The Potty Plan | Hear from an Expert

Tip two

Potty training on the go!

At some point during the potty training process, you and your little one will need to leave home. While it’s tempting to stay inside, outings are a great way for your child to practice what they’re learning and generalize their new skills to other environments.

It can be hectic to manage potty training while on the go, but it can be done. Be sure you have the following essentials:

Travel potty and bags
Wipes
Trash bag(s)
Change of clothes, underwear, and socks
Potty training pants for long trips
Hand wipes/hand sanitizer

Here are six quick tips to help prepare you for your next trip!

Stick to your potty routine. Just because you’re not home doesn’t mean you ditch your potty routine. You’ll want to maintain consistency including the times at which you encourage your child to use the potty, the multiple steps involved in the routine (such as removing their pants, wiping, flushing, and hand washing), and your reward system. There will be enough changes going on while traveling; try to stick with your potty routine as much as possible.

Be sure you have them go potty right before you leave using a "when/then" to get better cooperation. For instance, “When you go potty, then we can head out the door.” And then step back and allow them time to go.

It’s perfectly fine to use potty training pants for long trips where it’s difficult to get to a potty easily. You can let your child know why they’re wearing them for the trip and then be sure to take them off right after you get to where you’re going.

Set reminders to prompt every 45 mins or so to avoid potty accidents. Traveling can be hectic especially when traveling with multiple kids and/or going to new unfamiliar places.

Once you get to your destination, be sure to orient yourself and your child to where bathrooms are located. That way, when it’s time to go, you’re not wasting precious time trying to find the restroom.

Public restrooms can feel intimidating to kids.

When using public toilets, try to squat down and hold their legs and sing or talk while they go potty for distraction and fun.
Keep a calm and positive attitude and praise them for listening to their body and putting pee and poop in the potty.
Beware of the automatic flushers when using public restrooms. You can bring use a sticky note to prevent the toilet from going off or prepare your child for the loud noise before it happens
If your child feels anxious about using public restrooms, no worries. There’s nothing wrong with using a travel potty. When you get home (and there’s less pressure and commotion) you can practice introducing a large toilet at home first. Go on public outings to places they are familiar with and practice using their public restrooms first. You can start by bringing the travel potty into the restroom and then work your way up to using the large toilets.

Potty training while on the go can feel overwhelming. There's a lot going on and the last thing you want to have happen is an accident while you're out and about. A little preparation and an extra dose of patience will go a long way.

tip three

Help! My child won’t poop! How to get your child to poop on the potty.

One of the most common concerns parents have while potty training is it taking much longer for their child to successfully and consistently poop on the potty.

Don’t be alarmed if your child does not poop in the potty during the first few days (or weeks or months) of training. Children simply don’t get as many chances to practice pooping in the potty as they do urinating. Children also commonly wait until naptime or bedtime to poop or withhold their bowel movements altogether during this time.

The three most common reasons don’t poop on the potty include:

Your child is afraid of the process. This may seem strange because your child poops in their diaper with no problem but keep in mind the sensations are much different when they sit on the toilet. Rather than their poop being packed up against their skin, eliminating on the toilet can feel like they’re losing a part of themselves. To young kids, poop is viewed as an extension of themselves (since it comes from their bodies) so it can feel scary to feel the sensation of having a bowel movement while sitting on the toilet. To help with this:

Read children’s books on autonomy so they can learn about the process of elimination.
Use play to teach. Role play using a doll or stuffed animal and show them going poop with raisin or Play-Doh. Keep it fun and silly while emphasizing this is a normal thing all humans and animals do after eating and drinking. You also want to note how much better our bodies feel once it’s done.
Use the phrase, “Let your poop slide out…” to emphasize how normal and smooth this process is. We need not resist it, we can simply let it happen.

Your child wants more control over the process or needs more privacy in the moment. To help with this, avoid forcing them to sit on the potty if they don’t want to. You want to try to release your emotional investment in this process and remind yourself that your child will master this skill in their own time. It’s ok if it takes them longer to learn than it did to pee on the potty. It doesn’t mean you’re doing anything wrong. It just simply means they need more practice and time. If and when they poop in pull up or pants, reinforce over and over again in a matter of fact manner that poop goes in the potty. You also want to involve them in this process of putting poop in potty.

Your child needs more routine/structure in their potty routine. To help with this you’ll want to get to know their poop routine and prompt them to sit on the potty when it’s around the usual time they eliminate.

Children usually poop at regular times during the day and/or 20-30 minutes after meal time. During this time, give them exclusive potty toys and activities to help them stay on the potty. Unlike pee, poop requires children to stay in one place longer (at least 5 to 10 minutes) so the key is to encourage them to stay on the potty by giving them toys and activities they can only get access to when they are sitting on the toilet.

However, you never want to force this process. Prompt them to sit and give them toys but let them get up when they’re ready.

Another common reason children struggle with pooping on the potty is due to constipation or other medical issues. If you suspect this may be the underlying cause, be sure to consult with your child’s pediatrician for guidance.

Tip four

What about nighttime potty training? When and how to nighttime potty train!

So your little one is completely (or almost completely) daytime potty trained and now you're wondering about nighttime potty training?

When do you start? How do you know when your child's ready? What do you do to lead to more success?

When it comes to nighttime potty training, it’s important to keep in mind that while daytime potty training readiness depends on a host of developmental factors like physiological, psychological, motor and cognitive development, naptime training readiness is solely dependent on physiological development.

