Potty Training
The best potty training tips and how to know when your child is ready
Potty training can be stressful, overwhelming, and messy for parents. To add to it parents can also face pressure from other parents to potty train children at an early age. What is the right age for potty training and how do you know when your child is ready for potty training? According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, a child starts to be able to control his/her bladder between 24-36 months. What are common potty training mistakes to avoid? I’ve been potty training children since 2001 and one of the most common mistakes I see is that parents try to potty train their children too young. Trying to potty train a child before 30 months old can lead to more frustration because a child may not have fully developed the muscles to hold his/her bladder and the body isn’t ready....
These Colorado Parents are starting a war on Pampers: Potty Training Made Easy!!!
My husband Josh Moffatt and I are Colorado natives and are starting a war on Pampers! Parents can spend up to $200 a month on diapers. As a parent you save time and money once your child is potty trained but as we all know, potty training is extremely difficult and every child is different. We’ve designed an experience to make potty training fun, exciting and easier on parents everywhere. We are so confident in our product, that if your child is not excited to use our Poop ‘n Pull and go on the potty, then you can send us all your dirty diapers. The Poop ‘n Pull is different from all other potty training products currently available on the market. The package consists of a small reward dispenser hung on a bathroom door out of the child’s reach. The Poop ‘n Pull is p...
A potty training descent into hell and the realization I am not above bribing a mouse
I could write volumes upon volumes of books about potty training the most stubborn kid on the planet. I’m a few years removed from the trauma but believe me, it was bad. As in we-went-to-seminars-at-the-Colorado-Children’s-Hospital-and-later-to-a-specialist kind of bad. (Read about our descent into hell here). My friend’s recent announcement of how thrilled she was her son was finally potty trained and she only had one in diapers brought back my potty-training-induced anxiety attacks. I would rather sludge through a thousand hours of homework than go back to those dark, dark days. But it wasn’t always dark. In fact, in the beginning potty training was a rather hopeful activity. Sure, we had some failed jump-starts where my daughter demonstrated she was perfect...
Preoccupation Pottyitis and an Accidental Foray Over to The Dark Side
We all pray for the day – the day when our little angels can use the potty all by themselves. We all expect it to happen in one day just like Dr. Phil said it would if we followed his potty party in a day philosophy. Well, I can tell you folks, it ain’t always that simple. For us, the day was more like two months but once she got it, she got it. No more pull-ups, no night-time accidents and hallelujah, no more diaper bag. Well, hold on there, almost. We still deal with what I am terming “preoccupation pottyitis.” P-squared for short. This is a self-inflicted illness that commonly occurs in toddlers and small children in which playtime or some other mind-inhibiting activity causes the child to wait until the very last second to rush to the potty in hopes that he or she will make it. Sometim...
Potty Training in Public: A mom’s inaugural encounter
A mom and a toddler walk into a public restroom… This is uncharted territory for the both of them. Up to this point their potty training efforts have been confined to the house, daycare, and grandparents houses. But this? This was public. The mom’s palms were a bit clammy as she entered into what was surely a toddler mom’s rite of passage. Luckily the giant public space was empty except for the two of them. Relieved the mom ushered her son into the “cleanest” of the stalls and started explaining to the boy how this was not like home.
Potty Training Tips from a Mom of Nine
I have helped seven children graduate out of diapers and into undies. My first few kids were subjected to all kinds of nonsense, fueled by advice found in parenting manuals. Barrels of tears were cried as accidents mounted. Frustration and angst hung in the air as my main focus in life seemed to be the state of my little one’s innards. It took a long time to learn that bladders don’t know how to read anything, especially parenting manuals. Bladders don’t blow out birthday candles, either, so they aren’t aware they just turned two. When I began thinking about potty training our fourth child, a thought occurred to me. My three oldest kids had terrible times mastering the numerous skills that need to come together. Kids need physical self-awareness, the ability to anti...
Mama Drama: Potty Training On The Go
Dear Mama Drama: My two year old is potty training and has moved into wearing “big girl panties.” I am freaked out about taking her out of the house because I’m afraid she’ll have an accident and will become too discouraged. How can I take her out and help her to be successful? ~ Stuck in the House Mama (photo credit) Dear Stuck: Taking toddlers out in the world while they are potty training can be an adventure. Remember that it takes time to learn to read the signals that your bladder is full, tell mom you need to go, use your muscles to hold it in while you get to the bathroom, and get your clothes off in time. Here are some tips for a dry and happy outing:
Mama Drama: Flushing Fears
My three year old was doing great with potty training until we visited the museum and an automatic toilet flushed unexpectedly. He now screams and cries when we take him into any public bathroom. How can we help him get over his fear and handle these flushing monsters? ~Flushed away (photo credit) Dear Flushed Away: Automatic toilets can be disconcerting to both adults and children when their powerful flush whooshes unexpectedly. For young children teetering on the edge of the seat and just beginning to trust in this whole toileting experience, the rushing water and powerful suction can be terrifying. A quick and easy fix for the automatic toilets is to place a sticky note over the sensor. This prevents them from flushing until the paper is removed. Carry a pack in your purse or diaper bag...
Mama Drama: Potty Power
Dear Mama Drama: My question is about potty-training. We would like to start our daughter, who will be 3 next month, in a 3-yr-old preschool program that requires she be potty-trained. She was doing really well, then regressed to going in her diaper when the newness of the potty wore off. So, we’ve started only letting her wear a diaper during naps and night-time. Unfortunately, wetting herself over and over again hasn’t changed her behavior. Even telling her that she can’t start preschool (which she’s excited to go to) until she uses the potty isn’t working. Nor does peer pressure. Should we back off and put her back in pull-ups or keep her in panties and wait this out? Thanks for your help! ~Mama with Diaper Drama (Some additional background information from...
