Potty training Abbie was arguably the hardest parenting experience we’ve had so far. Since she was over three by the time she trained, she was physically and mentally ready… but had all her own ideas about how to do things. She’s a stubborn kid, that’s for sure.
Since I know I’ll eventually have to do the potty-training process again, I’m trying to ensure I file away everything I learned this go-around so it’s a bit easier next time. So with that, I’m giving my tips for potty training – whether you are years away, moments away, or in the thick of it.
- Wait until your child is ready. While Abbie showed a little bit of interest around age two, we tried putting her on the potty a few times… and nothing. She wasn’t ready and really had no motivation to train at that point, so it didn’t work. When we tried again once she was three, she was much more prepared mentally and it was a little bit easier on all of us.
- Be consistent. Whatever method you choose, just keep going with it. Consistency is key in making sure your child knows that potty training is here to stay. It’s incredibly frustrating sometimes, but just keep going once you’ve decided to train, it’s so important to keep going. Your child needs to accept that this process isn’t going anywhere!
- Make it fun. There are so many ways to do this – a lot of people use reward systems, but those don’t motivate Abbie at all. Instead, she got lots of cheering and excitement whenever she successfully went on the potty. I also gave her the option of picking whatever underwear she wanted. For the record, she went with Minnie Mouse, Minions, Frozen, and Paw Patrol.
- Make it easy. Anything that makes potty training easier is your friend. One of those things for us have been wipes – specifically Cottonelle Freshcare cleansing wipes. Think about it – since our kiddos were born, we’ve been using wipes on them – so why change that now? I love that the Cottonelle wipes are easy to use, convenient, and flushable. I can really make sure she’s clean down there without worrying about it, and once Abbie is able to wipe herself, they’ll be easy for her too. I love picking them up at Sam’s Club because the huge package makes it easy and they last a long time!
- Be patient. Potty training is hard, no doubt about it. It’s going to test all your patience and you’ll wonder if you’ll ever get through it – but you will. Some kids learn in days, but others take months. It’s all normal, it will all test your patience – but you’ll get through it.
What are your tips for potty training? Have you used Cottonelle Freshcare wipes?
One Response
I read a tip that said you shouldn’t ask your child if they have to go potty because they are likely to just say no. That is true of my son whenever I asked him that way (did it without thinking sometimes). You ask if they are still dry and then remind them to tell you when they have to go. Whenever I worded it this way, he almost always was like oh yeah, I have to go now. But it was HIS idea in his brain. Also, running to the potty every so many minutes isn’t too helpful, as they never really learn what that urge to go feels like. They’ll go just because they’re going to the potty so often, it’s bound to happen but they won’t learn to listen to their body. That’s my two cents! ?