Potty Training

Potty Training - every parent has to deal with it!  Use a reward system and you may increase your chances for success.  A chart with spaces for stickers can be used to reward your child as they progress in potty training. You can learn more about Potty Training methods by reading our article further down on this page, titled "Potty Training Success: Using the Reward System".  Discover the steps that you can take to make this time in your child's life as pleasant as possible! Learn even more about Potty Training by purchasing books on the subject.  Amazon.com is a great place to buy books!  Have a look at the books below.  If you don't see one that interests you, just click on the Amazon logo and search for more.  There are ways to improve the Potty training process - learn them and make your life and your child's life happier!

Potty Training Success: Using the Reward System by Elizabeth Walling   11/22/06 As your baby turns into a toddler, your thoughts will likely turn to potty training. There are countless opinions about when and how to potty train, but many parents will agree that some type of reward system will greatly increase your chances of success. Using praise and rewards can help teach your child that learning to use the potty is a fun and positive experience. These encouraging techniques will ease the fear and nervousness that some toddlers experience about using the potty. Putting a positive spin on potty training certainly made the experience more enjoyable for both my daughter and myself when we began the process. To start potty training in a fun and creative way, make a rewards chart with your child. Depending on their age or temperament, a weekly or monthly chart can be used. Include a space for each day. The space should have plenty of room for stickers. Have your child help you pick out a few packages of special stickers. Stickers should be something your child really loves, like a favorite animal, color, shape, or television character. Start by placing one sticker on the chart every time your child sits on the potty. Place two stickers on the chart when they actually use the potty. This method allows your child to accumulate stickers quickly, which is a great visual motivator. My daughter really got a kick out of every princess or airplane sticker that was added to her chart, and each time she earned a sticker, she seemed even more motivated to use the potty again. You can phase out of giving them stickers just for sitting on the potty, or you can skip that step altogether if you feel it isn't necessary for your child. Take the time to explain in simple terms how the rewards system will work. If your child understands the process, they will be less apprehensive. To further motivate your child, reward them with something extra special after they earn a certain amount of stickers. This reward can be anything special to your child, such as a trip to the local petting zoo, a new video, going out for ice cream, or a favorite toy. The amount of stickers it should take to earn a big reward varies between children. Younger toddlers may need a special reward after ten stickers, whereas those closer to the pre-school age may be fine waiting to accumulate up to thirty stickers. When potty training my daughter, we had her pick out a special video that she could only watch after earning ten stickers. This worked very well with her. The rewards method can be very flexible. For most children, stickers will do the trick, but if this doesn't work for you, find out what small token will motivate your child to use the potty. This is an important part of the reward system. The reward has to motivate your child to keep trying. Some parents use small candies or cookies as rewards, but this is not recommended since using sweets as daily rewards can establish negative eating habits. Plus, these rewards are very temporary, whereas a reward the child can see throughout the day makes them feel motivated and proud. Praise is always a vital part of potty training. Even when using the rewards system, you should praise your child enthusiastically every time they use the potty. Some children react better with very animated praise, while others appreciate more understated praise. For my daughter, if I gushed too much about her using the potty, it seemed to embarrass her and thwart her efforts. I started to tone down my praise, simply smiling and saying, "Good job, sweetie." She seemed much more comfortable with this. After some time, using the potty will become part of your child's daily routine, and they won't need the extra motivation of rewards. Once your child is capable of using the potty regularly, start phasing out the reward system. You can do this by slowly raising the number of stickers that earn a big reward, or by ending the system with a bang by giving them something extra special that signifies the end of potty training. It's important to make sure potty training doesn't become stressful for you or your child. If your child has very little success in the first week or shows increasing frustration, you might want to delay potty training for a few more weeks or possibly months. The only time potty training was ever stressful for me or my daughter was when we tried before she was ready. Most children do very well with the rewards system, but if your child is not ready, any method will frustrate them. Make sure your child is completely ready for potty training, and the reward will be much sweeter.  Comments

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