Parenting Children

The hardest parenting task so far, for me, has been potty training. I thought that I had read the books, talked with other Moms and I knew just what I was doing.
I did, but my kids did not.

My fault was that I was trying to train the kids together. My daughter was ready a couple of months before my son was ready. The only problem was, she would go number one but for numero dos, it would only take place in a diaper.
I let her go into her diaper until there were none left, then I told her she was on her own. That actually worked.
Yeah, I was surprised too.

My son took longer, he was on his own schedule. When he was ready (the key word here) he went full force, never regressing back to diapers.

Here are some tips I can pass on to any parent dealing with potty training:

Make sure you have the proper tools, a kid potty seat or a stool for the “big” potty. The aim targets for boys can be fun but a waste of money. Cheerios work just as well.

Never make negative comments if the child has an accident. That is just what it was: an accident.

Try not to potty train a child after or during a big event. This could include a move to a new home, a new brother or sister or even starting school for the first time.
These could lead a child to regress.

Telling my son that he could use the potty like all his older cousins used really helped. He wanted to be a “big boy” just like them.
Peer pressure is good, sometimes.

Remember, kids all will train when they are physically and emotionally ready to use the bathroom. All kids are different and will be ready at different times. This can be frustrating, but I promise, eventually they will get it.

INCENTIVES.
I rewarded my kids for taking this huge step into big kid world. I had a big dish of brightly colored M&Ms and let them pick a couple out after they went to the bathroom and washed their hands.
This was a treat for them and they really like chocolate.

Lastly, be consistent. If your child is ready but a little lazy, that is ok but keep with it. They will get it sooner then later.

Do you have any potty training tips?

potty training, toddlers, preschoolers, potty, aim targets, potty seats, potty readiness, parenting, moms