Potty Training 101 Simple and Effective

Potty training is your child ready?

If your child meets most of these criteria, they are ready to try. If not, wait a month or two and reevaluate.  Your child is about to begin a new chapter in their life called potty training.  This is a significant event because your child is about to become a big girl or a big boy.  And for you, the parents, this is a new chapter in your life. Your child will see how much patience and understanding you have.  Remember, every child learns at their own pace so let’s have fun teaching your child to become more independent.

• Expresses an interest in coming into the bathroom with you to find out what goes on there and perhaps even sits on the toilet herself/himself.
• Understands what the toilet is for and what it means to have a wet or dirty diaper. If he/she also shows a preference for being clean and dry, fussing when she’s wet, pulling off a dirty diaper, or asking to be changed, all the better!
• Knows the words for urinating and having a bowel movement (such as “going potty” or whatever words your family may choose).
• Can stay dry for at least two hours at a time.
• Has regular bowel movements with soft, formed stools.
• Can and will follow simple directions, such as those for washing hands.
• Can help pull pants up and down
• She seems to recognize at least a few seconds ahead of time that she’s about to go and can tell you before it happens. (Many youngsters will squat, leave the room, or get “the look” before having a bowel movement).
• She has a willing, receptive mood and isn’t going through major transitions (like adjusting to a new sibling or school).
• Demonstrates a desire for independence (for example, wants to be a “big girl” and do things for herself) — or, better yet, shows a specific desire to use the toilet as mommy and daddy do!

Supplies needed:

• Potty chair: when starting to potty train, it is usually easier, to begin with, a potty chair.  This is because your child is small and developmentally; they need their feet to touch the floor to feel balanced and comfortable.  Please buy at least 2 potty chairs, one for home and one for Almost Mom.  Around 4-6 weeks after potty training, your child may be ready to use the “big potty.”
• Panties/Underwear:  girls wear panties; boys wear underwear.  Buy several pairs of them because your child will go through a lot of them.  Please supply Almost Mom with at least 10 pairs of panties/underwear. 
• Extra outfits: easy-to-remove clothing (such as elastic waist pants); this will make potty training easier on everyone and encourage your child to try it themselves without the hassle of zippers and buttons.  Please supply Almost Mom with at least 3 complete outfits.
• Timer: to keep track of your child’s progress.

Getting Started:

• Potty-Training should begin at home over a weekend, so you can have a diaper party.  A diaper party is something you need to make a really, really big deal about.  This is when your child will gather up all their diapers in the house, car, and diaper bag wherever you have diapers, and your child gets to throw them away in the trashcan.  Your child is very smart, and they realize that it is gone forever when you put something in the trash.  Parents, please make this a very exciting moment for your child by saying “goodbye to diapers” and reinforcing your child as a “big girl/boy.”  At this point, go to the store with your child and pick out their new panties for girls and underwear for boys.  This will make your child feel special and important.  Your child will be excited about potty training when they come to Almost Mom by starting potty training at home.  Your child will understand they will start something new and exciting on Monday at daycare for an easier transition. 
• Big girl panties or big boy underwear is my recommendation for potty training.  When your child has an accident in their new panties/underwear, it is uncomfortable, and you want your child to feel this, and your child will know it does not feel good.  That is part of the learning process. 
• You may choose to use a pull-up at bedtime if you feel your child may not make it through the night, however, do not put a diaper on them; this will only confuse your child.  One recommendation would be to put on underwear/panties and a pull-up on top of the underwear.  Keep in mind we will not use pull-ups at Almost Mom for nap time because if your child is ready for potty training, they will usually be staying dry for naptime already.
• I have also supplied you with the “Potty Training Chart.”  This is for you to keep track of your child’s progress throughout the day.  This is a reminder to know what time to start your timer.  This will help you become a successful potty-training parent.  Please make several copies of this chart for yourself.
• Timer: The timer has a dual purpose.  It will remind you, the parent, that it is time to go potty, two, it is an auditory reminder to your child that it is time to go potty.  When you and your child hear the timer, you should run, not walk, and I mean run to the potty.  It should almost feel like a game.  Everything should be high energy and fun.
  • How fast can your child take their underwear/panties off?
  • How fast can your child sit down on the potty?
  • How fast can they pee in the potty?   
• Having your child take off his/her underwear or panties is part of the process of potty training.  Be patient with your child and have them do it all by themself.  It may take them 10 seconds or 5 minutes; it’s okay children have nothing but time.  When they are done trying to go potty or have been successful, it is their turn to put the underwear/panties back on.  Once again, have them do it by themselves.  I help the kids “start them,” which means I will lay their panties on the floor in front of them, and they will put their feet in them and pull them up themselves.  “One foot in one hole”; “the tag always goes on the floor.”  Some children will catch on to this very quickly; others will take a while. That’s okay; don’t get frustrated; do it again and again and again.  Your children are brilliant, and they will get it!

