Share your best potty training secrets

Courtney - posted on 08/09/2011

N whem we put underwear on her she pees or poops ok n them

Courtney - posted on 08/09/2011

My daughter is 3 n she just refuses to uae the potty.i think she wants to wear diapers cause her siaterdoes. Everytime she has to poop she will put a pull up on herself I let her run around naked but sometimes she will pee on the floor

Lisa - posted on 05/12/2011

what site did u find the video kelly reymann.. i have a 3yr old girl who is being stubborn and not telling me she has to potty she will only go when i make her.. i need help please

Melanie - posted on 05/11/2011

the best thing for our kids was being able to tell the parent who was not home that they did it....we would get all excited and high five...when first steps started getting easier and the excitement wained, we would do it all over again when the next step was reached (flush w/out fear, wiping, pooping, no accidents all day, etc)

Amber - posted on 05/11/2011

I started with my son around 1 1/2 by basically letting him play withthe potty seat to get familar with it. Then I should him how to pull up and down with the pull-ups. After that My husband started letting him go to the bathroom with him. Once he saw that, he wanted to do the same. So in the daytime I let him wear regular under wear and at night wear pull-ups. Then eventually we let him sleep without the pull-up and he wet that bed and every since that night he never wet the bed again cuaese he didn't like pee being on him. He was fully trained by 2 1/2.

Lashundra - posted on 05/11/2011

I think u should put them on underwear or panties. I been trying to potty train my son since he was 15 months ( felt like a year, lol) He start day care and the teacher told me she don't change pull ups!! To be honest I read her. because how dare her tell me what she do or don't when I pay so much money. The next day I brought him in with underwear on and ad least three sets of clothes. To my surprise when I pick him up he didn't use on himself. So, a hour before he went to sleep I put him on a pull up, he filled it up before he went 2 sleep!! I think my child thinks of pull ups as diapers, he's got use 2 peeing and me change him!! When my son realize he don't like the way pee feel on him, he quickly got the message. I guess the teacher gave us a push!!

Ashley - posted on 05/11/2011

my son used to sit in front of the tv and go but then was not interested in it no more, now we try to get him to sit on the big boy toilet, but he doesn't wanna go just when he wants to....but he goes to the potty at school and before he goes in the tub at Nana's but he won't go at home

Danielle - posted on 02/04/2009

I went and bought potty training underwear and the matching rubber pants. Made a huge deal about big boy undies. The first week was HARD on all of us. Washing out panties in the toilet and cleaning up a toddler was no fun but our son soon understood that going on the potty was better than being messy. It was summer so running around in a T-Shirt and undies was an option. When we initially started out our son refused and we let it go for a while because we didn't want to pressure him. Pull Up's didn't work for us.

Shari - posted on 02/04/2009

For my son, we just put him on the potty everyday at times such as before bath, before bed, each time he came into join me on the potty.  At 2 1/2, I put on big boy pants.  He peed 3x's the first day, then once the second day and has never peed again.  Not sure if I just got lucky, but pull-ups just didn't make sense to me. (I did do pull-ups at night for a while) An Elmo seat on top of toilet seat helped him w/the fear of falling into toilet.

Amanda - posted on 02/04/2009

we wait until our girls are ready, then make the potty chairs and bathrooms readily available to them. I even had one potty chair in my foyer at one point because my daughter said she wanted to potty there. when they start actually using teh potty, we give stickers, but only if they tell a grownup, go on their own, wipe, and wash their hands after flushing. my oldest is potty trained all but nighttime and my youngest has just begun to actually 'go' on her own during the daytime, even thought she's still too too tiny to do much without my help.

Regina - posted on 02/04/2009

The thing that worked the best with my son was a "potty chart". Basically a sticker chart that after a few stickers he recieved a bigger treat like going to McDonalds for lunch or a small toy. It started out as only 2 or 3 stickers until he started to figure out what got him treats and stickers and then as he did better we up'd the amount of stickers that he had to get to earn a treat, he never seemed to notice that it was taking longer to get one. After awhile we just stopped after he was going potty without even asking to put up a sticker or get a treat.

