Potty Training Tips to Make it Fun + Giveaway
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This is sponsored post, however all thoughts are my own.
Since my youngest turned three this past spring, he has hit many milestones that remind me of how fast he is growing. He is funny, sweet and so much fun! One of the biggest milestones he has passed is being potty trained. After potty training three kids, I’ve really relaxed in my approach. Instead of feeling stressed out about when we should start or how fast he caught on, I embraced letting him lead in potty training himself and tried to make potty training fun. And it worked. Within a couple of weeks he had it down! Here are some tips to help you potty train your child.
Let Your Child Take the Lead
I waited until Wesley showed signs that he wanted to potty train. It certainly helped that he had older brothers to mimic, but I also allowed him to be in the bathroom with me so that he had plenty of opportunity to observe. Seeing others use the potty all the time made him want to as well!
No Pressure
If Wesley didn’t want to use the potty, I never forced him. I encouraged him certainly, but I never made him sit there until he could go. I never wanted it to feel like punishment. I also was careful in my words. If he wanted to play a game, I’d use that as the perfect opportunity to say we can play right after he used the potty.
Learning Together
If he took steps backwards, I never made him feel bad about it. Instead, I looked at them as opportunities to learn. If he had an accident, I asked myself how I can help him next time to avoid it. Maybe I needed to take him to the bathroom more often. Perhaps I let him have too much to drink before bed. I tried my best to set him up for success. I also was open to the idea of him changing his mind and deciding he wasn’t ready. There is no shame in going back to diapers and trying again in another month or two.
Make it Fun
I think potty training should be a fun process. After all, what is more fun than getting to ditch the diapers and all that goes along with it? Consider your child’s own personality when deciding what ways you think would make it most fun for them. Does he love to dance? Have a mini dance party every time he goes potty on the potty chair, playing his favorite songs. Does she love recognition? Create a chart which displays her potty accomplishments on the refrigerator for all to see. Allow her to add a sticker each time she goes . You know your child best. If one idea isn’t working you can always try another. Be flexible.
My mom potty trained me using a special shoe box full of small toys and books that I could only play with when I was sitting on the potty. It was a great way in those initial stages to help me recognize the feelings that meant I needed to go and to be willing to wait. You can fill it with some of your child’s favorite toys, brand new or second hand items or even toys you’ve rotated out that they haven’t see in a while. They don’t have to be expensive. Offer a variety that will appeal to your child. In this example I used a small basket with handles, I included several musical instruments so we can have a own potty chair jam session. I even added a fun conductor hat that would be fun to wear on the potty! Also included are several books. Some are Wesley’s favorites, others have a potty training focus and others are picture books that make it easy for him to look at himself.
This Peanuts scanmation book by Rufus Butlter Seder is a great classic that Wes can enjoy whether I read it to him or not. It is certainly different and a classic we can enjoy for years to come. I picked it up at my local Sam’s Club.
And of course it is important to always stock up on essentials such as cleaning supplies and toilet paper. The toilet paper aisle is a sea of blue and Charmin Ultra Soft has resurfaced at Sam’s Club for a limited time. There’s a thousand free extra sheets per package. How cool is that? Bring on the extra sheets because all three of my kids still haven’t mastered how much to use to get the job done.
What are your potty training tips?
WIN IT:
You could win one of 53 Sam’s Club gift cards just for sharing your favorite potty training tips via social media!
I’ve potty trained two kids so far and what I’ve found is that when they’re ready, they’re ready. Maybe I just got lucky, but with my two kids I tried to teach them before they were “ready” and they just weren’t grasping it. And then one day it was like it just clicked and they were suddenly potty trained. I guess I expected it to be this long journey of trial and error (and lots of accidents) but nope, it was just like BAM well I’m using the potty now, goodbye diapers.