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Share your top tips with Penwizard on encouraging your children with their potty training for your chance to win a £300 Love2Shop voucher! NOW CLOSED

254 replies

KathrynMumsnet · 29/06/2015 09:59

The team at Penwizard have asked us to find out your top tips to encourage your children with their potty training.

Here’s what Penwizard say: "We all know potty training can be a tough time for both toddlers and parents. That’s why in our new personalised potty training book we guide children step-by-step through the process to help them understand what’s involved and help parents motivate their child. But we want to hear from Mumsnet posters what tips and tricks have worked for them whilst handling this delicate process and any advice they would pass on to first time mothers”.

So what are your top tips? What do you wish you’d known about potty training before starting the process? Do you have a reward system in place? Whatever it is, we’d love to hear it!

Everyone who posts their comment on this thread will be entered into a prize draw where one lucky Mumsnetter will win a £300 Love2Shop voucher.

Please note: your comments may be used anonymously elsewhere on Mumsnet and by Penwizard on their website, marketing materials and possible elsewhere, so please only comment if you are happy with this.

Thanks and good luck!

MNHQ

p.s. if you would like to find out more about Penwizard’s new book click here.

Share your top tips with Penwizard on encouraging your children with their potty training for your chance to win a £300 Love2Shop voucher! NOW CLOSED
OP posts:
RACHELSMITH45 · 30/06/2015 10:40

Don't rush, don't compare your child to others of similar age... you should wait for signs your child is ready. My little girl decided herself age 2 years 4 months she didn't want her nappies on anymore. She took to potty training well because we did it at the right time for her. We've always had the potty around and used to read her a book about being a 'big girl' using a potty which maybe helped too. Give praise and encouragement and plenty of it!!

amrobe · 30/06/2015 11:09

I am in the process of potty training as I write this! My top tip really is making sure your child is totally ready. I tried with my eldest when she turned 2, she got quite stressed with it so I left it a few months and tried again. I am now trying with my youngest that has just turned 2, I do think she's ready but if gets stressed or upset as her sister did, then we'll try again in a few months time.

AvaAmulet · 30/06/2015 11:18

We actively encouraged DD to sit on the potty from around 18 months, as she had shown an interest in it. But we've let her take the lead and tell us when she's ready to actually use it. She never did use the potty though. Recently, at just turned 2, she has shown an interest in sitting in the toilet. I bought her a stool and a trainer seat and, lo and behold, she has used the toilet 50% of the time, since she did her first poop on it just over a week ago. She's even dry most night and will do a long wee on the toilet when she wakes up in the morning Grin

sweetsomethings · 30/06/2015 11:30

wait until they are showing signs of being ready no point in giving yourself months of upset if they are not ready

LEE88 · 30/06/2015 11:32

My Ds didn't like the potty and went straight to using the toilet, so we needed a toilet training seat insert and a step, I also used to scrunch up little pieces of tissue and put into the toilet bowl to help his aim lol!

gamerwidow · 30/06/2015 11:35

Be patient and expect lots of accidents in the early days. DD was very scared of pooing in the potty to start off with but we found some videos on you tube with funny songs about potty training and that made her less afraid.

sofieellis · 30/06/2015 12:05

Wait until they are ready and do not feel pressured by everyone else bragging about how long their child has been out of nappies! Also choose a time when you you have more time to concentrate on the job in hand, without getting stressed about other jobs needing to be done. Some of my friends' children were supposedly dry months before mine, but had accidents all the time. I waited until much later before I even tried and they were dry within a couple of weeks.

twirlypoo · 30/06/2015 12:13

Ds was totally reluctant so I left it till he was 3. I knew if it was my word against his (ds you have to use the potty) he would refuse, so I wrote him a letter from the toilet fairy who swopped his nappies for presents and told him how excited she was that he was a big boy now. He totally bought it and by introducing someone else into the equation it made me and ds on the same team.

