In Partnership with Pull-Ups!
I had already potty trained my older one but, my two girls are each unique with very different personalities.
I should have known that what worked for the first wasn’t going to fly with the second. With the older one, I bought a potty seat and used a reward chart with star stickers when she went pee. I bought Sienna, my youngest who is 2 1/2 years old, a Minnie Mouse potty seat that says, “Hooray” when she flushes and we started much in the same way that we did with my eldest. Three weeks flew by and she just didn’t want to cooperate!
It was around then that I sat down at the Pull-Ups event with Parenting Expert, Alyson Schafer. She made me realize that potty training is a partnership with your child not a dictatorship Potty training is a major milestone for kids and parents alike.
The big aha moment is here and I am here to share it with you! Ok, fasten your seat belt people. We got the answers!
Their method starts with you taking a quiz to define your kid’s personality type and it tells you the best potty training approach according to factors such as your kids personality & age. The Owl, for example wants to be academic.
My daughter is a Squirrel, always on the go & couldn’t care less about slowing down. You need to see what tactics work for them. You need to move them according to their needs & style.
After I took the quiz, I received real advice, guided lesson plans, & customized tips & charts.
I was so grateful, that this approach made real sense and wasn’t a bunch of b.s. telling me to lock myself up in my house with a kid that was going stir crazy at home peeing all over my floors. Hey, if that method works for you that is great and more power to ya!
To help you achieve success and take the guesswork out of potty training, here are some tips that I learned at the Pull-Ups event that will help guide you and your little one through the process and achieve potty training success:
Getting rid of diapers is the first step.
Pull-ups allows them to feel like a big kid and feel like they are wearing undies, while benefitting from protection against accidents that we all hate to clean up. Be flexible & see what works for your kid.
Here is what I personally am dealing with my daughter, Sienna.
She is peeing on the potty fine but doesn’t want to poo on the potty.
Here is the solution that Alyson suggested:
- Pull out the social card and make it a social thing go to the bathroom with them: Toddlers/Kids want mommy time, especially if they have siblings. Potty time can be a bonding moment for you. Sit with them, read to them or play potty songs. Make Poo Fun!
Potty training takes patience, it isn’t going to happen in a day:
Adopt a communication style that is matter-of-fact. There is two real parts to potty training:
Physiological & Psychological.
The physiological piece could waver. It isn’t a linear process, it could get stalled and go back & forth. If it does revert back, then put them right back in Pull-Ups. Just try, try and try again! Hang in there. I know it is brutal!
- Girls typically train before boys
- Nighttime dryness usually takes longer to achieve than daytime dryness
- Don’t rush (practice patience); your child will show you signs of readiness when it’s time
- You are not failing if your child trains later than others, so don’t pressure yourself
- Every child is different, so work with your child and their unique personality, not against it
Here are a few situations that you might be able to relate to & help you with potty training your child:
How to make the connection that they have to pee but, they don’t want to go on the potty?
If they are holding it in, then they know they have to go. You just have to engage them in a way to get them to sit on that damn potty. So read them a book that they will only use on the potty or a video that they only watch on the potty.
( P.S. Keep it positive people, shhh don’t mention the mistake)
My boy likes to stand & poo and not sit down on the potty. What do I do?
Make sure there is a foot stool under his feet to make him more comfortable. Some kids don’t want to sit on the baby potty seat or potty. They want to sit on the regular potty like a big kid. Take him shopping and let him become part of the process of picking what works for them. He needs relaxation and something to distract him so he releases.
A good attitude will convey comfort and confidence to your child:
Potty training scripts are available online at Pull-Ups.com to help develop the right tone and voice for your child’s unique Potty Personality. And don’t forget, YOU need practice, too. Say a few potty praises into the mirror so you’ll be comfortable using them.
Don’t just yell out, “Wow! Great job!” Instead, make an observation about a skill. Discuss with your little student if they want a little potty of their own or to use a potty insert. Another trick to try is the “backsplash” method:
Have your child (girl or boy) sit backward on the toilet (with no insert). This helps the child to feel more stable.
Different kids with different personalities require different approaches:
The Pull-Ups Potty Quiz is a great tool to help figure out what the right approach for your little one may be.
Remember: If they say No, No is No! It is their body.
