Training Tales

[chickadee]

Share your training tales here! Whether you're in the midst of potty training bootcamp or reflecting on past successes (or failures), we want to hear about it. How are you tackling accidents, regressions, and those elusive first pees/poops? What creative tactics did you use to make learning to potty a fun adventure? Let's commiserate and celebrate our toddlers' development together!

 

[nature]

Accidents are an inevitable part of the process, so we try to turn them into teaching moments. We remain calm and use a cheerful tone to say, "Oops, pee goes in the potty! Let's go together." Then we rush our little one to the bathroom and have them help us clean up the mess. We make sure to talk about how accidents happen but it's more fun when they make it to the toilet. This approach seems to work as a reminder without creating anxiety or shame, and our kiddo has started to ask for help right away when accidents happen now.

Also, we found that offering a small treat after successful potty attempts worked wonders! We kept a variety of stickers on hand and would let our child pick one out after they tried. They love the surprise element and the satisfaction of picking a favorite sticker. This incentive seems to keep them motivated and engaged in the process, especially when we remind them that big kids who use the potty get to choose a special treat!

 

[luciana]

That's a great strategy! We do something similar - turning accidents into a learning opportunity and celebrating successes, and it's amazing how kids rise to the occasion when we frame it as an exciting learning journey they're capable of mastering.

The sticker idea is fantastic too; we also use a reward chart which my tot loves adding stickers to, and it reinforces that potty training is a fun adventure. It's heartening to hear your little one now asks for help immediately - that's fantastic progress!

It's wonderful when parents can share these tales and strategies - it makes the whole experience more enjoyable and supportive for everyone. High five to you!

 

[sunflower]

High five to you too! It's so true how shared experiences like these make parenting a lot more fun and less stressful. I love hearing about other parents' strategies - it's amazing how creative and resourceful we can get! Sticker charts are fantastic; they're like magic motivators for our little ones, and making it into a game really helps frame those accidents as fun challenges to overcome. It's delightful to see their sense of achievement when they earn that sticker and get to showcase their progress. And what a wonderful habit to develop - asking for help right away is a great skill for them to learn!

 

[bananarama]

High five to you too! It's so true how shared experiences like these make parenting a lot more fun and less stressful. I love hearing about other parents' strategies - it's amazing how creative and resourceful we can get! Sticker charts are fantastic; they're like magic motivators for our little ones, and making it into a game really helps frame those accidents as fun challenges to overcome. It's delightful to see their sense of achievement when they earn that sticker and get to showcase their progress. And what a wonderful habit to develop - asking for help right away is a great skill for them to learn!

I agree totally! Parenting can be so much more enjoyable when we share our experiences and learn from one another.

It's incredible how sticker charts can transform potty training into something fun and rewarding for kids. It's like a little ritual that becomes exciting each time, especially when the chart is filled with stickers and they get to visualise their progress. We could even draw our own special "Potty Prize" at the end of the chart as an added incentive!

It's heartening too, to hear how well your child is doing in learning a useful habit of asking for help - it's a valuable skill which will serve them well throughout life.

Accidents are bound to happen, and framing them as fun challenges is a great attitude to adopt; it's a lovely way to teach kids resilience and growth mindset from a young age.

What other creative tactics have worked well for other parents here? I'm all ears as I navigate these waters too!

 

[sportytina]

I agree totally! Parenting can be so much more enjoyable when we share our experiences and learn from one another.

It's incredible how sticker charts can transform potty training into something fun and rewarding for kids. It's like a little ritual that becomes exciting each time, especially when the chart is filled with stickers and they get to visualise their progress. We could even draw our own special "Potty Prize" at the end of the chart as an added incentive!

It's heartening too, to hear how well your child is doing in learning a useful habit of asking for help - it's a valuable skill which will serve them well throughout life.

Accidents are bound to happen, and framing them as fun challenges is a great attitude to adopt; it's a lovely way to teach kids resilience and growth mindset from a young age.

What other creative tactics have worked well for other parents here? I'm all ears as I navigate these waters too!

My six-year-old daughter loves to draw, so creating a colorful potty map with her own artistic touches did the trick! She gets to decorate it with markers and stickers every time she successfully uses the toilet.

 

[wisdom]

My six-year-old daughter loves to draw, so creating a colorful potty map with her own artistic touches did the trick! She gets to decorate it with markers and stickers every time she successfully uses the toilet.

Stickers always make everything more fun!

 

[bookworm]

My six-year-old daughter loves to draw, so creating a colorful potty map with her own artistic touches did the trick! She gets to decorate it with markers and stickers every time she successfully uses the toilet.

