Potty Training

The day my oldest (R) asked to sit on the potty, I was overjoyed! "YAY, no more diapers!" I hastily thought. Little did I know what I was really getting myself into. He had just turned two and I had heard from all my family, friends, neighbors, and experts not to expect him to train until at least 3, because "boys train later than girls". So, in my joy I broke out the underwear and decided to try the "3 day potty training method" I had read about.  After 3 days of cleaning up potty from the floor, couch, and rugs we were no closer to training than on day one. On the 4th day, when he began to refuse diapers, I rolled up all the rugs in our house and moved them to the basement. I spent the next several months setting alarms, watching for signs, and cleaning up poop and potty off the floor, chairs, and whatever else it landed on.

If you don't gain anything else from this post, please read and understand this-
POTTY TRAINING DOES NOT HAPPEN OVERNIGHT. IT IS A PROCESS THAT WILL TAKE A LONG TIME. YOU WILL TAKE 3 STEPS FORWARD AND 2 STEPS BACK. IN THE END YOUR CHILD WILL GET THERE, BUT IT TAKES CONSISTENCY, HARD WORK, AND DEDICATION.

I'm not sure if I've met a parent who loves to change diapers. Everything about them is a hassle- the diapers, the wipes, the mess, the rash, the paste, the cost, locating a changing table! Don't get me started on all the places that DON'T have a changing table of some sort! I don't believe that parents are necessarily excited about potty training, which is sometimes a bigger mess than changing a diaper, but the idea of not cleaning up your child's poop is motivating enough for most to give it a try. Then again, one does not simply start potty training, and if you do I hope it went smoothly. I find the most effective way to potty train your child is to start with research and a plan. I started with the first and our experience did not begin smoothly. From our trials and errors I have come up with some suggestions that may work for you.

The following are a few tips to get you and your child started potty training.

1.) Start early. There is no hard and fast rule as to when you should start potty training your child. Many people will suggest that boys will train later than girls, but there are always exceptions to the rule (my son began training when he turned 2 and was in underwear all day within 3 months).  When I say start early I mean start with little things you can talk about early.  When you use the bathroom, let your child watch and make a big deal about it. "Mommy (or daddy) goes potty in the toilet. I LOVE going potty in the toilet." Yes, I know it may not be that big of a deal to you, but if you are excited about it, your child is more likely to take an interest eventually. 

2.) Make it fun!

3.) Set a timer (for you AND your child). A friend of mine has a timer on her phone that quacks when it is time to use the potty. When her son hears it, he knows what it is time to do. 

4.) Rewards do not have to be food related (stickers on a poster board, a special activity, or get some small items from the dollar store). 

5.) Be consistent.

6.) Don't expect it to happen overnight.

7.) You might have setbacks.

8.) Make sure you have the appropriate supplies.

Our method

When our son turned 2 we had already been talking about using the potty. We would mention "big boys go potty on the toilet".  When he would fuss about getting his diaper changed I would tell him "You don't have to wear a diaper if you go potty in the toilet." We read some potty books and pointed out "when you use the potty, you can flush the handle".
About a week after his 2nd birthday he said potty and grabbed his diaper. Upon inspection, I noticed there was no potty and thus began our potty training adventure.
First of all, we had a plan.
-Allow R to wear underwear all morning until nap time at noon. This would allow for several hours and attempts at using the toilet.
-Tell him every 30-45 minutes "It's potty time!" and sing "going to the potty" on the way to the bathroom.
-Allow him to sit on the toilet for 1-3 minutes while I sang "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star."
-Give him lots of water and juice (we don't normally drink juice at all)
-At nap time and night time wear a diaper.

Supplies
You don't have to have all these supplies, but they may make transitioning easier.
-Potty seat for the big toilet or a small seat that sits on the floor
-Step stool for using the big potty and/or hand washing
-Underwear (you may have more luck if your child helps to pick these out as it adds to the excitement).
-Sweatpants or athletic pants with no buttons or zippers. This makes them easier to get up and down.

Updates:
Just before our daughter (A) turned 2 she wanted to try sitting on the toilet. She told us she did not want to wear a diaper anymore and wanting to be like her brother, was determined to figure out the potty thing. Trying to repeat our method with R, I would take her to the potty every 30-45 minutes and encourage her to go. This did not work for her- the child has a bladder of steel.  It took 2 days of accidents on the floor before she finally went in the toilet. After that there was no turning back for her. We did have 2 accidents in stores, but that was about it. After a few months (really only about 3) I noticed she was no longer wet at night. We took off the diapers at night and never went back. She was fully potty trained right after 2 years old.

Please note, child A was a completely different method than child R. A wanted to be like her brother; she was ready to be potty trained and had no desire to be left behind. I'm not saying we should have waited for R to be ready or could have pushed A earlier. I am saying you need to know your child. What works for one may not work for another. Be flexible.