Are you potty-training your toddler? Having a potty-trained child can save you a ton of cash and give your family more freedom (plus no more poopy diaper changes), but it’s one of the most tricky things your toddler will have to master. This post will give you the run-down on the best potty-training hacks and tips from professionals who do this for a living (i.e childcare workers). Read-on for potty training tips from the experts!
Potty-Training Hacks and Tips
A kid who can go to the bathroom independently is the dream, right? No more diapers, no more wipes, no more money flying out of your wallet (or in my case, dirty diaper laundry).
But potty-training is easier said than done. Many toddlers struggle with potty-training, facing frustration, loss of confidence or major regressions.
I was lucky enough to finish potty-training Hannah in under a week and we’ve never looked back. I credit my (I mean our) success with A LOT of research and taking the advice of some very smart child care workers, for whom potty-training is part of the job. Some of these ladies have potty-trained over 200 kids! Who better to ask for advice, right? Today I’m going to share their tested and true best potty-training tips with you, in hopes of making your own journey a little easier. Good luck mamas!
This post contains affiliate links. This means I may receive a small commission at no cost to you if you make a purchase after clicking on a link on this page. Read more here.
Related Posts:
How to Take a Toddler to a Restaurant…Without Going Insane!
9 Surefire Ways to Get Your Toddler to Eat Vegetables
Busy Boxes Toddlers Can Use Independently
Potty-Training Hacks: Setting up for Potty-Training Success
Look for Readiness Signs
Research readiness signs before starting potty-training (here’s a great post to help you). Without having most of these in place, your child will most likely have difficulty mastering potty-training, which means both of you will be frustrated!
Ignore Pressure
Block out anyone if she is pressuring you to start training early. You know your little one the best and you are uniquely equipped to tell if he or she is ready.
Don’t Compare
Likewise, do not compare your child to an older sibling, our your friends’ children. Every child is unique and will develop at their own pace.
Independence Skills
Teach your child how to pull down his/her pants and underwear by themselves BEFORE starting training. Potty-training is a big skill to achieve and mastering small parts beforehand can help reduce frustration.
Read a Book!
Childcare workers (and teachers) always look for a way to include reading and early literacy skills when broaching any new topic. Reading about the potty is a great way to prepare kids for using it!
Here are a few favorites:
Cool Underwear
Lots of kids are motivated by helping to pick out big kid underwear. Some moms swear by choosing undies with a favorite character (Girls: Paw Patrol, Doc McStuffins, Princess Sofia, etc., Boys: Paw Patrol, Thomas the Tank Engine, Justice League, etc.), then telling their child to keep the character dry.
Girls’ Undies
Boys’ Undies
Commit 100%
Choose a few days or a week when you are on vacation and hunker-down at home. No trips, errands or visits. Make potty-training your priority and provide as much consistency as you can. Changing back and forth from diapers to underwear is confusing and progress will be much slower.
Potty-Training Hacks: The Basics
Skip the Pull-Ups
These are glorified diapers and will just slow the process by confusing your child. They need to feel wet immediately after peeing to learn. Note: we did continue to use Pull-Ups at nighttime when working on daytime potty training. Another option, which can be helpful for unavoidable car trips, is using a cloth training pant, which feels like undies (and gets wet like undies), but won’t leak.
Go Commando
This was the tip that worked the best for Hannah. She had lots of accidents in her big girl underwear, but very few if she was running around half-naked.
Use a Timer
Set a timer for 15-20 minutes and remind your child to sit on the potty and try to pee (You would think this would be easy to just remember, but 15 minutes goes by a lot faster than you think!). As potty-training progresses, you can gradually lengthen your time. This visual timer is my favorite, and helps your child understand how much time has passed (I actually use this for a lot of behavior management at home and at school. It works like a charm!).
Boys, Boys, Boys
I’m not an expert on this myself, but the word on the street is that it is much easier to teach boys to go while sitting on the toilet, rather than standing. Later on, boys can stand up and try to aim for something in the potty (make an ‘x’ or throw a couple of Cheerios in).
Potty-Training Hacks: Using the Toilet
Avoid Training Twice
Many childcare workers insist that starting on the real toilet, rather than learning on a little potty, is much easier.
Whiteboard Marker
You can have your child sit backwards on the toilet and draw on it with a whiteboard marker to occupy them while waiting to go.