Your child's ability to stay dry comes down to bladder development. This has to do with the bladder's ability to hold urine and/or send a wake up message to the brain.

Also some children are not awakened by the elimination sensation because they sleep so deeply. Sleep and bladder sensations mature over time.

Here are six tips to help get you started with nap time potty training.

Tip 1: Be sure to hold off until your child has fully mastered daytime potty training and then wait until they wake up dry several times in a row (at least 3 in a row).

Remember: Naptime potty training usually comes well after daytime success.

In the meantime, while you wait:

Tip 2: Have them go potty before bed.

Tip 3: Put them in potty training pants (call it something different from ‘diapers’) and take off right after they wake up.

Tip 4: Wake them up 5 to 10 minutes before they usually rise to avoid them having an accident right when they wake up.

Tip 5: Once they've been able to stay dry for several days in a row (at least 3), then you can begin nap time potty training.

You can start gradually by putting on underwear and then their training pants.

Tip 6: When it’s time to start nap time potty training, make sure to protect your mattress with a mattress cover.

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At this point, you might be wondering when your child is ready for night time potty training.

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Here are the common signs:

Your child is nearly fully daytime potty trained (minimal accidents during the day).
They are successful at keeping dry during naps
They are waking up in a dry pull up in the morning several mornings at a time.
Your child sleeps in a toddler bed and has easy access to the toilet throughout the night
Your child has motor skills necessary to do this independently
Your child understands the feeling of needing to go and regularly initiates potty trips on their own.

Keep in mind: Children tend to achieve nighttime success anywhere from 6-12 months (or longer) after they become daytime trained.

A good rule of thumb is to wait at least 6 months after your child is fully daytime potty trained to start transitioning into nighttime potty training.

In the meantime:

Stick with daytime potty routine
Taper down liquids after dinner. Limit juice and other sugary drinks 2 hours before bedtime because they tend to bring more water into the bladder.
Add potty training trips to the bedtime routine (30 mins prior to bedtime and right before they go to bed).
Wake up your child 10 to 15 mins before they usually rise and potty training pants and have them go potty.

Once you’ve determined they’re ready to begin nighttime potty training,

Put them in underwear and then potty training pants at bedtime. This will ensure they will get the feedback on their skin if they have an accident.
Be prepared for accidents with a mattress cover. For added protection put a double layer of sheets, another mattress cover, and one more sheet on top in case they wake up in the middle of the night.

For fewer accidents during the night some parents opt to wake child up 60 to 90 mins after they've fallen asleep or right before the parent goes to bed (or middle of the night). While this probably doesn't speed up physiological development, it can cut back on nighttime accidents

Most children can stay dry throughout the night by age 5. Consult with your pediatrician if your child is 7 or older and wetting the bed more than 2 to 3 times per week.

Tip five

How to Potty Train a Strong-Willed Toddler

It's no secret - strong-willed, stubborn, and spirited children can be a challenge to potty train.

At the same time, they are likely to be highly self-motivated and inner-directed, which can work to your advantage. They are courageous and independent, wanting to learn things in their own way and in their own time.

Because of this, they tend to test limits in an attempt to learn things their own way. They may also have BIG, passionate feelings.

As parents, we can’t prevent all power struggles but we certainly can try. Here are a few quick tips to prevent power struggles:

Give two choices. Offering two choices is one of your best strategies for potty training your child because it lets you both have some control. For instance, you can give your child the choice of which underwear to put on, where to place the potty in your home, whether to go potty in 2 minutes or 5 minutes, whether to go now or after they finish a task, what kind of juice to drink, whether or not they would like your help in dressing and undressing, and even where to go during your public outing. In every situation, give your child only two choices (so you don’t overwhelm them) and make sure both of those choices are equally fine with you.

Use when/then statements to get your child on board and gain greater cooperation. Use these statements when you need your child to do something first before moving on to another activity or receiving a reward. For instance, you can say something like, “It’s almost time to leave for the park. When you go potty, then it will be time to go.” If your child went on the potty and you need their cooperation in flushing and hand washing before moving on to the next activity, you could say something like, “It’s bath time! When you flush and wash your hands, then you can take a bath.” When using when/then statements, you must not move on to the next activity before your child has done what you told them to do. Overall, with strong-willed kids, you want to always be clear when it comes to your expectations and use when/then statements to convey them clearly and calmly.

Now remember, it takes two to have a power struggle, so instead…

Disengage in the power struggle by validating their emotions while holding firm limits. You can say something like, "I see. You don't want to wash your hands right now. I get it."

You want to connect with your child and let them know you understand and sympathize with their frustration before trying to get them to cooperate. After validating their emotions, move on to strategies for compliance. Redirect their behavior by saying something like, "Yes, I see you need my help washing your hands," and then gently – yet firmly – hold their hands under the water.

Try to keep this process upbeat by singing a fun song or describing what you're doing. For instance, you can say something like, "Wash, wash those germs away. Bye-bye germs!" Over time, your child should resist less if you keep this process positive. Praise your child when you're done by saying something like, "Yeah, I get it. You don't like washing your hands. Thanks for letting me help you."

Then move on as quickly as possible. You don't want to draw attention to the undesired behavior.

If you have a strong-willed child on your hands, potty training will take an extra strong dose of patience and consistency. Resist the urge to give up and go back to diapers. If you’ve deemed your child developmentally ready for potty training, then stick with it. Your strong willed child will get it eventually.

5 Potty Training Tips

TIPS

Tip one

How to handle potty training accidents

STEP 1

STEP 2

STEP 3

STEP 4

STEP 5