Potty Training Essentials

Potty training seems to be a mix of essential elements that must all be present for the child to learn, and other ideas in each step which might or might not work on your child.

Essential Elements

Based on experience, observation, and books, the following elements are essential to successful potty training:

1 - An awareness of their bowels

I think this started at around 14 months for Madeleine, because that is when she would start to insist that I change her when she was dirty. But every child is different.

2 - The ability to pull their pants up and down

If you have to do it for them every time, it kind of defeats the purpose of potty training independence!

3 - A potty

See this post about the different potty options.

4 - Training pants

See this post about training pants and pull-ups.

5 - Timing

In the very beginning you'll have to have at least several days of successfully timing the child's pees and poops with sitting on the potty. This is where the TV comes in handy, especially when your child is not "regular"... detailed post coming soon...

6 - Some kind of incentive

Candy, a special toy, stickers, etc. - M&Ms worked for us, but I found that what works for some kids might not work for others.

Even more important than a tangible incentive though is your excited reaction (literally jump up and down, dance around, shout for joy, sing a song, etc.) to their going potty. THAT is what really seems to make or break it.

detailed post coming soon...

With the essentials down, we are ready for Step 1 - a few weeks of prep work in advance of P-day (potty day).