A few months ago, a friend told me Graham was ready to be potty trained. I put it off for a month or so, but on spring break I set a schedule and we tackled it. Here’s what I learned:
You set the tone
This is an exciting development in your toddler’s life! If you’re excited, they’ll be excited too. If you’re angry, they’ll mirror that. If you sit next to the toilet and cry, potty training will seem like a bad thing to them. A little bit of cheerfulness goes a long way.Be consistent
For our first day of potty training, we went every 20 minutes. Yes, we went to the bathroom around 30 times that day. Yes, it was a lot of times. On the second day, we went every 25 minutes, and by the third day we were pushing 30 to 45 minutes. It seems like a lot, but remember—this is a new thing for a kid. For the past few years, they’ve been able to execute every bodily function completely on demand. The more consistent you can be with them, the sooner they’ll learn it.Have a reward
Peeing in the toilet is fun. Getting a mini M&M for it is even more fun. Whether it’s a small piece of candy or something else your child loves, reward their accomplishment! Positive reinforcement is a huge motivator.Stay off the carpet for the first few days
Your kid will have accidents. It happens. And it’s okay. Clean it up, move on, and be kind. They don’t like it any more than you do.
Remember. This is a person too—just a little smaller, a little more sticky, and a little more chaos driven than you are. You will both survive.
“Treat your child the way you’ll want to be treated when you’re old and they help YOU go to the potty.”
And, as I jokingly told a few people before we started, “I’m sure he’ll be fully potty trained by the time he’s 16.”
You can do this, mama.