Krysti - posted on 01/29/2009

Thanks for the very helpful information, Maureen.  I thought we were doing well, but realize that we are not as consistent as we need to be with the potty training.  My 2.5yr old is in daycare through the days and I know they use the potty there, and I do bring her into the bathroom with me when I go.  We do make a big deal out of it when she's successful and let her go right before bedtime even though I know it's a delay-tactic.  We're making progress though.  I'm not too worried.  My neice was almost 4 when she was completely trained.  She was going to be starting a pre-school class at a library and they said she couldnt go unless she used the potty all the time.  That's all she needed to hear, because at that moment, she was done with diapers and pull-ups.  So maybe there's something to that...?  We also try using the "Big Girl" tactic. Big Girls use the potty an you're a Big Girl, so lets go use the potty!  Works sometimes....

Maureen - posted on 01/27/2009

I have to say that I have the most knowledge out there by far with potty training.  I had to take my son to several doctors as he had more than just the average potty training problem. He had "encopresis" which is where the child holds their stool b/c they are afraid to let it out due to it hurting.  The best thing to do when you are first starting out potty training is to let the child sit on the potty with their diaper on while you sit on the toilet with them...work your way up to sitting longer sits on the potty with them.  Also, each time you go potty, take them with you.  After a while encourage your child to take their diaper/pull up off and sit on the potty after breakfast, lunch & dinner.  These are the major 3 times to make your child sit on the potty.  If your child gets upset you should never force it b/c you do not want to traumatize your child.  Also, Rewarding your child for just "sitting" on the potty is a big plus.  Have a "basket" full of goodies for your child to pick something out of like stickers, m&m's, small things like that"....and let them pick one out each time they sit on the potty whether they go or not.  However the first time they do go...HAVE  A POTTY PARTY! Jump up and down and make it a big deal....call your friends and have your toddler tell everyone in sight they went potty!  The next step after this would be upgrading your child to using big girl/boy underwear during the day....they will have several accidents however keep strong...try it for a week and if it doesn't work then go back to using pull-ups....it's all "trial and error" ...each child has different timing on when they are ready to be potty trained. My son took till he was 6 yrs old to have bowel movements on the toilet.  However, the older your child gets you are going to need to be more consistent with making htem sit on the potty after breakfast, lunch & dinner.  Of course if they go poop and breakfast you don't need to make them sit again after lunch and dinner but every hour the child should be asked if they have to "tinkle" or whatever word you use...and by you making it a pleasant and fun time b/c you are going potty with them...they will want to mimic that...esp. girls. anyways, if your child is having any problems with bowel movements and hurting or not going consistently you may want to check w/ your pediatrician to see if they need to use miralax to make the stools softened so they aren't afraid to go poop and it hurting.

Kelly - posted on 01/27/2009

Potty Power video found it on line!!! Also, for boys put cheerios in toilet and have them "aim" for them, but be prepared to wipe up!!!

Jen - posted on 01/27/2009

My lil girl will be 2 years old Feb 4th and is VERY close to being fully potty trained! I talk about the potty all the time.Every time I go potty myself I take her in with me. I read the potty books and get happy and clap talking with her about it!!!I feel that is why she is doing very well. I also give her a lil treat after she does go. I give her one  Dibs Ice Cream snack. Its a small serving of a bite size peice of Ice Cream and she loves it!Good luck with everything!

Lydia - posted on 01/27/2009

Thanks Erica. I like the celebration song idea. I work too and was concerned how the training would work at daycare. If it would prolong the process and even create setbacks.

Erica - posted on 01/24/2009

I put a potty in the living room and let my daughter wear stretchy pants and pull ups. She used to sit on it and eat Cheerios...one day she just went over and went pee all by herself.

Then we had a song, too....

Otherwise, she pretty much was good to go. Took several months though because I was working full time (teacher). I would send her to daycare in pullups just in case, 8 out of 10 days she would stay dry all day. When school ended June 26th I put her in undies and she was trained.

I think the song was really instrumental. :)