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ADVICE FROM THE BATTLE WEARY Take what you can use from the following moms who have successfully potty trained their children. Some of their advice may be repetitive, but, heck, if it worked for them, it might work for you too! Sheila from West Virginia tells us: “All kids are ready at different times. Just remember to be patient! Some older kids learn easily, but many kids lost interest in training at the very time parents are ready to pull their hair out from changing all of the diapers! It is a learning process for most that takes time and commitment." Patty from Texas says: "When my son has to go, we’ve recently been getting him to yell "poop!" as loud as he can. While silly, this makes him aware that he needs to keep working on training himself, and he won’t be able to go in his diaper once the whole family’s made aware!" “When my 18-month-old started going into the bathroom and closing the door, I knew she was about ready to toilet train. I would let her go in and use her potty, dump it into the big toilet, and put it up in the sink for me to rinse out.” Sharika in Detroit says. It worked for her! Suzanne in Missouri offers the following: “Allow one or two trips to the potty, but not 5. If she seemed afraid, "practice pretend" at home. Or, if she just likes to check out strange potties, put a limit on the amount of trips. Our boys used to like to do this too, especially in a "grown up" restaurant where things tended to get a bit boring. That way, the kids take potty training seriously. When they’re taken, they’re expected to go!" Dianne in California used a common potty tool – videos: “We used the Once Upon a Potty video for our daughter. We sang the tune from the video all the time, especially when she went to the potty. She loved it.” Here’s a fun little tip from Christie in Kentucky: “We made up a little song that we sang every time our daughter sat on the potty. She loved it. When she finished, we would sing a different song identifying what she had done and telling her how proud we were of her. We also included several rounds of applause. It wasn't too long before she used the potty every time!” We’ve talked before about consistency and establishing a routine. Amy in California tells us what worked for her in this venue: ”My biggest help was to be consistent. We used a timer to help us both remember to go potty. We started with every 20 minutes, and as I could see he needed to go less, gradually increased the time. Eventually, he would tell me he needed to go before the timer went off, or say he didn't need to when it did. Then we'd set the timer for five or 10 more minutes and try again.” As you already know, using treats and rewards can be the most effective way to reinforce potty training. Those treats don’t always have to be candy. Here’s what some parents did: “Our daughter wasn't very consistent with toilet training until we introduced the surprise bag. We got a bunch of inexpensive toys and stickers and put them in a colorful gift bag. Every time she used the toilet, we would clap and tell her what a great job she did and let her pick one surprise out of the bag. We kept it up for about a week and a half, and when the surprises ran out she just kept on using the potty. We continued to praise her and she quickly forgot the surprise bag. I can honestly say that toilet training was painless and quick with this method, and I plan to use it again with my next child.” — Elizabeth, Washington D.C. ”Whenever I hit a fast food drive-through, I would get a kids' meal even if the kids weren't with me, then I collected all the toys in a dark pillowcase (so it wouldn't be see-through). When it came time to toilet train my 3-year-old son (an idea he was extremely resistant to), I would let him take one item from the pillowcase every time he went poop on the potty. This worked so quickly that within three weeks he was completely trained. Needless to say, this concept is not working for my daughter who just turned 3. Why not? I don't get it.” — Meredith, Maine ”We kept a container of our daughter Morgan's favorite treat (M&Ms) on her dresser. If she successfully used the potty, she would receive three M&Ms (we'd let her pick the colors as well). Within a month she was using the potty regularly, with few accidents, and by age 2 1/2 she was trained.” — Jenna, Pennsylvania ”My 28-month-old really loved my nail polish. I found some at the grocery store that would come right off when she washed her hands, so I let my toddler paint her fingernails every time she peed in the potty. I told her that when she pooped she could have some of Mommy's polish, which wouldn't wash off, on one finger. Ten days later, she was completely potty trained.” — Shelley, Nevada Many experts agree that discontinuing the use of pull-up type pants – which are a lot like diapers – can be a daunting task for some parents. Also, allowing your child to go naked at home can help push the process along. Some parents just aren’t comfortable with all that. However, these parents found ways to make these tips work. “I put painter's plastic down on the carpets, and then took off my 16-month-old's diaper. There were a number of accidents, but the cleanups were quick and easy because of the plastic. She soon caught on and was happy not to be in uncomfortable diapers!” — Eva, Oklahoma “I had my son pick out underwear with his favorite character, Thomas the Tank Engine, on them. Then I told him not to get Thomas wet. It worked immediately!” — Dionte, Illinois “My son was fully toilet trained at 3, except he wouldn't go poop in the toilet. I tried everything, and asked everyone. Finally one day we were shopping and he asked for boxers. I told him that if we got these he would have to use the toilet or it would get all over the place. That seemed to be the magic thing because ever since then he has had no more accidents.” — Mackenzie, California “I let my daughter wear underwear every day until naptime, but I put plastic pants over them to prevent messes. In the beginning she wet several times a day and didn't like the feeling. I also gave her a nickel for her piggy every time she sat on the potty. She was trained by 20 months.” — Jill, Arkansas “My daughter tortured me for months, using the potty successfully one day, then demanding diapers the next. Finally I told her that the pack of diapers we had just bought was the last, and I wasn't buying any more. We then picked out training pants. When we got down to the last few diapers, I again emphasized that they were the last and when they were gone there wouldn't be any more. We then went to training pants and to "sleeping underwear" at night. She had a few accidents the first week and has been trained ever since!” — Tammi, Florida Finally, there are parents who “feel your pain”. Jill from Indiana had gotten to her own breaking point. Here’s what she did: “Our daughter was 2 1/2 when we finally got her trained. We tried everything in the book. She wanted to wear underwear but not go to the potty. Finally we said, "Go ahead and do what you want." Two days later, she started using the potty on her own, with no encouragement from us!” These parents share their time-tested techniques with you in hopes that you will recognize your child in one of theirs and be able to put what worked for them to work for you! Of course, as we’ve said many times in this guide, every child is different. But doesn’t it help to know that you’re not alone!
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