Have you ever met a mom who bragged that she easily potty trained her two year old in only a day? Have you met a mother who claimed that she potty trained her child as soon as they started to walk?
I tend to have a lot of faith in people. I tend to believe that in general people tell the truth; however in this case I just can’t have that faith! I can’t believe that these statements aren’t exaggerating the truth at least a little bit.
Sometimes trying to potty train a toddler can make you want to pull your hair out. Other times while potty training your little one you will beam with pride! You will find that you have never been more excited about a bowel movement in your entire life. In fact nothing is more gratifying than hearing that little tinkle in a plastic potty for the first time.
If you have made the decision to begin potty training your child, you should brace yourself for the long road ahead. It’s a road that will be filled with success and defeat, as well as smiles and tears. In the end it will all be worth it and in a year or two it will all be a distant memory.
I thought I was prepared when it came time to potty train my son. I had cereal to throw in the toilet so he could shoot for the little o’s. I purchased many different brands of pull-ups with a variety of characters on the front. I even had pull-ups with stars that faded if my son were to have an accident. I made potty charts with markers and stickers. I even read my son books every night about using the potty.
Armed with everything I had read, I started a potty training adventure. I was more than disappointed when my son decided that he could care less about the stars on his new big boy pants. He also expressed his dissatisfaction with my potty training chart by turning it into a road map for his matchbox cars. He did enjoy the stories about using a big boy potty; however when asked if he wanted to use a big boy potty he was quick to give me a stern “NO!”
To give you a little hope my son is now 6 years old and is an avid big boy potty user. So, what finally worked for me? Well I do believe it is an ancient secret, passed down by generation, but never written down in baby books. I never even heard about it until a girlfriend of mine told me. If you want to potty train your child here is what you will need.
1. Several pairs of big boy or big girl underwear.
2. Plastic potty training pants.
3. A potty seat that makes an adult sized potty seat more appropriate for little butts.
4. A step stool.
5. A whole lot of patience.
The first thing that you need to do is put the child in underwear. A pull-up feels just like a diaper even when it is wet. Throw away the diapers and the pull-ups so that you won’t be tempted to use them.
Next you will need to explain to the child that they are now a big boy or a big girl and they need to use the potty like big boys and girls do. Then go about your day. Wash the dishes; let the child play like normal.
At this point one of two things is going to happen. Either the child is going to use the potty, or the child is going to potty in his or her pants. If the child potties in his or her pants I can guarantee you they are NOT going to like it. You should acknowledge that the child has had an accident in their pants, but don’t really make a big deal about it. Don’t be too quick to clean the mess up either. I’m not saying let them sit in it all day, but a few minutes will discourage them from doing it again.
Keep the child in underwear. Don’t give in. Praise the child when he or she uses the potty and be nonchalant when the child has an accident. If you must go out of the house during potty training, then use the plastic pants and not a pull-up. I have told all of my friends about this, all of them have used this method and I’ve never seen it fail. After a week or two you will be glad that you threw out all those diapers!