Get answers to all your potty training what-ifs, how-tos and now-whats.
-
The Big Finish to Potty Training
By Kelly Burgess
Potty training is pretty exciting in the beginning. Everyone’s on board with this big step toward becoming a big boy or big girl. Potty chairs pop up everywhere. Underwear is bought. Successful trips to the potty are praised and celebrated. But what to do when the thrill is gone; when it’s not so exciting…
Continue Reading
-
Potty Trainer to Moms Like Me – Even Celebrity Moms
Jen Singer
When I tell people what I did, they think I’m making it up. But it’s true. I’ve been giving potty training advice to celebrity mom, Melissa Joan Hart. That’s right: I’m the Celebrity "Potty Training Whisperer."
I’ve been a Pull-Ups® Potty Training Partner for several years now, so I can give anyone…
Continue Reading
-
Refusing To Use The Potty--My Tips To Success
Heather Wittenberg
Do you hear “NO” a lot these days?
Your toddler can’t help himself – saying no is his first step on the road to independence. It sure makes potty training complicated, though. Keep these tips in mind while you’re dealing with a defiant toddler:
Never use punishments or threats. I promise this…
Continue Reading
-
Re: Reward Ideas for Your Big Kid
Jen Singer
Have you ever rewarded yourself for a job well done? Maybe you bought your coffee instead of making it. Or maybe you enjoyed a half-hour in the bathtub with no interruptions (or rubber ducks floating around next to you). Or maybe you even snagged yourself a night on the town with friends. Whatever your…
Continue Reading
-
Top 5 Potty Training Tips
Heather Wittenberg
Potty training happens all sorts of ways, depending on your child’s personality. I’m in the process of potty training our fourth child, and I’m reminded how different each child has been at this stage. One was resistant until he was almost four, and one seemed to train herself overnight! So with all…
Continue Reading
-
5 Potty Training Mythbusters
Jen Singer
Whether you’re just starting potty training or you’re in the full swing of it, one thing is likely: Somebody has spread rumors to you. Call them potty training myths, these assertions of how potty training is supposed to go can make you wonder if your potty training plan has a few glitches. But before…
Continue Reading
-
Memorable Potty Training Moments
Dave Hagler
Time has a way of bringing out the humor in a situation. I laugh now at the time my car ran out of gas, in the days before cell phones, and I sat for hours waiting for help to arrive before finally walking several miles in the middle of the night to find a gas station. Potty training is the same way. …
Continue Reading
-
Big Kid® Independence
Jennifer James
It’s often hard to let go and let your child be an independent individual! July is a month that celebrates independence, which makes me think about my children during their big milestones like potty training. These Big Kid® moments have made me so proud and will continue to throughout the years.
During…
Continue Reading
-
Potty Training Awareness Month
Jan Faull, M.E.
Through my years as a “potty coach”, I’ve had more than a few experiences potty training children, including my own. I know it’s no small task, but I have some ideas on how to make potty training easier! This summer is potty training season and I’ll actually be helping my daughter and son-in-law with…
Continue Reading
-
Steps to Overnight Success
Jen Singer
Your child may be a pro at staying dry during the day, but nighttime can be a different task altogether. Take heart, though, because nighttime is typically the part of the day that takes the longest for a child to master. But a little planning and patience can make it much easier for your tot to succeed.
To…
Continue Reading
-
Potty Training – The Year in Review
Jennifer James, Jennifer Shu, Jan Faull and Bernie Dorsey
Readiness has been a common potty training theme throughout 2007. Kids will potty train when they are ready and no one can determine when that time will be except for the child. With the year coming to an end, the Pull-Ups® Potty Training Partners take time to reflect on some of their favorite potty…
Continue Reading
-
Potty Training During the Holiday Rush
Alison Schonwald, M.D.
With guests visiting from out of town and families taking the festivities on the road, potty training can be especially difficult around the holidays. If you are in the midst of training, there are ways to help ensure that the hectic holidays can still lead to potty training success! To help keep your…
Continue Reading
-
Potty Training As A Team
The proverb "It takes a village to raise a child" holds true when potty training your toddler. The process can be easier and more fun when you have got everyone from siblings to grandparents to daycare providers involved, in addition to Mom and Dad. This month, the Potty Training Partners are offering…
Continue Reading
-
Potty Training During the Holidays : 4 Steps to Potty Training During the Holidays
By Melinda Copp
Travel, excitement and disruptions in routine are characteristic of the holiday season. And these factors make potty training your child more of a challenge than it would normally be. Plus, bulky winter clothes make getting undressed and into position more difficult, especially for little ones with an…
Continue Reading
-
Transitioning to Underwear
By Katherine Bontrager
“We are currently at a standoff with our son,” says Shannan Boyer of Cincinnati, Ohio. “He’s successfully transitioned to underwear but is hesitant to fully let go of his [training pants].”