Everything should be high energy and fun.

Tip #1: Set your child up to succeed, not to fail.

Tip #2: Be Consistent.  Potty training at daycare should be the same as being done at home.

Tip #3: Never ask your child to go potty because they will always say “no” instead, tell your child to go potty.  Example: Susie, it’s time to go potty; let’s go!

Tip #4: Praise your child for going potty; clap your hands, give a high five, shout and howler, give words of praise, or give a sticker.  Avoid giving food or candy.

Beginning the process:

1. In the morning, you will need to wake your child up before they wake up independently.  This is a person’s natural body response to going to the bathroom first when you wake up.  If your child wakes up on their own, it will probably be too late, and they will have already peed in their pull-up or underwear. 
   • Immediately take your child’s pull-ups or underwear off in their bed. This is because while you are running your child to the bathroom, they will pee in their pull-up or underwear while you are on your way to the potty.  If your child feels they have nothing to pee in, they will try to hold it until they reach the potty chair. 
2. Some children may not like this process at first of being woken up and put directly on the potty; however, it is part of the process, and your child must sit on the potty.  Believe me, if you give in and let them get up off the potty two seconds after they get up, they will walk out of the bathroom and pee on the carpet in the hallway.  Trust me, have your child sit on the potty for a while, and they will pee.  Some children love constant praise and attention, and others want to be left alone.
   • Have some books in the bathroom for your child to look at while sitting on the potty.  You could get some potty training books for your child to look at, or any book will work.  Sing a song, whatever it takes for your child to feel comfortable enough to go potty.
     • Song: pee-pee in the potty, pee-pee in the potty, repeat again and again.
   • One suggestion would be to get yourself ready in the bathroom that your child is sitting in but do not give them any attention so they can concentrate.   
   • Remember, your child needs to concentrate on going potty in the beginning.  So, try to limit your talking with your child because it only distracts them.  You, the parents, may have to leave the room completely for your child to concentrate.  If you do this and your child gets off the potty, walk back in the bathroom, pick your child up, put them back on the potty, and walk out again.  You may have to do this several times, don’t get discouraged; this is part of the process.  Keep doing it again and again and again. 
3. Once your child has gone potty in the morning, get ready and dressed for their day. 
4. The body’s natural potty clock will go off about 20 minutes after your child drinks, so, therefore, after breakfast, have your child go to the potty. Go through the process:
   • Have child remove own pants and underwear/panties.
   • Sit on the potty for 3 to 5 minutes.
   • Have your child put their own underwear/panties on by themselves,
   • Set timer for 5 minutes if unsuccessful or 1 hour if successful.
   • Do it all again!!!
5. You will continue the process until your child has something to drink and then wait 20 minutes and start the process over again from the beginning:
   • Have child remove own pants and underwear/panties.
   • Sit on the potty for 3 to 5 minutes.
   • Have your child put their own underwear/panties on by themselves,
   • Set timer for 5 minutes if unsuccessful or 1 hour if successful.
   • Do it all again!!!

Please don’t get upset when your child has an accident (which they will).  Your child will need to help clean up “the mess.” It is part of the process to have your child take off their pee-pee clothes and put them in the laundry room by themselves.  They will not like touching the pee-pee clothing, and they usually will carry their wet clothes with two fingers.  While your child is taking off their wet clothes, talk to them about how yucky it feels and that this is no fun. 

If there is a puddle on the floor, hand your child paper towels and have them clean up the mess and put it in the trash. Next, get the mop out and have them clean up the floor.  Your child will get the point that this is a lot of work to clean up “the mess.” We want this part of the process not to be enjoyable.  This teaches your child that it is easier to pee in the potty than in your pants.  After your child has cleaned up “the mess,” have them sit on the potty and try to go.  Many children will still need to go more, so have them sit for 3-5 minutes and then let them get up and set your timer for one hour and start the process again from the beginning.

The first three days will be challenging, but your child will be potty trained by the end of ten days if you have followed the outline.  I can not stress enough how imperative it is to follow the method.  We work very hard with your children at daycare all day doing this outline to help your child be successful at potty training. I need you, the parents, to do the same thing at home.  This is a partnership between parents and providers for your child. 

Please take this very seriously; if you are not following through at home, I will tell and stop potty training at daycare.  When you, the parents, are ready to commit to potty training your child, come and talk with me about starting again.  Please keep in mind I will not potty train just one child.  We potty train as a group, so I will only potty train when more than one child is ready. 

If, within 2-3 weeks, your child shows no signs of progress, I reserve the right to put your child back in diapers & try again in a few weeks.