As a mom of three young kids, I’m constantly surprised at how different each child is from the others. From the toys they like to play with and songs they like to sing to their temperaments and the foods they like, each of our children has been very different from the other two.
Because of that, I’m not sure why I thought potty training my younger daughter would be easy. I mean, I know what I was thinking – that I’d already gone through potty training before, so doing it with one more child would be a breeze. I thought I was practically a pro at potty training.
But.
Our three kids are very sweet, very good children who want to make Mommy and Daddy happy, but there are three very different personalities in those little children.
So when I started training my younger daughter, it seemed like everything was different. Although we were at (or past) the age when she should start using the potty, she just wasn’t interested in potty training. She was showing a lot of signs of being ready, like showing more interest when others went to the bathroom and staying dry a lot longer during the day, but she didn’t want to actually sit in the potty.
There was a little bit of trial and error at first. Here is a short video from Dr. Heather Wittenberg that gives great advice on what we were going through. Dr. Wittenberg is a renowned child psychologist specializing in the development of babies and toddlers, and the author of Let’s Get This Potty Started!
After a bit of a bumpy start, we finally figured out what worked with her. Here are a few tips we found that made potty training easier:
1. Make it Fun – We printed out a reward chart to use each time my daughter used the potty. She earned a sticker for trying, and then earned small treats and prizes once she’d filled up each section of the chart. If you’re looking for a reward chart to use for your little one, the Pull-Ups® brand has a free printable chart that will allow your child to show off their potty successes.
2. Keep it interesting – We kept a basket of books and toys near my daughter’s potty. There were times at the beginning when we’d be in the bathroom for quite a while, so the books and activities kept my daughter interested in staying on the potty.
3. Their own potty – Our daughter was much more interested in sitting on the potty when she was able to choose her own potty seat. I’d tried several little potty seats that fit over the toilet, but the only potty she showed interest in was a small princess potty that sat on the floor.
4. Keep her drinking – We found that it helped our daughter to be able to try to use the potty more often, and therefore be successful more often, if she needed to go more often. Instead of giving her milk and water at meals and snacks, we kept sippy cups of water and juice around all day long. The more she drank, the sooner she’d be able to try again on the potty.
5. Make the change and stick to it– it can be confusing for a child to start potty training while still wearing diapers, or for them to switch back and forth between diapers and training pants. We switched to Pull-Ups® Training Pants and never looked back. My little girl knew that the Pull-Ups meant that she was a “big girl” and that she was wearing special big girl training pants instead of baby diapers.
One last tip – try not to worry. It seemed like we’d be doing well at potty training for a day or two and then my daughter would have an accident. I was worried that maybe she really wasn’t ready and wondered if we should stop and try again later. As it turns out, those accidents are just part of the process of learning. It’s important to be consistent and positive, and to just keep on trying, even when there are bumps in the road. Check out Dr. Heather Wittenberg explain why below.
If you’re wondering what potty training tricks will work with your child, be sure to take the Pull-Ups Potty Personality Quiz to find out if your child has a Puppy, Bear Cub, Turtle, Squirrel or Owl potty personality. You can find out what motivates your child and get specific tools and advice to help you partner with your child to be successful in potty training.
Ready to get started? Head over to Pull-Ups.com and learn more about your child’s potty personality! You can also learn more about Pull-Ups on:
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These are really good tips. I always found using a reward system helped.
We try to make potty training fun by giving stickers with successes.
Great tips! Making up a fun potty song or dance helped us!
My grandsons really enjoyed having rewards while potty training. It helped to keep them on track and trying hard.
These are very cute diapers. I know all about the trial and error that goes with potty training, but my daughter had her own potty chair on the floor and loved it. I like your tips on potty training. Very helpful.
These are really great tips. We had a reward system too and it worked well.
Rewards just didn’t work with either of my 2! My son was ok with a little potty but my daughter wanted nothing to do with one – she went on the big potty from the beginning with one of the little seats that sits on it! We even bought a toilet seat that had one built in and could be lifted out of the way. What I found worked with both of them was using regular undies – pull-ups and diapers just didn’t work.
these diapers look so cute!
