How to potty train your kid and all the things you need to do it

Oh crap, I have to start potty training. That's how I felt with my first kid, but by my second, I knew exactly what to do. My method is based on the book "Potty Training in 3 Days: The Step-By-Step Plan On how to Break Free from Dirty Diapers". The author is brilliant and really helped me to succeed.

1. Set aside a weekend for potty training. For the weekend, your only goal is to potty train. This means no play dates, trips to the park, or anything other than watching your kid. I found this to be the hardest part. You can't cook, watch television, or do anything (fold clothes, clean the kitchen, etc.) that might distract you from the task at hand.
2. In the morning, give your child a hearty breakfast. Right after breakfast, make a big show about how it's time to get rid of all the diapers. Take off his diaper and throw it away. Then round up all the diapers in the house and leave them outside. Tell your toddler the Potty Ninja is coming to get them later. When he's not looking, hide them somewhere to donate later.
3. Put his new underwear on and tell him how big and strong he is now.
4. Show him the sticker chart and treats. One treat for a pee and two for poop. Put the treats in a jar on the table, so they are easy to see. Make sure he knows you mean business.
5. Now, you watch. Every 20 minutes or so say, "Tell me when you need to potty." Don't ask a yes or no question like "Do you have to potty?" If you do, then, the answer will always be no.
6. Once he does pee or poo in the potty, give him a sticker and treat. Then give him his favorite beverage. Have him drink as much as possible. You want him to have to pee again quickly.
7. Repeat (watch, pee/poop, award, drink).
8. Have him practice pulling up and down his underwear. You won't always be with him, and he will need to do this himself.

Tips for Potty Training Success

• The first time peeing in the potty is the hardest one to achieve. Some kids are holders and resist peeing in the potty. Hold firm and remember you got this.
• The minute you look away is the minute an accident will happen. It's hard, but watching is essential to anticipate when your toddler needs to go to the potty.
• The more times he goes in the potty that first day, the stronger the training will be. So remember liquids are an integral part of ensuring he has to go a lot.
• During naptime put him in a pull-up if you want to. They should look completely different from his regular diapers and call them big kid underpants, not diapers.
• Keep track of how many times he pees or set a timer in between, so you start to become accustomed to how long it takes him to need to pee.
• Learn his poop signs. Does he disappear? Or become really quiet?
• When he does pee/poop make a huge deal out of it. With both my kids, I had a poopy dance we did in the living room. We even talked about the size and shapes of the poops.
• If he has an accident, don't shame him but make sure he knows you expect him to pee in the potty.
• Keep some books by the toilet he can look at during the really big poops.

It might take a few weeks for your little cutie to get the hang of potty training. Even when he's successful at home, he might have accidents at preschool or out and about. It doesn't mean you've failed or he wasn't ready. Peeing in the potty is physical and emotional. Mastering the art of pooping takes time.

In the days and weeks that follow your potty training weekend, keep the following in mind:

• Before leaving the house, a restaurant, etc., always make sure he goes to the bathroom. Put him on the toilet and tell him to try if he says he doesn't.
• If your kid goes to preschool, bring his caretakers into the training. Ask them to have him pee every 30 minutes at first.
• Dress him in loose pants or shorts for the first couple of weeks. You want to make it easy for him to pull his clothing up and down.
• Keep the reward system in place for a couple of weeks to ensure success.
• Don't give up if he has accidents off and on. Keep talking to him about the potty and repeating he's a big boy now.
• Remember to be patient and give it time. If after one month, your kid has constant accidents then maybe it was too early.

Once your kiddo is potty trained, you can say goodbye to diapers forever. Now, that's a lot of motivation. Also, when you and your little one succeed the accomplishment is real. It's something you've done together, and you'll want to jump off the potty and scream, We did it! We did it! Now, go on, and become a poop master.

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