Make the commitment, together:
Potty training can be a difficult period for both children and parents, but going through the journey together can help you achieve success sooner and make it more fun! The Pull-Ups® Potty Partnership is a whole new way to potty train that brings your child into the process as a true partner, and tailored to his or her unique personality. Visit Pull-Ups.com to take the free quiz to find out your child’s “Potty Personality”, and receive customized tools, activities and advice to best potty train your child.
Potty training is a partnership & team effort:
Talk to your little one about potty training and engage them in the process. You might want to allow them to choose their own potty seat or select special books or toys for potty time.
Allow your child to see you using the toilet and teach them secondary skills along the way like how to tug their pants up and down, how to wipe, how to flush and how to wash your hands.
I am reiterating the importance of letting them learn to wipe! My daughter is 5 and is still having issues and it can cause them to get inflamed from urine sitting on their skin. Let them be the poo wiper and tell them, “I am the poo checker”!
Use flushable wipes if you have to. Use cool sensation diapers so they learn. Tell them it is their job to wipe.
Two other important notes to make!
*M&M’s aren’t the only thing that works! Potty praise according to their personality, for instance. Some kids like control, let them have a choice to go now or later, to pick their underwear or pull ups training pants. Use the star chart!
*If your kid is 5 & Up & still isnt’ potty trained- If they like control, then let them have control in other areas of their life. They are ego bound and don’t want mom to win the fight. . It is a social thing also because they will be that kid that poo’d in their pants. Be very matter of fact and don’t be shameful. Let them know that this has to be a learned behavior and they you don’t want to be around that smell and walk away.
Try Pull-Ups® Training Pants to help ease them in, which come in a variety of styles and have easy open sides for quick changes when needed. If you want to try different styles to see if your child is receptive, Pull-Ups® Cool & Learn* Training Pants cool seconds after becoming wet, Pull-Ups® Learning Designs® Training Pants have unique patterns that fade when wet to help your child learn to stay dry, and Pull-Ups® Night*Time Training Pants help you and your child stay consistent with potty training – day and night. There are lots of options to suit your particular situation and child, so experiment, have fun, and see what works best.
Look for cues that your child is ready to start potty training:
There isn’t a specific age or time to start potty training. The truth is, no two kids are alike so keep an eye out for signs that can help you determine when your little one is ready to begin potty training. These can start as early at 18 months.
Get started as soon as you catch some of the following cues from your child:
- Tugging at a wet or dirty diaper
- Hiding to pee or poop
- Interested in others’ use of the potty, or copying their behavior
- Having a dry diaper for a longer than usual time
- Awakening dry from a nap
- Telling you that they’re about to go, are going, or have just gone in their diaper
The reality is accidents take longer & cleaning up sucks! Urine is totally sanitary, so let them help clean up!
It will take longer to clean up the mess and take them away from playing so they will want to learn to go potty.
Keep it educational and positive! Here is the potty training shopping list!
No matter when a child begins their potty training journey, Pull-Ups® has products to help teach them potty training skills with reliable protection where they need it most.
The complete line of Pull-Ups® Training Pants for boys and girls include:
Pull-Ups® Learning Designs®
Features:
- All-around protection, day and night
- Easy open sides for quick and easy changes when needed
- Absorbent to where boys and girls need it most
- Underwear-like design to help teach how to put them on and take them off
- Teaching tool designs fade when wet to promote learning
- Disney/Pixar designs featuring Doc McStuffins, lightening McQueen and friends
Pull-Ups® Cool & Learn* Training Pants
Features:
- The only Training Pant with a cooling sensation that helps teach when wet
- Easy open sides for quick and easy changes when needed
- Absorbent to where boys and girls need it most
- Underwear-like design to help teach how to put them on and take them off
- Disney designs featuring Sofia the First, Mickey and friends
Pull-Ups® Night*time Training Pants
Pull-Ups® Night*Time Training Pants help you and your child stay consistent with potty training — day and night.
Features:
- Their most absorbent pant for added protection at night
- Easy open sides for quick and easy changes when needed
- Underwear-like design to help teach how to put them on and take them off
- Disney/Pixar designs featuring Cinderella and Miles from Tomorrowland
- Pull-Ups® Night*time Training Pants are available in size 2T-3T/3T-4T only
- Sizing: Finding the Right Fit for Your Child
For more information on Pull-Ups® Training Pants and to learn all you need to know about potty training through expert articles, helpful tools and resources, as well as personalized lesson plans as part of the Pull-Ups® Potty Partnership Program, visit Pull-Ups.com.
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