9 Potty training tricks that worked for me

Potty training may be one of the most challenging phases of parenthood, like, ever. The late-night sheet changes and the frantic searching for a public washroom when nature calls at any given moment (and then freaking out as they touch every contaminated thing in the stall) are hard enough. Not to mention the bribes, the tears and the pleading (all on your part, of course).

Potty training is tricky business for most parents, and when you’re teaching your kids to do their business, a helping hand is never a bad thing. So here are some potty training tricks that worked for me.

Start early

It’s never too soon to give potty training a go. If they’re toddling around, they can find the way to their potty. Venturing into this new phase early on gives you and your child time to navigate through the process, and therefore you’ll be more patient with it all.

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Lead by example

Encourage exploration in the washroom. This is not to say they leave us alone in there anyway, but let them see how you handle a number one and two. This is especially helpful when there are older siblings in the family — younger ones always want to emulate their big bro or sis (this is, of course, dependent on the siblings’ ages). 

Make the potty accessible at all times

I lived with a blue plastic potty in my living room for months. It’s funny how you become a parent and suddenly something as, er, personal as a kid’s toilet becomes a new “accessory” in the middle of the house. We also had a great foldable seat that we could bring along with us to the mall or while we were out so he had a smaller seat and was ready, willing and able to do his thing at any time.

Reward systems

Let’s face it: we don’t want to have to bribe our children, but when it comes to reinforcing something as important as using the toilet, there are no rules. If your kid has a weakness for M&Ms, use it as your biggest strength to ease things along. A bowl of animal crackers on the back of the toilet could be just the weapon you need in your potty training arsenal.

Have all the accessories

Want to get them excited about this big change? Bring them shopping to buy new big-boy or big-girl underwear. Let your little prince or princess pick out a shiny new throne (ahem, potty). My bean chose a Mickey Mouse one. If you have all the tools, and they’ve helped to pick them out, everyone will take great pride in all the potty training hoopla.

Celebrate every milestone

That first pee-pee in the potty deserves a dance party and maybe even a special dessert! You really want to start things off on a positive note. From there, continue celebrating the other firsts: the first number two; the first pee on the big toilet, the first pee standing up; and the first dry night.

Make it fun

Yes, learning to use the potty can be fun when you turn it into a game. For boys, this can be a bit easier, given they sometimes learn to go standing up. Targets that you stick to the inside of the toilet bowl, flushable targets, or even Cheerios you keep in a bag in the bathroom (to throw into the toilet as targets), can make potty training fun for a boy. For the girls, a simple sitting activity like blowing bubbles can help to make the potty more interactive.

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Have your child teach the potty training

Turn the tables around and invite your child to play a game of pretend with their favourite doll or stuffy. How would they teach their little friend to use the big-kid potty? This can not only make the idea of using a toilet fun, but you can also gain valuable insight into how your own child encourages his or her friends to do the deed… and then you can carry that out in your own lesson plan.

Read about it

Books can be a great way to talk about potty training (and even giggle a bit about it, too). Look for titles like Once Upon A Potty, I Have To Go! and Everyone Poops. Not only are these great before-bed stories, but they make for appropriate and ideal bathroom reading material, too.