Potty Training 101
By Kay Green,
www.MyPreciousKid.com
Copyright 2003-2009
READINESS: Haley had never gone in the potty when we started - even though I
had been sitting her on it for several weeks before bath, when I went to the
Bathroom etc. At age 18 months I start pre-training. I get a potty video
that we watch every day. I got potty books that we read every day. We
started talking about potty.
Her readiness signs to me were that she could follow a simple command (pick
up the ball), she would show a sign when she when potty in diaper (hold
herself, do the little dance, hide for BM), and was staying dry an hour or
more at a time. She was between 21-24 months. I have found that 21-24 months
is the window that I see that almost all kids are ready unless medical,
physical or mental disability. I trained all 4 of my kids between this age
range, with them being completed by their 2nd birthday. And I have helped
dozens of moms train their children in this same age window.
PARENTS: You are right to wait until you are ready. When you know you can
commit a couple weeks to it and be there to help with every accident very
quickly. Look over your calendar and find a 2 week window when you can give
this your full attention.
BOYS: Potty Teach them sitting down. I do not let them stand up while
training. We do this for several reasons: bathroom cleanliness and it
encourages then to have their bowel movement in the toilet. Some moms who
train them standing up have issues getting them to have a BM. My hubby
insists that my son learn sitting down. You know I never have pee on the
toilet unless a visiting man is in our home!
BEFORE YOU START
At age 18 months I do the following
1. Buy 10-12 pairs of training pants
2. Buy 3 pairs of vinyl covers
3. Read TOILET TRAINING IN LESS THAN A DAY
4. Have my child watch a potty VIDEO each day
5. Read a potty BOOK to my child each day
6. Practice giving them verbal instructions ( bring mama the ball)
7. Get a potty seat or potty ring. Let the child see and sit on it.
8. Get a potty doll that wets
9. Buy dollar tree treats for reward system
BEFORE starting: Things to consider finishing:
Wean from bottle and nursing and binky
Have child in their own bed
Teach them to pull pants and up and down on own
WHEN TO START:
When mom is ready to focus and can stay home for most of the next 2 weeks.
When the child is staying dry for an hour or 2 during the day.
When child can follow verbal cues (pick up the ball).
OPTIMAL AGE: 21-24 months in my opinion. (age 24+ months may take twice as
long to train for some children because of will issues) I personally find
training between 21-24 months easier than potty training between 24-36
months. At age 2 they love to say NO! Before age 2 most kids love to mimic
what you are doing.
START and do NOT STOP: Every time you put a pull-up or diaper on them after
starting the training you may confuse them and cause the training to take
longer.
Now there may be times that you make a decision to stop the training for
personal reasons. Everyone has seasons in their life. That is fine. Just
know that the next time you start it may take twice as long from the mixed
messages.
REMEMBER: Accidents are not to be avoided. Accidents are a teaching tool.
You cannot potty teach w/o accidents. The urine leak down the leg feels out
of control to them. Most kids will say Uh-oh the first time. Also the
leaking accident prompts the parent to act quickly.
TRAINING: Toilet Teaching is just like teaching them to eat with a spoon,
stay in their car seat, dress themselves, and obey their parents. You are
the parent and treat it like other areas of obedience. Make it fun and
encourage them but expect them to comply. Expect and want accidents. This is
what teaches them the consequences and the need to potty in the toilet
PULL-UPS: NO diapers or paper pull-ups ever - get them out of the house.
They may ask for them back. I just say the diapers are all gone since she is
a big girl.
If you give them back the diapers they will usually regress and it will take
longer next time. Go forward. Pull-ups will delay the training process.
The biggest challenge for me in the first few days is the child learning to
turn ON the urine flow. Some kids get this faster than others. Haley got it
the third day. Some kids get it the first day.
THE SYSTEM: Train the DOLL to go Potty. Take the child to potty often. Set a
timer. Give immediate positive reinforcement when they go in toilet.
Practice walking to the potty, clean up and change clothes for every
accident.
MY CHILD: With his system Haley did not go in potty at all first couple
days. We quickly changed after every accident. She would grab herself and
say uh-oh when she went since the cloth makes the feelings wet and
uncomfortable. Third day she said uh-oh and had not gone in panties so I
took her to potty and she went. We clapped, shouted, got a treat, called
daddy! Over the next 3 days every day was less accidents and more successes.
After a week she had it mostly down so I could take her out. I used vinyl
pants over cloth to protect when out and about.
DAY ONE: I taught Haley how to have the doll go potty in the big toilet
rewarding the child when the dolly goes potty. We played this game off and
on all day. This is the teaching day.
DAY TWO: POTTY PARTY: I tell her she is a big girl like dolly. Put her in
CLOTH training pants give her lots to drink. Every half hour check panties.
If dry take to potty. If goes in potty reward with candy or sticker and lots
of praise. Expect lots of accidents the first couple days until they get the
uh-oh and are still dry. REWARD EVERY SUCCESS! For every accident help her
run to the potty and say Uh-oh we must potty in the toilet then help her
change into dry pants. Practice walking back and forth from the place of
accident to potty.
CONTINUE for the next 2 weeks. Praise every success. Help change every
accident quickly. At the end of 2 weeks you will be having more successes
than accidents. I find most kids really get it in this 2 week period.
TIMER: Use your timer. At first I set it for 30 minutes. I take her in every
30 minutes until we have a dry day. Then I go to 45 minutes until we have a
dry day. Then I move to 1 hour. I stay at sending them to the potty every
hour for several weeks. Then as they start asking to go potty you can move
the timer to 1.5-2 hours.
BED TIME: For nap and bed put a sheet protector under the sheet. Put on two
pairs of cloth training pants and vinyl pants over. Change them to dry
panties immediately upon waking. Use vinyl pants over cloth training pants
only when out in public or in bed.
OLDER CHILDREN: If your child is over 24 months expect it to take longer as
you are in the MY WILL stage. They may fight you. You have to be the parent
and firmly, lovingly, and with joy help them comply. Make it fun and
exciting. Diapers are no longer an option. I do not ASK if they have to go
potty. I ANNOUNCE that it is POTTY TIME. With my son I use to scoop him up
over my shoulder and dance to the potty with him laughing.
I am not the expert at all but do have 4 successes under my belt and have
helped many other moms succeed as well with this system
Kay Green, Founder of
http://www.mypreciouskid.com Child Safety Products
Join our Potty Teach support group http://groups.yahoo.com/group/PottyTeach101/ for even more support.
Articles written by Kay Green, Child Safety Expert, and Christian mom to Melissa 26, Jordan 24, Allison 21, Haley 9. Kay and Russell, her husband of 30 years live in rural Oregon.
Kay's first granddaughter Madison
Kay was born December 2006. Twin grand sons Micah & Mason
were born
May 2009
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COPYRIGHT 2000-2009 My Precious Kid, Kay Green.
All rights reserved. Reprinting is only with permission and with this author's box and copyright intact.
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