Using the Potty (If You Choose To)
Location is Everything!
Put the potty in the room you use most in your house. That way it’s convenient and nearby for those close calls. For us, this was the living room and we watched A LOT of Disney movies while Hannah was sitting on the potty.
Early Exposure
We put our potty out in the living room about six months before starting potty-training. We let Hannah explore it and sit on it whenever she wanted (both with and without a diaper on). If she happened to pee or poop while sitting on it, we made a big deal and celebrated, but didn’t really begin official training until she was meeting most/all of the readiness signs.
Potty-Training Hacks: Reinforcement
Expect Accidents
Don’t expect your child to be perfect and whatever you do, don’t show any frustration. Accidents are unavoidable and part of the process. The more frustration you show, the more stressed your child will be. If it really seems like they’re not getting it, take a break from potty-training and try again in a few weeks or a month.
Gentle Reminders
If and when accidents happen, give a gentle reminder that “Pee goes in the potty.” That’s it.
Small Reinforcements
If your child likes external rewards (and really, what toddler doesn’t?), you could give a tiny treat (marshmallows, chocolate chips, sticker) every time pee goes in the potty. Some people give three treats for a poop. Of course, you will be giving A LOT of praise to accompany the treats.
Consistency Between Caregivers
Make sure anyone who will be caring for your child is on the same page with expectations for potty-training. If your daycare has a specific routine, follow it to a tee at home. If grandparents or babysitters are watching your kiddo, make sure they know the drill.
One More Potty-Training Hack…
Buy LOTS of Undies
Like 20 pairs at least. đŸ˜‰
Got some great potty-training hacks to share? Comment below! Good luck, mamas!!
Like this post? Pin it for later!
This is a great article with a lot of great advice. We have gone through this recently and tried a bunch of these things too to get my son to go peepee on the potty as well and it does work. Great job compiling that list!
Thanks Abby! Kudos to you for getting your little one trained!
Great tips! Saving this for when my baby boy is ready in a couple years. Eek, so scared to train a boy! My daughter was so easy and I have heard the opposite about boys!
I have two girls and I would feel the same way about a little boy! But as my grandmother says, he’s not going to go to Kindergarten still in diapers. I think boys take a little longer to be ready to train, but he’ll get there. Best of luck!
Great tips. We are in the midst of training and he’s awesome at number 1 but it’s number 2 we’re struggling with. Any suggestions? Thanks!
You’ve got half the battle done! Does your little poop at a particular time of day, or can you tell when he’s doing it by his expression or some other sign (some kids like to go to the same private location like behind a chair)? I would watch him like a hawk and try to catch him when he starts, then direct him to the potty. You could also let him know in advance that he will get a treat (maybe a few chocolate chips, stickers, etc., or maybe something slightly bigger and more exciting if that doesn’t motivate him) in advance. Talk about the treat he’ll get a lot so he doesn’t forget. If you can get him to go once, make a BIG deal out of it… Sing, dance, cheer, call the grandparents. With that reinforcement, he’ll be more likely to do it again. Good luck, mama!
I love these tips!!! Avoid the pressure for sure! And I’m also totally on board with training right on the toilet first.
Thank you! No one needs that kind of pressure when potty-training is already so tricky!
Just potty trained my son and getting ready to potty train my daughter. Wish I had this post last month! Will def help with my daughter though (:
Glad you found it helpful. Congrats on potty-training your son and good luck with your daughter!
Absolutely loved this article!!. I have 3 year old twin girls who are ready for potty training. We are just waiting for the warmer weather(it’s freezing in Australia at the moment) to get going. I feel a lot more confident after reading this đŸ™‚
So glad it helped you! I would encourage you to jump right in, if your girls are ready! We potty-trained my oldest the week after Christmas (dead of winter in Canada) and had no trouble. Might as well stop paying for diapers ASAP, especially with twins! Good luck, mama! You’ll do great!
What to do if he sits on the potty then stands up and pees somewhere else in the house?
When he has his accident, try bringing him back to the potty and tell him pee goes in the potty. Next time, try to keep him on the potty for longer. Once he does pee on the potty, give the reward and make a big deal! Be consistent for a few days, even if he has several accidents (this is normal). After 3-5 days, you should see some progress. If not, you may want to evaluate if he’s really ready. If not, take a break for a month or two and revisit potty training when he is a bit more mature. Good luck!