This is my very first Works for Me Wedesday post, so WELCOME to anyone visiting for the first time from We Are THAT Family. I hope you will stick around for a while.
It’s no secret that we’ve been super busy over here potty training. Aside from a few early, ummmm, accidents, it’s been going well. So well that I’m actually a little afraid that I’m jinxing it by typing these words.
Knocks on wood, throws salt over shoulder…etc.
OK, now I feel better. Moving on.
I thought I’d share our potty training secrets. Hey, it worked for us, it may work for someone else.
The kiddo is just over 2 years old, 26.5 months to be exact. He’s been showing a few signs of being ready to train (dry after naps, telling me when he’s pooped) yet I wasn’t sure if it was time. Mainly I just wasn’t ready to put in the time and effort to make this potty training happen. Until one day, I just kind of decided that it was now or never.
Apparently it was now.
Phase One – Neked All The Time
Yes, this is exactly what it sounds like. When we are home, the kiddo is neked from the waste down. All. The. Time. Except for naps and bedtimes. That would just be too messy. Sure, there were a few accidents the first few days (make sure you keep the carpet cleaner nearby), but the kiddo didn’t like going potty or poop on the floors. He much preferred to do it in the potty. So after a day or two, he was having next to zero accidents.
Phase Two – Bribe, and Bribe Often
Candy for going potty and chocolate for going poop, that was our mantra. And it worked. Along with praise, hugs and high fives, the kiddo was rewarded with a jelly bean or gummy bear every time he went potty. When he started going poop on the potty, he was rewarded with chocolate. Simple. Effective.
Phase Three – Introduce Big Boy Underwear
From the very beginning we started talking about big boy underwear. He has his very first pair of Thomas underwear and he was so excited to start wearing them. We talked about how he would be able to wear them once he had the hang of going potty on his big boy potty. After about two weeks of going neked, we brought them out. With each accident, we’d talk about how it felt after he went potty in his underwear. Were they wet? Did it feel kind of yucky? For every question, he agreed. It was better to go potty on the potty rather than in his underwear. After about 2.5 accidents, he had it down pretty well.
Misc. Tips
Other things that worked for us is to keep the potty in the room that we are always in. For us that is the living room. It’s convenient, easy, and just plain works.
When the kiddo started doing well, we upped the ante for getting his candy reward. He had to two 3 times before he was rewarded. Or he had to go on potties outside of the house (Target, grocery store, etc). This way he has to keep working for it.
The next Step: Going potty outside of the house
And no, I don’t mean in the yard. To be continued…next week. Make sure you subscribe so you don’t miss a thing.
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{ 13 comments… read them below or add one }
Good luck! I always introduce the big kid underware first.
Thank you for posting this. I know I need to start dealing with potty training my daughter again, but I’ve gotten so lazy. Especially with it being summer and all. I think I’m going to have to steal phase 1. We have hardwood floors, so it shouldn’t be too bad…
@ck, Hardwood floors over here too. Easy clean up. Good luck!
Our potty training isn’t going as quickly. My little man REFUSES to be naked. If he’s naked, he’ll sit on the potty but he won’t get up until he has pull-ups or underwear on. And he won’t tell me when he poops. So it’s really not going so well, actually. *sigh*
.-= Tiffany´s last blog ..Claiming My Ten Minutes for the Sake of Sanity =-.
@Tiffany, Frustrating! Maybe he’s just not ready yet? How old is he?
@Allison, Girl, he’s three and a half……
.-= Tiffany´s last blog ..Claiming My Ten Minutes for the Sake of Sanity =-.
@Tiffany, Ugh, wish I had some advice for you. Hang in there?
These are great tips. When I was potty training my son, no reward or bribe or ANYTHING would work. He kept saying that he would go on the potty when the “trees turn to Christmas”!!
Amazingly, 3 months after he turned 3, he looked out the window (it was June!) and said: “It’s Christmas time!” He took off his pull-up and never looked back – no accidents or anything. Crazy!
.-= Carol@simple_catholic´s last blog ..Homemade Window Cleaner =-.
@Carol@simple_catholic, Wow, that’s amazing. Smart little boy.
Sounds like the same method we used to train our 3 kiddos! Congrats on making it this far — I’m a firm believer that moms ought to get some sort of award upon completing the potty training of their child — it is an achievement!
.-= It Feels Like Chaos´s last blog ..Great Chapter Books =-.
@It Feels Like Chaos, I like the way you think. I see an iPhone in mu future.
We’re stuck on overnight training here…
@Muthering Heights, I’ve heard that it just come with time. Once their bodies are able to make it over night, they will. I hope that helps.