Part of me hesitates to write about this topic because I am 100% not an expert when it comes to potty training. And can I just let you know up front that this is one of my least favorite parts of mothering toddlers? I have only potty trained two children in my life {and we are still working on nighttime with my second child}, so it’s not like I have a ton of experience under my belt.
But, I will say that this second time around has gone so much better than I anticipated. While I’m not an expert {Can you tell that I want that point to be really clear?}, I think a lot of it has been because I had an idea of what to expect this time around. I know that our second child is very different than our first {aside from just gender}, but I was a little more prepared of how long it might take or the potential it had to be really frustrating. Expecting it to not be easy is half the battle.
So, while I’m in no way an expert at this, I do want to share some tips on how to keep your sanity while potty training. If you are looking for a how-to manual, this is not the post for you {maybe I’ll share what has worked for us someday when all my children are perfectly trained – ha!}. But, if you are looking for some thoughts on how to not go crazy and loose your patience while training your child to use the potty, then read on!
1. Clear your schedule
Potty training is not easy. It doesn’t usually just happen without any work at all – that’s why it is called training. You need to focus 100% on your training child, so I’d recommend you clear your schedule and stay home as much as possible. I’d shoot for staying in at least 2-3 days straight. If you can’t cancel appointments that have already been made, then wait to start when you can devote the time and life is less crazy. Potty training will only make things worse if you are stressed out and have a full schedule already.
I started training my first child on a Monday, so she could have a few days at home before we ventured out later in the week. My second child was a baby and had no activities, so that worked fine. I waited until a Saturday to start training our second child. He attends preschool two mornings a week, so I wanted to give him the weekend to practice before sending him back to school the next week. It meant that I missed church on Sunday, but it was worth it and he turned a huge corner on that second day!
2. Call in reinforcements
If possible, pick a time when your spouse {or someone else} can be available for help and support. Two straight days at home with a potty training child has the potential to make you stir crazy. Having a spouse at home with you to help {washing clothes, caring for any other children, etc.} would be a huge blessing, if it’s possible. If that’s not an option, talk to your spouse about possibly coming home a little early from work or leaving promptly after work hours are over. You will likely need the relief later in the day, when you patience may be wearing thin.
3. Prepare meals ahead or order takeout
If you have a spouse or support person at home with you, then this may not be necessary. You could delegate the meal prep responsibility to your helper. The point being that you will need to focus on your training child, so the last thing you need to worry with is what you will be eating for dinner. If possible,prepare meals in advance or plan on something simple that can be made quickly. Also, you may consider takeout for a couple of days. You may need to treat yourself anyway! 🙂
4. Forget about the housework
Other than wiping up accidents and laundering clothes, don’t attempt to do housework. Set that expectation aside so you can focus on the potty training. Your housework can wait. You may be able to do a little bit, but don’t expect to get much housework accomplished while potty training. Lowering that expectation will help you not get frustrated when you might be interrupted with a child peeing everywhere.
5. Expect accidents
It might sound so obvious, but expect accidents to happen. No matter how “ready” your child is, accidents are part of the training process. Consider removing nice rugs or covering sofas and other fabrics that you don’t want to get messy. This is temporary, but simply anticipating lots of accidents helps to not be so upset when they do happen.
6. Attitude is everything
Try your best to keep a positive attitude. It is easy to get discouraged if you don’t see progress quickly, but getting upset or discouraged isn’t going to help. Remember that you are helping them learn a new skill, which is a great thing, but it can take time. Take the lead in keeping your attitude upbeat – your child will likely follow your lead. Praise them a ton when they are successful and encourage them to keep trying when they are not. Your positivity will be contagious!
View this time as an opportunity to spend lots of one-on-one time with your child. No matter your method, try to think of potty training as your excuse to drop everything else and focus all your attention on your child. Read together, work puzzles, color, or even watch movies together. While you may never enjoy potty training, with a little planning and a good attitude adjustment, I think it is possible to get through it without loosing your sanity. And at the very least, you will learn more about your child’s bathroom habits than you ever wanted to know. 🙂
If you are looking for some resources on how to begin the potty training process, I have listed a few below that you might find helpful.
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{Note: This post contains affiliate links. Read disclosure here.}