That's a fun idea to encourage kids to embrace independence in using the toilet! Making it a creative project makes it more engaging and rewarding for them.

 

[eternity]

Toilet training can be such a daunting task, so making it an exciting and creative process is definitely a great approach! Any fun and unique ways you've found to incentivize this new independence? Stickers and little rewards worked like magic for my little one!

 

[bookworm]

Toilet training can be such a daunting task, so making it an exciting and creative process is definitely a great approach! Any fun and unique ways you've found to incentivize this new independence? Stickers and little rewards worked like magic for my little one!

My toddler was obsessed with trains, so we made toilet-training into a game. I got him a whistle and some train-themed stickers, which were his most desired possessions at the time. For every successful potty attempt, he'd get to blow the whistle and place the sticker on the chart himself, enjoying the satisfying *choo-choo* sound it makes! It became a fun competition where his favourite toy trains raced each other to see who could fill their stickers first.

 

[doctormama]

That's a super creative way to make training fun! Visual rewards charts and the satisfaction of hearing that whistle after success would've been such a highlight for him. It's great how you incorporated his favourite trains too - making it even more engaging. Well done!

 

[musical]

Thanks so much! It was such a simple thing to do but the visual and auditory cues really seemed to engage him. He's quite the little enthusiast!

 

[sunnybunny]

The multisensory approach seems like it paid off - great stuff! It's awesome when you find something your dog really clicks with. Little wins are still wins and every bit of progress counts!

 

[queenie]

The little wins are super satisfying! We've been focusing on a lot of foundation work recently which doesn't always seem like much on the surface, but it's so rewarding to see those building blocks start coming together. My pup had a bit of a breakthrough with some of her behaviors this week too - that feeling when they *click* is the best!

 

[lioness]

The little wins are super satisfying! We've been focusing on a lot of foundation work recently which doesn't always seem like much on the surface, but it's so rewarding to see those building blocks start coming together. My pup had a bit of a breakthrough with some of her behaviors this week too - that feeling when they *click* is the best!

I feel you, girl! Those little wins are what keep us going - like finally mastering a recall after weeks of relentless training! What specific behavior have you been working on that saw a recent breakthrough? Share more about your pup's progression; us dog owners love those deets!

 

[chickadee]

Relentless I feel like it's been a never-ending quest, but I'm happy to share that after many attempts and treats, my pup has finally got the hang of the 'sit and stay' command! It's been a challenge, especially because she's a very enthusiastic and easily excitable little furball. But the determination paid off last week; we had a little victory moment in the park when she followed my command and stayed put even with all the distractions around her. It was like a light bulb switched on! Now, we're working on mastering the 'down' command - which is proving to be just as tricky but with consistency and lots of patience, I'm hopeful.

 

[nature]

Relentless I feel like it's been a never-ending quest, but I'm happy to share that after many attempts and treats, my pup has finally got the hang of the 'sit and stay' command! It's been a challenge, especially because she's a very enthusiastic and easily excitable little furball. But the determination paid off last week; we had a little victory moment in the park when she followed my command and stayed put even with all the distractions around her. It was like a light bulb switched on! Now, we're working on mastering the 'down' command - which is proving to be just as tricky but with consistency and lots of patience, I'm hopeful.

Congratulations! That's a fantastic achievement! My pup took some time to grasp the "stay" command too, so I know the feeling of joy when they finally get it - such a proud moment! Down is a tough one; you'll need loads of treats and persistence for that one! But hey, with the success of the stay command, I'm sure your pup will get there with some time and patience. It's a great milestone when they start understanding your commands.

 

[doctormama]

Thank you! I'm so glad my pup isn't the only one who struggled with the stay command. I feel like such a proud parent now that she's finally got it down pat!

I appreciate the encouragement - will keep at it with treats and persistence for the down command, and hopefully, it'll click soon. It's such an exciting milestone when they start comprehending what you'd like them to do.

 

[koala]

Congratulations on your pup's breakthrough with the stay command - it is a fantastic feeling Keep up the good work, and I'm sure you'll have similar success stories about mastering the down command soon. It's amazing how rewarding it can be to see them understand and comply with our requests. Here's to many more training victories!

 

[chickadee]

Congratulations on your pup's breakthrough with the stay command - it is a fantastic feeling Keep up the good work, and I'm sure you'll have similar success stories about mastering the down command soon. It's amazing how rewarding it can be to see them understand and comply with our requests. Here's to many more training victories!

Yes, it's a great accomplishment and a relief too, cos my fickle puppy has a tendency to get easily distracted. I'm enjoying the journey of training him and this definitely boosts my motivation to persevere! Looking forward to the next challenge and hope the progress continues to come! What other commands are people having success with?