I put about 20 pound shop presents in wrapping paper in the downstairs loo and every time he did a wee or a poo he got to choose a present. When they ran out the toilet fairy wrote him a letter saying how proud she was of him that he was a big boy now and that she would pop in every now and again to see how he was doing (there was glitter everywhere!) he still talks about the fairy angel being pleased with him Grin

glennamy · 30/06/2015 12:40

Found it quite easy with DD, we just asked her when she felt like she wanted to go, we made such a fuss of her saying how clever she was etc... so I would say praise is the best tip. Just remember to take a potty on longer car journeys...

alsproject · 30/06/2015 13:12

Always give encouragement and be patient as the toddler may not be ready yet

izbiz88 · 30/06/2015 13:48

I agree with all the other comments about doing it at the child's pace - I know so many parents who have felt under pressure to push their children and have seen it backfire! Make it as relaxed and as fun as possible and never show any frustration you may be feeling to the child :)

I've found that using fun stickers of their favourite book/tv characters helps, either as a reward or to decorate their potty/the bathroom walls with. I once looked after a little boy who kept having accidents, but he loved shapes, so we decorated the bathroom walls with pictures of different colourful shapes to encourage him to try and use the toilet more often. Only problem was it was difficult to get him out of the bathroom then! :)

ElectroNymph · 30/06/2015 13:53

Make it a fun activity, perhaps even offer small incentives.

lizd31 · 30/06/2015 13:57

Make potty training fun, maybe read a story while they are using the potty. Use rewards but not sweets & don't force them to use the potty if they're not ready, bide your time

Vitolito · 30/06/2015 14:21

Don't put too much pressure - it's easier when they are ready and willing. Be calm and positive, when they have an accident be reassuring. I think it's also helpful to get them used to the potty / toilet seat by getting them to try it out before bath / bed. Best advice I've been given is that every child is different and learns in a different way and in their own time. No point comparing to the children of your friends / family, just causes stress and needless worry for everyone!

Sarn1234 · 30/06/2015 14:30

My kids are older now but we had a musical potty which played a nursery rhyme every time they did a wee or a poo. I think lots of praise when they get it right and just keep quiet when they don't. I don't think pull ups were very good they are just like wearing a nappy. My boys liked to stand up and wee in the pot like 'daddy' (get them a step) or a toilet seat that fits your own will make them feel grown up. They all get there in the end and my kids were all potty trained by the time they went to nursery. I found my daughter was trained quicker than my sons. Don't stress and take your time as you don't see adults wearing nappies unless they have a illness.

GloGirl · 30/06/2015 15:00

Ahh TwirlyPoo I love your story! Flowers

Suits your nickname Grin

blondie123c · 30/06/2015 15:02

Plan some interesting activities which will occupy your child, preferably in a small space. Do them quite close to the potty, for the first few days, so they get comfortable being around it. I bought some new puzzles and cheap sticker books which Amber loved.

AGnu · 30/06/2015 15:26

We're going for a wait until he wants to approach for the time being... He's 3.5 & does a daily poo on the toilet but rarely asks to go for a wee. I think we'll give it another few months before we start actively encouraging him. I'm already planning what we're going to do with the money we save when he's out of nappies! Grin

kayleigh39 · 30/06/2015 15:35

(1) Don't force them!
(2) Make it fun - every time they sit on the potty, clap!
(3) Have a rewards chart and give them stickers when they use the potty!

MadMonkeys · 30/06/2015 15:37

Definitely only try when the child is ready - to avoid a battle.

Avoid training pant, go straight to proper pants.

Reward as necessary.

Don't make potty training a big issue.

If possibly clear a week or so to be at home and potty train.

Theimpossiblegirl · 30/06/2015 17:42

Positive reinforcement, modelling (if you can get an older child to show how to use the potty, great) and lots of nice knickers and pants.

pennwood · 30/06/2015 17:45

At my antenatal classes the midwife told me to put my young baby on the potty immediately after feeding, cradling her in my arms. I thought she was mad, but tried it anyway! Result - she always did something, & because she was used to the potty we never had any problems getting her clean. I never had to resort to charts, or reward systems as she happily complied simply wanting to please, & be a 'big' girl.

shivbrown · 30/06/2015 18:32

For boys put a ping pong ball down the toilet and they aim for it and makes it fun :) x

Marg2k8 · 30/06/2015 19:43

My tip would be to leave the potty around for a long time before they are ready to use it, so that you can say things about them using it when they are a big boy or big girl, so that they tell you when they are ready to use it.

mave · 30/06/2015 19:50

Wait until they're ready, once you put knickers/undies do not put a nappy back on as it confuses them, they have to have accidents and feel uncomfortable to want to use the potty. Sticker charts are great, blow bubbles on the potty for a girl, ping pong ball for a boy to aim at!!!