Nothing is as simple as it seems.
My ‘Lazy Potty Training’ is no exception. It is pretty awesome, 😉 but no method is fool proof.
Here are some general tips on potty training I have learned that ease the stress of this sometimes messy task.
1. Make it fun.
Toddlers tend to adopt their parents’ attitudes about things. If I show my kids potty training is fun and exciting by how I talk and act about it, they will think it is fun and exciting.
It is not bad to enlist the aid of a beloved aunt, uncle, or grandparent to help add to the excitement and anticipation.
2. Make them clean up their mess.
This little tip helps in a few ways. First, it’s extra incentive to go potty in the toilet. Having to clean up a mess every time you go to the bathroom is no fun. Kids are smart and they catch on quick. They will soon figure out that they return to playing much faster by going in the toilet than if they have to take time to clean up their accident.
Second, less clean up for Mom and Dad! Woohoo!
Third, they learn skills that will help around the house. Laundry, mopping, and spot cleaning come to mind.
3. An accident is not the end of the world!
This one gets me all the time. Remaining calm and collected in front of a puddle on the floor is not my thing. But my kid, technically, didn’t do anything wrong. They didn’t lie, or steal, or cheat, or kill anyone. It was an accident. We’ve all done it.
Some kids will start to wet their pants to spite their parents. It gets a reaction out of Mom and Dad, so they do it for ‘fun.’ If Dad and Mom never give a reaction other than a calm, “Oh. Let’s clean it up,” they won’t be able to use it against us.
4. Patience.
No two kids are the same. Some will catch on really fast. Others will take longer. Some will need lots of help, and some will be really independent from the get go. I have one single memory of helping my second son learn to use the toilet. Whereas, with my oldest there are many.
Potty training can be so much fun as kids learn to act grown up. That’s what their whole life is about: becoming like Dad and Mom.
Hopefully at the end of it all we have some good memories, and not many poopy memories. 🙂
