Parents should get a medal when they've potty trained their children! (Potty Training Tips)

Member Name: Claribella

Product:	Potty Training Tips
Date:	25/01/09 (65 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: No more nappies! WOO!HOO!

Disadvantages: Can be a messy time.

After successfully training my little boy who has just turned two I thought I would try and help others who are in this situation with some tips and ideas.

What a milestone! What a fun time! What a journey! Over the last week we have been trying to encourage our son to stop randomly weeing into the soft, cushiony nappy between his legs that he's been wearing for the past two years and start doing his business on a cold, hard plastic tub that has a picture of a duck on it.Thankfully he has taken really well to it and within a week he was done. I spent a few occasions with carpet cleaner in hand mopping up a puddle on the carpet, I was paranoid for a few days that my house stunk of urine and both my hubby and I danced around like absolute maniacs when Noah actually got his first wee in the potty. The only few words that came out of my mouth was 'Noah do you need a wee' and I was saying it in my sleep and I have lost ten to twenty pounds by running up the stairs with son and potty in tow to empty the contents down the loo. It's been a very quick journey of highs and lows (mostly highs!) and I'm so greatful he picked it up so quickly as I know it can take quite a while for some children.

The way we trained Noah goes against all of the advice I have read on potty training but it really worked for him. I think you know your child better than anyone and you know what will suit them and the way we did it with Noah was definitely the right way for him. Most experts recommend that you bite the bullet and keep them in pants throughout the day so as not to confuse them as it could take longer. I didn't do it this way partly because I have enough washing as it is and I knew there would be more to add to my pile if I did it as the experts say. The following is the method we used.

Months ago I bought a potty and kept it downstairs for Noah to see. He took a bit of an interest in it but whenever I suggested sitting on it with his bottoms off he hated the idea. On day one I spent the morning in the house and I kept his nappy and trousers off. I explained that if he felt he needed a wee from his winky then he could go and sit on and do one there. Whenever he started weeing he said 'OHHHH mummy wee'. He knew that he was weeing but didn't get to the potty in time. I would pop him on every time he had an accident and every now and again. I went out of the room for a while and when I came back he had done a poo on the potty! I have to say I have never felt so happy in my whole life than I did at this moment!! Hehe!
Once I thought he had the 'No pants' weeing and pooing sorted (it only took a day or two) then we moved onto having 'big boy' pants on. At first he would forget as he thought he had a nappy on but after being wet twice he realised and didn't like the feeling of being wet. He was soon dry and we moved onto wearing trousers. He never wet his trousers once and has been dry ever since. In all of this I would put him back in a nappy to go out and about and if he asked me for a wee then I would put him on a potty. I realise 'pull up' nappies would have been helpful during this period but I'm stingy and don't like paying the price!

Like I say this method of doing it in phases and gradually isn't really the conventional way to do it but it worked for us and here are five tips on potty training your little one.

1. Stay calm. If you are stressed they can sense it and it may not be plain sailing.
2. Don't make them feel bad if they have an accident as this could delay the process or make it worse.
3. Don't try it too early. If they aren't making progress then give up for a few weeks and come back to it.
4. Keep a potty upstairs and downstairs and if you can buy a portable potty for when you are out and about. The more potties you have the more chance your little one will have of getting a wee in one of them.
5. Finally enjoy it if you can. It will come and go so quickly and you may end up shedding a little tear like myself. It's like the end of an era when they start doing there business in the same place as you.

Summary: Stay calm and don't stress.