By Olivia DeLong, former senior health editor at BabyCenter and What to Expect.
When we decided to start potty training our daughter, I basically polled every mom I knew. What method did you use? How long did it take? What was it really like?
I had no idea how it would go for us (and realize it goes differently for every child), but doing a little research (and crowd-sourcing advice) made me feel much more confident going in.
So earlier this week, I asked my mom friends on Instagram to share their biggest potty training tip. Here’s what they said, in case you, like me, feel better knowing what’s actually worked for other families.
Good luck!
1. Get the “Oh Crap! Potty Training Book” - Kelly
Numerous moms wrote back to me raving about different three-day potty training methods (there are a few). Following a good potty training method is definitely key for a lot of families, and since there are many to choose from, you’ll just want to choose a method that works for your family (and remember that you can adapt it to fit your lifestyle).
Tip: Grab the book or buy the course a few months before you want to try it so you can read up on it and gather the supplies. That way, you’ll feel fully prepped when it's time to go-time.
2. “Don’t push your kiddo too much. They know when they’re ready.” - Lauren
My dear friend Lauren really does say it best. We set up our daughter’s portable potty (Lalo’s 3-In-1 Potty is great!) a few months before we were truly ready to get started. At first, she wasn’t interested at all. As the weeks went on, she gradually started sitting on it on her own, without us even saying anything about it.
Keep in mind your little one will likely show signs they're ready for the real deal and if they aren’t, you might want to wait. If your child is staying dry for longer stretches, showing interest in “big kid undies” or begging you to change them when they have a dirty diaper, it may be time to start, says the American Academy of Pediatrics.
3. “If you’ve got a kiddo who is holding in pee, put the potty in the tub or shower and let them play in the faucet for a few minutes. Instant pee. And they can feel it/see it. Bonus? Cleaning up is no big deal.” - Jaclyn
Okay, Jaclyn, this is genius. There might be times where your little one is having trouble and holds in their pee. We found that turning on the sink faucet also worked, but Jaclyn’s trick is also amazing. The sound of the water coming out usually does get things flowing.
4. “Continue to use pullups at night for a few months (even if they are going on the potty in the daytime).” - Loren
We did this too, while our daughter got the hang of going on her own during the day. Even when daytime training is going well, it’s normal for your little one to not have complete control at night time just yet.
Keep nighttime pullups going for as long as you feel like you need to, and when you think they’re ready to give nighttime undies a try, give it a whirl on the weekend (just in case you have a middle-of-the-night or morning clean up!).
5. “Take them to the potty when you go.” - Aleatala
Another common tip moms swear by is to have your little one come with you while you are using the bathroom. Narrating what you’re doing, like, “I feel like I need to go potty, so I’m heading to the bathroom,” helps your child connect the urge with the action. And let’s be honest, if you’ve had a toddler for more than five minutes, you probably haven’t had much bathroom privacy anyway.
Potty training can feel overwhelming at first. But hearing what’s worked for other parents, and remembering that progress looks different for every child, can make the whole process feel a little less intimidating.
About the writer:
Olivia DeLong is the former senior health editor at BabyCenter and What to Expect. She’s been an editor, writer, and content strategist for over 15 years, holding staff positions at WomansDay.com and Sharecare prior to her role at pregnancy and parenting brands. After a traumatic fertility journey, she’s now a mom to her 6-year-old miracle girl, and lives with her family in Atlanta, Georgia. She loves digging into parenting, women’s health, and wellness trends with experts, and believes that speaking up about just about anything is so important for moms to feel seen.
