So Mila has been starting to take off her diapers, so we put out a little potty for her. (just to see what she would do) She will often point at her diaper now and if I say, “Would you like to use the potty?” she will walk into the bathroom and go. I think she is way too young to start potty training (for real) but all this potty talk has reminded me that it will be time for Mila to go diaper-free before I know it! Today I have a guest post from the fabulous Amy Wood, who writes for the Smart Mom blog. (which is an awesome little blog, since I write for them too sometimes!)
One of the biggest steps to becoming a toddler is learning how to go potty like everyone else. This big step can also be a dreaded nightmare for the parents. It doesn’t have to be and if it is done right it can be a very simple process for everyone involved. Potty training in one day is an excellent way to face it head on.
Make Sure They Are Ready
One of the very first things you want to do is to ensure that your toddler is actually ready to be potty trained. Every child is different and not every child will be ready to potty train at the same time. It is important not to get discouraged if toddlers around you are becoming potty trained and your child is just not ready. The normal age to begin trying is between two and three years of age.
One of the first signs you want to look for in your toddler is keeping their diaper dry for at least two hours at a time. A lot of toddlers will start to dislike having a wet diaper and others will show a lot of interest in peeing like mommy and daddy do.
What You Will Need
About a week before starting the potty training in one day method, you will want to start gathering things you may need. You will also want to start talking about it with your child to ensure they are prepared and can even get excited about being a big boy or girl.
You first need to decide if you are going to use a potty chair or simply a small potty seat to go on top of your existing toilet. Either of these choices will work. If you are going to use a reward system, you will want to choose the rewards you think will work best with your child. If you are training a little boy, you may want to have cheerios on hand or anything that is flushable and small that can be placed in the toilet as a target practice. Lastly, you can choose to use underwear or just go bare bottom. It is best not to use pull-ups when potty training since they feel just like a diaper to your toddler.
The Big Day
Prior to the big day you should have had a lot of discussions as to what is going to happen. You will want to explain getting rid of the toddlers diapers and wearing big pants like mommy and daddy. It is important for the parents to be prepared for plenty of accidents. This is going to require a lot of patience, but you need to face this with a no turning back attitude.
On the big day, you will want to wake your child up and make your first stop the bathroom. This will be your first attempt at potty training in one day. If your toddler does not need to go, wait 15-20 minutes and try again.
Be prepared for a lot of repetitive actions of going back and forth to the bathroom. If you have a timer you may want to set it to ensure time does not get away from you. You will want to take your child to the bathroom at least every 30 minutes. Don’t get discouraged if they have an accident in between.
As a parent, be prepared for many accidents before your child actually gets the hang of being potty trained. Most children will get the hang of it half way through the day. There are other children who may require a second day of training to get the hang of it.
The most important thing to remember, is not every child will be successful at potty training in one day. If they do not seem like they are going to be successful, wait a few weeks and hit it hard again.
Wood is the mother 4 boys and 1 girl (yes, there’s a set of twins in
there!) She is married to her prince charming and they have a very busy
life! She is currently a stay at home mom and writes for the SmartMom blog. Click here to download SmartMom and join the community today.
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maggiemaysgifts says
I might have to try this with our son! Our daughter's potty training was a drawn out process which worked for her and us, but I wouldn't mind have it over with in a day 🙂
Lauren says
Yes my son's was a process as well, but I think that's because we were stressed about getting him trained, since he had to be to move up to the higher daycare class. This time I may try the one day route.
City Mom Loves says
My baby is 14 months and I have the American mentality of waiting until he is ready. I mean do you know of any human being who doesn't know how to use the bathroom? So what's the point of rushing the process. My mom on the other hand strongly disagrees. She raised us in Europe where apparently you start potty training at 10-12 months. She did say it takes 6 months for it to "click."
Lauren says
Me too, I am going to wait to REALLY potty train until my daughter is older. I dont see any reason to stress about it. That is interesting that they start so early in Europe!
Bev Feldman says
I'll be referring back to this with time!
Lauren says
Thanks for stopping by Bev! 🙂
Twitchetts Blogspot says
Very interesting. I just finished potty training my daughter using the 3 Day Method.
Lauren says
Wow, I will have to check that out! (and congrats on dropping the diapers!)
Lizz says
I'm SO glad I'm done potty training! With my kiddos – we ended up with potty training weekends where we stayed home and they stayed naked from the waist down the whole time. There were a few puddles, but I think it was pretty effective!
Lauren says
Yes, I think you basically just need to stay home all day and commit to a 'potty' day! 😉
How To Potty Train Your Baby says
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