What is the Best Potty Training Method
If you’re ready to potty train your toddler but you’re totally overwhelmed and stressed out because you don’t know what method is right for your child, keep reading because we’ll cover it all in today’s post!
A lot of times when parents reach out to me they tell me that they’ve been trying to potty train their child for months or years. When I ask them exactly how they were trying to potty train, their answers vary anywhere from “gradually” to “we’ve tried several different methods”. So, today we’re going to talk about the number 1 method that you should be using to potty train your toddler from day 1!
I am a huge advocate of the bottomless potty training method – I don’t mean bottomless mimosas, although you’re probably going to want one while you’re potty training because this can be an intense process; however, it is 9 times out of 10 much faster and easier on your child than using a gradual potty training process. There are several reasons why I use the bottomless potty training method, but the number 1 reason is that it sends 1 direct message to your child. They will know diapers are done, I’m not getting them back I need to figure out how to go to the potty on the toilet. So it is really important to be consistent and clear with your child that “we’re potty training now, that means that you’re not peeing in your diaper anymore”. Another reason why I like using this method is that the muscle memory that your child feels when they’re wearing a diaper is the same muscle memory that will be triggered when they’re wearing underwear and they’ll feel that comfort around their bottom and they may go on autopilot and you may have more accidents because they haven’t made the connection yet that they need to stop what they’re doing and go to the bathroom. Cutting that association from day 1, your child is going to learn that potty training process much faster. Another reason to jump into bottomless potty training full speed ahead is that you’re going to be able to see your child’s bodily cues. So, while you’re child may not understand what is happening internally, you are going to be able to notice a lot easier if your child starts doing a little bit of a wiggle maybe a little dribble, holding, crossing, to show the bodily cues that they need to go to the bathroom. Having them totally bottomless, preferably completely naked, on at least the first day is going to help you understand what those potty cues are.
Another reason why we use this method is that it decreases the amount of time it takes your child to get from point A to point B. For example, if your child is playing at Point A then they need to stop what they are doing and get to the toilet, Point B, in time before they have an accident. Now, if your child is totally naked… all they have to do is stop, drop, and run! They need to run and use the potty, whether that’s a freestanding one in the same room as them or if they need to get to the bathroom. Ideally, your child is totally naked removing the need to take down pants and underpants before being able to go to the bathroom and hopefully avoiding accidents. Especially if your child is getting to this point in your potty training where they’re having the accident while trying to take their pants down, just take their clothes off. Let them play and run around the house naked, it takes so much less time to get from point a to point b. Along the same lines, if you’re able to see your child actively starting to have an accident, you want to pick your child up (even if it’s mid-accident) and sit them on the toilet. Even if that means you have to walk across rooms of the house while your child is having an accident, they need to process the information that it is time to sit on the toilet – you don’t just have an accident wherever you are.
Your child needs to be 100% ready for this process before you jump into it if you’re not sure if your child is ready for potty training, watch this video I have on YouTube.
Still need support? Check out Potty Party: The Course!