Recently Boyer and her husband thought the time was right to discontinue the use of training pants because their…
Continue Reading
-
Nighttime Training
By Sue Marquette Poremba
When Tracy Rasmussen worked on potty training with her twin daughters, she discovered that training for nighttime was going to be as much of a challenge as daytime training – and that each daughter was going to do things her own way.
“Hannah trained pretty easily at night because I believe she has the…
Continue Reading
-
Regression Is Normal!
By Katherine Bontrager
It’s one of the most frustrating aspects of potty training: Your toddler has been in underwear for weeks when suddenly he or she begins to have accidents. Your excitement at having successfully completed potty training gives way to dismay.
Robin Nolan’s son finished potty training at age 2 1/2 but…
Continue Reading
-
Load on the Praise and Rewards
“Potty trainers thrive on positive reinforcement. Praise and rewards can help kids feel more comfortable with new skills, keep interest high and build confidence.”
It’s a Celebration Of course you’ll make a big deal out of major accomplishments, but don’t forget the little milestones that also deserve…
Continue Reading
-
Potty Training Facts
Potty training, toilet training, toilet teaching or toilet learning are names frequently used to describe how kids learn to use the bathroom independently.
Here’s what you’ll see in a child who is potty trained:
Recognizes the need to go to the potty
Walks to the potty and undresses
Uses the…
Continue Reading
-
On the Right Path?
By Jenn Director Knudsen
You may believe your child is well on his way to being potty trained. But every once in a while, doubt creeps in. Here are some key signs that your child is on the right path to potty training success!
Seeing the SignsOne clue your child is making progress with training is if she asks to use the potty…
Continue Reading
-
Getting to Underwear
There’s no official finish line for potty training. And no matter what you’ve read, there certainly isn’t a fast track to underwear! Your child sets the pace. And with patience, encouragement and your helpful coaching, potty training will one day just sort of trickle off (literally!).
You’ll start to…
Continue Reading
-
7 Secrets to Planning for Potty Perks
We’re all motivated by a little encouragement when learning a new skill. Students strive to make the grade. Athletes look for coach’s approval.Potty trainers work the same way! Rewards for a job well-done are an effective way to cheer on potty training progress. Here are some secrets to planning successful…
Continue Reading
-
Smart Steps to Overnight Success
by Christopher Lynn, North Carolina
“Getting your child successfully potty trained at night can be a challenging milestone, but a little nighttime planning and patience can make it a lot easier.”
Your little one may be ready to brave the neighborhood this Halloween dressed as a ghost or goblin, but what lurks inside your bathroom may…
Continue Reading
-
All by Themselves
By Teri Brown
Potty training your child consists of more than just teaching your child how to use the potty. There is a whole host of potty etiquette that your child also needs to learn. Part of potty training your child includes helping them be more independent by learning how to wipe themselves, wash their own hands…
Continue Reading
-
Make Potty Time, Party Time
by Page Turner, Tennessee
We know the potty training process requires consistency and patience, but be sure to have some fun while youre at it. Page Turner, mother of three successfully potty-trained girls (including twins) has some hints for making potty time, party time.
"Celebrate successes," says Page. "After each successful…
Continue Reading
-
Accidents Happen
By Jenn Director Knudsen
Finally, your preschooler is a potty pro, wearing only underwear. But then – oh no! – your new baby is born, or your child starts a new preschool or he gets too distracted at play to stop for a toilet break. The result? Wet or dirty pants. Yet you thought your child was totally potty trained!
Don’t…
Continue Reading
-
Finish Training like a Pro
By Katherine Bontrager
Tried-and-true potty training tips are among the most coveted of insider information for parents, anxiously traded at play dates and in chat rooms. So what tips do parents offer for smooth sailing to a happily potty trained child?
The Allure of Being All Grown Up
“Training my older son was easy,”…
Continue Reading
-
Being a Good Coach
by Jan Faull M.Ed., Washington
Anyone who has ever played a sport—whether at school, a club or a game with friends— remembers that person who led them through the game with words of encouragement, advice on perfecting their technique, and a hand to help them up when they fell down.
These people are teachers of more than just sport…
Continue Reading
-
Making the Big Switch : Transitioning from Diapers to Training Pants
Katherine Bontrager
One of the first steps parents take as they face potty training is determining if their little one is really ready to begin working toward real underwear. And for many, the next step is helping their child transition from diapers to training pants. But how should parents encourage their child to make…
Continue Reading
-
Are You Ready? : Determining if Your Child is Ready for Potty Training.
