked out
next week was a little more advanced and she will get a sweet treat of her choosing
we will continue here with these same tasks and level of prize until she’s ready to move onto the final mastery
when she is completely potty trained (in my book, ~2 weeks with few to no accidents) i got a $20 toddler trampoline off FBMP as her big reward
it is important that the rewards are given right away and in response to her good behavior so that she associates going with something fun
signals indicating your child is ready to begin
waking up several times from bedtime or nap dry
telling you they need to or have pottied in their diaper
potty dance
seems to respond well to the treats and rewards
