Top 10 Tips for Potty Training

By Your Friendly Potty Time Contributors10 Tips for Potty Training

10) Don’t feel pressure from other parents or family members to train at a certain age: Rely more on cues from your child and your insight as their parent.

9) Learn where every restroom is in every store: You just never know when they’re going to have to go!

8) Always carry extra clothes in case of an accident: Do this for quite a while after training seems finished too. It’s not unusual to have an “oops” after a long time of staying dry.

7) Use lots of positive reinforcement and motivators: Find out what motivates your child: little candies, stickers, small toys, etc. Or, you may choose not to use tangible items, and just CELEBRATE! Likewise, taking your child to the store and letting them pick out some big-kid undies may be a great way to start building excitement.

6) Consider investing in a portable potty or potty seat cover:  A portable potty or seat cover makes the size of the seat much more child-friendly. You can place a self-contained unit around the house near your child, or even take something with you on trips and errands (which is likely to be much more clean than a public restroom!)

5) Realize that night training may take significantly longer, or just come later, than day trainings: Some night training pants or an absorbent pad under the sheet may help with sleepy accidents.

4) Be prepared for, and okay with, occasional set-backs: Due to changes in routine, family structure, or just child temperament, there may come a time when a little break from potty training is needed. This is perfectly okay – you can always start up again when things settle.

3) Be Consistent: Once you have decided to take the plunge into a potty training routine or ritual, maintaining that routine as consistently as possible is very important!

2) Keep your sense of humor: Accidents in embarrassing places and small voices suddenly shouting out loud potty-related words just might happen. And if you can’t laugh right in the moment, try to laugh about it a little later.

1) Most importantly, realize every child and family is different: Accepting differences in timing, methods, and even duration of potty trainings will reduce your stress tremendously!

What I Learned from Potty Training 11 Kids

By Cynthia Noell

I am  the mother of 11 children. I gave birth to them all – about two years apart- which would mean I have spent about all of my adult life potty training a child. I’ve got ten down, with one sweet little boy left… and he’s finding his own adventure and testing my patience in his own way!

When I think of all the things we can learn from potty training, the most important is patience. Continue reading

Potty Training 101

By Colleen Brunetti, MEd

Potty training can be a little bit of trial and error. One method may work for one child and not for another. That’s why we created the Potty Time program to support whatever method you use. It is so easy to use on the My Signing Time app – on the go watching for anywhere in your home or away.

In this list of tips, our wonderful Signing Time fans share their thoughts on what worked best for them. Continue reading

Potty training – not always what you expect

by Cynthia Noell

One day when my child was being potty trained; she had fallen asleep in the living room while watching television with me and the other children.

When I woke her up to move her to her bed, she was so tired that she just couldn’t get oriented. She needed to use the restroom, so I told her to go ahead and I would be there to tuck her in in a minute. I came back and couldn’t find her.
Continue reading