By Lisa A. Goldstein
You haven't been counting, of course, but it may feel like you've just changed your millionth diaper. At this point, the thought of having a potty trained child may sound like nirvana!
You may be ready to start training, but it's also up to your child. So how exactly can you determine if your child…
Continue Reading
-
My Patients’ Top Potty Training Concern
Dr. Jennifer Shu
I’m often asked by my patients about the best way to make potty training successful. While all children are different and there are many ways to approach potty training, several common themes come into play when it comes to achieving success.Ready or not? So you’ve decided that you’re ready to…
Continue Reading
-
Potty Training From One Father to Another
Bernie Dorsey
Sometimes time with our kids creeps by, and sometimes it flies. Either way, our children are learning something new every day. Potty training can be one of those “will they ever get there?” or maybe even a “geez, that wasn’t so bad” kind of situation for parents. And just like all of your children’s…
Continue Reading
-
Let’s Put on a Show! Making Potty Training Fun
Jen Singer
A friend of mine recently asked how I manage to maintain my sense of humor throughout some of the most trying tasks of parenting, specifically potty training. Her question brought me back to when I was potty training my sons, so I wanted to share a glimpse of how I managed to make potty training fun…
Continue Reading
-
Potty Training as a Team
Bernie Dorsey
Most people know about teamwork. In some form or another we’ve played, worked or volunteered for some sort of a “team.” The sports pages are riddled with quotes from athletes saying, “we succeed only if we work as a team” or “achievement never matters to us as individuals, it only matters…
Continue Reading
-
Dads and Potty Training
Dave Hagler
Dads can be particularly apprehensive about the potty training experience, and can end up taking a secondary role to mom. But, it doesn't need to be that way. On the contrary, there are many reasons why dads should be excited and eager to enter into the potty training process with their child, and take…
Continue Reading
-
When Your Kids Potty Train Differently
Jen Singer
My younger son had absolutely no interest in the bright blue, yellow and green plastic potty that his big brother (my first son) had potty trained on a year-and-a-half earlier. But the toilet? Yes, he liked the toilet, because his brother used it.
I’d potty trained my first son using that plastic potty.…
Continue Reading
-
How to Conquer Nighttime Training
Jennifer Shu
When it comes to potty training your child, it may be helpful to know that nighttime bladder control often comes months to years after daytime training. Also, boys typically achieve nighttime training later than girls. Take the pressure of off yourself (and your child) and it is likely to happen naturally.…
Continue Reading
-
5 Tips for Surviving Potty Training
Jen Singer
I've been a Pull-Ups® Potty Training Partner for five years now, and during that time, I've confirmed one important hunch: potty training is the most labor intensive of your child's milestones. Don't you think?
It takes work to make potty training successful, but if you stick it out, you will reach…
Continue Reading
-
Aligning with Your Partner on Potty Training Methods
Dave Hagler
You and your spouse may have different approaches to parenting from time to time. In general, presenting a united and consistent front to your child is a good idea. This is especially true when it comes to potty training. Before beginning the potty training process, you and your partner might want…
Continue Reading
-
Potty Season Is About Awareness First, Success Second
Gwenn S. O’Keeffe, MD, FAAP
Did you know that June is National Potty Training Awareness Month?
Typically, things only fall into the realm of “awareness” when they impact our kids’ lives in a major way. And, these special awareness months are not just to raise the level of chatter about important topics, but to help all of us…
Continue Reading
-
4 Steps for Potty Training Before Preschool
Jen Singer
The date looms on your calendar: The first day of preschool. How come? Because your soon-to-be preschooler isn't yet potty trained. You remind him of this every single day, and yet, he seems unfazed, as though you've just mentioned that you're out of cauliflower. He just turns away and keeps playing…
Continue Reading
-
How to Help Overcome Your Child’s Potty Fears
Dave Hagler
October Potty Training Article
“How to Help Overcome Your Child’s Potty Fears”
All toddlers have some sort of fear - "the dark," "bugs," "under the bed." When starting the potty training process it's important to keep it fun and positive so potty training doesn't get added to the list. Here are some common "potty fears" to look out for and how to deal with them:
Falling In
Toilets…
Continue Reading
-
5 Tips for Potty Training During the Hectic Holiday Season
Jen Singer
Ah, I remember it well. It was the middle of December, and my son was staying dry through his marathon naps, talking about the potty and asking to be changed from his wet diapers. I knew these were signs of potty training readiness, but I also knew that my calendar was filled with crazy-busy holiday…
Continue Reading
