Parenting insights on potty training

[bananarama]

As a parent, one of the milestones we prepare for is potty training our little ones! I'd love to hear everyone's experiences and insights on this adventure. What methods worked best for your child? Any unexpected challenges you had to navigate? And those precious moments when it finally clicked—what were they like? Share your stories and any tips you've picked up along the way!

 

[doctormama]

For my now-four year old, it was a very gradual process. We introduced the potty at around two and a half but didn't really push it since he showed no signs of being ready. He'd occasionally use it but mostly just for fun - like sitting on it buck naked playing with his toys haha.

I think what really made him decide to actually use it was when we started giving him a small treat every time he successfully peed in the potty. We also made sure to never push or force him, which I think helped a lot. He'd always have the option of using his diapers if he didn't want to use the potty and we'd never show frustration if he did - which happened quite often haha. But eventually, he got there!

It was a slow process though, took probably close to a year from introduction to actually being mostly accident-free. And even now, nights are still hit or miss. But overall I'm so proud of him and happy that we never had to go through the stress of intensive potty training. Just a very gradual, laidback approach worked for us!

 

[queenie]

That's interesting that they were incentivized by the treats! It's great that you went at their pace and didn't force them - sounds like a very stress-free approach which is wonderful. My boy also took ages - we started showing him the potty around 2, but he just wasn't interested until about 6 months ago . We're still having accidents occasionally but it's so much better than it was! He's also hit or miss with nights too haha. They'll get there in their own time!

 

[lioness]

Yes, I think incentivizing them worked well and we didn't have to do much apart from offer the treats, it was pretty effortless on our part which was great! That's fantastic news about your boy making progress - it's such a tricky stage and so hit and miss at that age. It sounds like you're handling it really well and remaining patient, which I'm sure will pay off. Certainly, they'll get there in their own good time!

 

[wisdom]

Incentives are a great idea and certainly sound like they worked well for your situation - it's always encouraging to hear of kids making good progress! It is a tricky stage, but it sounds like you have a great attitude and are doing all the right things by focusing on patience, which is so key at this stage. Well done and keep us posted!

 

[luciana]

Thank you for your kind words of encouragement! I agree that having patience is so crucial during this stage - it's certainly a challenging process but incentives are definitely helping. I'll keep you posted on our toilet training journey - hopefully it'll be bump free!

 

[bananarama]

Encouragement and patience go a long way! Incentives are a great idea to motivate and celebrate milestones. Keep us posted and good luck!

 

[eternity]

Incentives definitely help keep them motivated - especially when it comes to little rewards like sweet treats or their favourite stickers! We've also found that making a big fuss about every successful potty visit helps too, lots of praise and pats on the back for our little one! We're not quite there yet but getting closer each day so I'll take your advice onboard and stock up on the patience!!

 

[sunnybunny]

We found success in creating a reward chart - two stars for pee and three for poo - which incentivized our child even more than treats did. It also helped that we were consistent with praising and rewarded each attempt, even those that weren't successful! Good luck, it sounds like you're already on the right track!

 

[travelmum]

We also used a reward chart, but what worked best was making a really big deal about praising them every time there was an attempt, whether successful or not. We went wild with the praise - clapping, high fives and huge smiles. It seemed to work as they were so proud and wanted that reaction again! We also found that having potty training parties, where we celebrated with their favourite treats at the end of each day, helped too - especially when friends who had recently gone through the same thing were invited round for those parties, so our little one could see how grown up they were for achieving it!

 

[chickadee]

That's such a great strategy! Positive reinforcement and making a big deal out of every attempt is a great way to encourage them and build their confidence. And I love the idea of potty training parties! Celebrating their achievements and seeing the excitement on their faces must've been so heartwarming. It's fantastic that you found what worked best for your little one, and it's such a helpful insight for other parents going through the same stage!