I love Pull ups. These are really cute and make it more fun!! um for the kids, anyway!!!
these are great tips . having fun pull ups makes a difference
Trained my daughter with an egg time.
My best potty training tip is tons of patience and a sense of humor!
WE did a sticker chart which was motivation. We also let her pick her pulll ups and she prefers the blue ones 🙂
Some great tips, my nephew is just starting this process so I will have to pass some of them on.
Potty training tips are always helpful
Thank you for the tips! We’re going to start potty training and it’s nice reading about positive experience)
Good tips!
Great tips! We did a reward chart too so our children could see the increase in stars at they progressed.
those are really great tips
Mom said she had me potty trained really fast by using a musical toilet paper roller – the only time I could play with it was using the potty and I loved music 🙂
Good tips! My son was very easy. I simply told him it was time to wear “big boy” underwear, but he would have to go to the potty. Still pull-ups for a while at night, but I don’t think we had any accidents after the very first day. My daughter on the other hand…let’s just say that she was more of a challenge.
Just have patience. They pretty much do it when they are ready.
I have 3 boys..twins born almost on my sons 2nd bday!!
My twins refused to use the potty, finally they started coping their big brother but then I had 3 boys peeing all over the bathroom ( they all used toilet at the same time!!) My light bulb moment was putting FootLoops in the toilet and getting to target practice!
thanks for the awesome tips!
Some good tips and I also had to set timers to remind me to take them every 1/2 hour or so
pull ups were a life saver for us!
These tips are great,would share them with my brother new parent
Definitely great tips! Pull ups are the best product for little ones
These are great tips! I will be saving them for later.
Very good tips. I had my daughter potty trained very early.
I like the quiz to see what tips will work.
Great tips! I think just being patient and calm through the ordeal is key!
This is a most useful post for potty training
Our daughter was easy and our son took more patience and time.
Thanks for the info.
I like the rewards idea for potty training. Everyone likes rewards!
I am well past potty training but these are really good tips. My youngest was actually really easy.
Great tips! Potty training can get so stressful for the entire family.
cute product! i love all the tips. my nephew will love it!!
I definitely think it should be fun. At such a young age, they respond better to reward and positive reinforcement. My daughter initiated her training and it was a breeze.But I know friends who have had a much more difficult time with their kids.
Such wonderful tips.Thanks for sharing this with us
I love the new designs, definitely a great way to get kinds excited about potty training. It makes a huge difference from my experience – the more he likes his training pants, the less he wants to get them dirty!
Thanks for the useful tips, they will really come in handy with training my daughter.
I am the mom of a large family and the same approach did not work for each of the kids. Praising my kids and using a star chart was my favorite approach.
Great ideas and tips that I can use to help my family members with small kids! Thank you!
These are great tips! I know so many parents that have a difficult time potty training and these are very helpful
I am really impressed by the thoroughness of your article. You have shared some great tips.
I don’t have kids, but very good info for parents.
Thanks for all the great tips! I am in the middle of potty training my son and having a bit of a struggle. My daughter was much easier to potty train. thanks for sharing.
Oh the struggles of potty training! I am glad my kids were quick learners. It was harder for my son though.
I am so glad this part of my life has gone and past LOL. Go at your child’s pace, and each child will accomplish potty training differently and at a different pace. Once they show interest like taking their diaper off start introducing them to the toilet. Show them potty videos with their favorite characters to encourage them.
Great tips. Very detailed and informative.
Great tips! My son was pretty easy, following his Dad into the bathroom was a huge help. 🙂
great tips will pass it to my sister who has a kid in training!
my sons was pretty easy to potty train they really like the underwear I bought them and that helped me alot
Wow… Great tips.. Thanks so much..
Some really useful tips. Reward system worked for us.
Ah the potty training years were fun. 😉 Three of my four trained easily, and luckily my granddaughter did too. 🙂