Potty training honestly intimidated the crap out of me at first but these potty training hacks helped make it a whole lot easier for both of us.
This post is all about potty training hacks that are tried and tested. These are hacks that actually work and will make potty training so much easier.
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Potty Training Hacks
So... do these potty training hacks avtually work?
Yes! These potty training tracks have truly been game changing in every part of the potty training process. From one mom to another mom, just trust me on this. Give them a try and get the diapers gone! It really is possible no matter how unmanageable it feels at the moment.
1. Go commando
If you put a diaper on them, they will do what they’ve always done and go to the bathroom in it. If you put underwear on them, they won’t understand the difference between underwear and a diaper. I tried underwear at first and we just got the same results over and over again…wet and poopy underwear.
However, the moment he went commando things seemed to click. That doesn’t mean there won’t be a few accidents at first, but you’ll be amazed at how quickly they will connect the dots. The first day of commando, my toddler peed on the floor multiple times while trying to get to the potty, but by day two he peed in the potty every single time.
2. Stay home as much as possible for the first few days
You will definitely want to stay home for the first three to four days of potty training. Because asking your toddler to hold it until you get to the bathroom on the opposite side of the store probably won’t go well. Accidents are bound to happen if you go out which will probably make them feel embarrassed and less likely to take to potty training quickly. Plus, it’s a lot harder to clean up in a store than it is at home.
3. Get a mini potty at first and create a special spot for them
It will take your toddler a while to learn how to hold it when they have to go the bathroom. So, putting on a toilet seat and climbing up to the big toilet may just be the difference between them making it to the toilet in time or not. We personally got the summer infant mini potty and put it just inside the doorway of the bathroom so he could get to it as quick as possible. Then we added a cute mirror to the space and his basket of books to make it a place that felt special and fun rather than new and daunting.
4. Get this bidet attachment for your toilet (100% worth it)
I originally bought this bidet sprayer attachment for my toilet when I decided to switch over to cloth diapers and needed a way to clean them off. But I have honestly fallen in love with it for so many reasons! It is the perfect thing to spray off muddy clothes and shoes and saved so many clothes from potty training mishaps. I just suggest you grab this spray guard too so that you don’t spray stuff all over your bathroom. Plus, this way you just clip any poopy clothes onto the clips and spray it off. It takes seconds and you won’t get poop in your washing machine.
5. Give them tons of juice and popsicles
It’s honestly insane how much kids go to the bathroom when they are drinking juice. It blows my mind a little bit every time. So, loading them up on juice and popsicles (pedialyte pops are our favorite!) for potty training will make them go more and in turn give them more opportunities for success. It might me you have to clean up a few more but ya can’t win ’em all.
6. Go to the bathroom with them
As a mom, you probably can’t remember the last time you got to go to the bathroom unaccompanied by a baby or toddler. So, you might as well make the most of it. And since our kids want to copy everything we do, going to the bathroom with them makes their potty that much cooler. If they have a mini potty, try taking bathroom breaks together to help them feel comfortable at first.
7. Practice with stuffed animals and taking them to go potty too
This one is actually one my toddler did all on his own, but man did it help us out. As we started talking about going to the potty, I noticed all his stuffed animals suddenly “had to go to the potty.” Through the process of helping his stuffed animals learn how to go potty, he learned a bit himself and also started to enjoy the process a bit more.
8. Set a timer
When kids first start potty training they’ll tell you they don’t have to go up until the point it is actually coming out of their body. So don’t even bother asking if they have to go. Instead set a timer or give them a potty watch and have them try to go every 30 minutes.
9. Keep a basket of books nearby
Everytime I tried to take my toddler to the bathroom, he would be anxious to get back to playing. He’d ask to get down from his potty only seconds after getting there and always would tell me it “no works” if he couldn’t go immediately. Whenwe started keeping books in the bathroom, he’d stay a little longer and realize he did have to go.
10. Keep extra clothes in the bathroom to avoid tears
Some toddlers won’t care when they pee in their clothes, but others (like mine) will burst into tears over embarrassment. Just keep extra clothes in the bathroom to get them changed quickly and you’ll likely avoid the tears.
11. Embrace candy rewards
I’ll admit I was not a big fan of candy rewards in potty training at first. But then once I actually started potty training, I realized how helpful it really was for the process. I mean prior to candy, my toddler HATED potty training. He wou;d cry if he had to sit on the toilet, cry if he had an accident, and cry about not wearing diapers. Once I added candy, he’d run into the bathroom when he had to go and jump up and down when he’d successfully go on his mini potty. It was a total game changer.
And while I dreaded taking the candy reward away, it actually faded away naturally as using the potty became his norm. That’s also coming from a mom whose toddler has a mind like a trap.
12. Don’t listen when they say they don’t have to go
Be consistent with whatever time interval you choose and take them to the bathroom even when they say they don’t have to go. Not only is your toddler still learning how to tell when they have the urge to go, but they also aren’t usually keen on stopping their play to go to the bathroom. But if you don’t go take them, I can almost guarantee they will go on your carpet a few minutes later. Speaking from experience here.
13. Let them sit backwards if they are more comfortable
Some littler kids might find it more comfortable to sit on the toilet backwards at first. Don’t stress over what way they sit, just get them comfortable going to the bathroom on the toilet and worry about the rest later. I’ve also seen some people let their kids draw with expo markers on the toilet seat while they sit backwards, but never tried it myself. I don’t have quite that much confidence in the frequency of my toilet cleaning but if you do, go for it.
14. Put a line of tape on the wall for toilet paper
Everything is fun for kids and that includes toilet paper. They will love unrolling it and will want to use half the roll every time they even sit on the toilet. Just put a tape line on the wall to tell them how big a piece to use. They will still think it’s fun but they won’t use an entire roll of toilet paper every day.
BONUS TIP: I also recommend turning the toilet paper backwards with it unrolling towards the wall! This makes it a whole lot harder to unroll a bunch of toilet paper at once! If they hit it over and over it won’t unroll!
15. You NEED this toilet seat
I am truly in love with this toilet seat that has a built in toddler seat! I don’t have to hang a nasty toilet seat on the wall or try to get it ready when my toddler is dancing and frantically trying to get to the toilet. It looks nice and it’s practical. You can’t ask for much more than that.
This post is all about potty training hacks that will make potty training faster and easier for everyone.
-Beautifully Busy Mom
