1. Wait for them to be ready. All children develop at different rates. If your oldest child was potty trained for two years, that doesn’t mean your second child will. If your neighbor’s child is potty trained, it doesn’t mean yours should be. Your child needs to be ready, or it will be a long battle and a frustrating struggle. So wait for your child to show signs of readiness, such as going long periods of time without a dirty diaper. Recognize your need to go to the bathroom, or even just a fascination with the toilet.
2. Do not fight with them. If you’re fighting about it, stop and try again in a week or two. As soon as potty training turns into a fight, it’s time to call it quits. If it’s a power struggle, your son will win. Your child is learning about himself and becoming an individual, and his individuality is often expressed through resistance. Don’t let that be to go to the bathroom.
3. Help them understand what is happening. Books, movies, etc often helps. This is a learning process, so you can get the best amount of supports and helps. If your son has a clear understanding of what the potty is, when he uses it, and how he uses it, she won’t intimidate him as much and potty training will be much easier.
4. Be consistent. You can do a “naked noon” where each day for a couple of hours you wear only your underwear and use the potty. If you find you can’t be consistent every day, consider a potty training weekend, where you spend the entire weekend potty training.
5. Remind them every two hours. Your child will ignore his body’s signals to play, eat, or sleep. So help them by giving them a reminder and taking them to the bathroom every two hours to use the toilet. This will help them recognize the signs and get used to going to the bathroom.
6. Make it easy to use the bathroom. Dress them so they don’t struggle to get out of their clothes in time to get to the bathroom. Get a stool, potty chair, or potty ring to make every step of the potty training process easier.
7. Rewards and positive reinforcement. These work well for many children. Praise, sticker charts, treats or toys for success all work. This is not a bribe, but a way to help your child stay excited and celebrate the excitement of her success.
8. Make it fun. Potty training is often scary, so do little things to make it more fun, like take him to the potty, get some fun soap to wash his hands, teach him ditties and songs to use when he’s potty. Help them choose funny underwear, etc.
9. Help them recognize the sensations of going to the bathroom. Sometimes a lack of success with potty training is because they don’t understand how their body works. So, give them a big drink, then tell them what to expect, then, in half an hour or so, drive them home. Soon, you’ll equate the sensations with the need to use the potty, and you’ll do better.
10. Stay inside. Don’t attempt potty training while you’re away from home, on vacation, etc. Stay inside for a few days to make it familiar and easy for your child to go to the bathroom when they need to go. As they get better control, you can venture further.
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