Potty Training: Stress-Free & In 5 Easy Steps

The process of potty training a toddler is one of the things new parents stress out over the most. I myself had so much anxiety anytime I thought about it! It was tough because I didn’t know how to start, when to start or which method to use.

I truly feel there’s really no right or wrong way when it comes to potty training your little one. . . It really depends on your child and your situation. While every child and situation is different, potty training really can be stress-free. These 5 easy steps will help you with potty training your little girl or boy . . . stress-free!

What age is best to start toilet training?

There’s no set age! The potty training journey usually starts anywhere between 18 months and up to 4 years old but it really depends. I know it might be easier said than done but try not to feel a certain kind of way if your child starts their transition from diapers to underwear sooner or later than this.

These 5 easy steps will help you with your family’s potty training journey and prevent you from stressing out!

I really stressed out about potty training because we used cloth diapers and traveled a lot. This in itself gave me anxiety! I knew it would be hard to try to travel with cloth diapers – especially in the beginning. We eventually decided on using disposable diapers when we traveled, so this put me at ease. It ended up working perfectly for us!

Related: Potty Training Tips for Boys: 10 Real Moms Share Their Real Experiences

1 – Learning by Example

I don’t have to tell you how smart kids are! They’re visual learners when they’re this young and pick up on everything. Whether you realize it or not, you’re already beginning the early stages to potty train your little one just by them watching you go to the bathroom. I didn’t realize this myself until one day I was using the bathroom and my 2-year old tore off a piece of tissue and tried to wipe my private area for me [because I don’t have the luxury of using the bathroom alone]. Ha!! I was shocked and couldn’t stop laughing!

2 – Be Patient

How do you cope with potty–training accidents?

Try to stay calm and deal with the best way that you can. It’s not the end of the world if your little one pees or poops on the floor. I know this is one of the things that cause me to have anxiety at first. If you’re a parent, you already know how poop can travel fast! If your little one has ever had a diaper blow out, then you know just what I’m talking about.

This step might be a little more challenging for some than others. Just remember this whole process takes time and won’t happen overnight. Once the child is potty trained (for the most part), they will have accidents here and there. Also, keep in mind that nighttime routines may take a little more patience and time (depending on which method you use). During your potty training journey, you might even feel they’ve taken one step forward and two steps back. It’s completely normal and you should be patient with your little one.

When it comes to potty training, the thought of pee and poop getting all over the place really stressed me out and caused me not to want to have to deal with it. I decided to reach out to my #momtribe and asked for some advice and I’m soooo glad that I did.

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How long should potty training take?

So, this will vary depending on the child and the family. I say this because some moms either don’t have the option to wait until the child is ready and/or want to get it over super quick. Kids learn and operate differently, so what might work for some may not work for others.

I work from home and my toddler was in daycare part-time so I didn’t have to rush the process. Some parents will have to put their little ones in school by a certain time and some schools require the child to be potty trained. That’s why I say every situation is different.

3 – Wait Until He/She is ‘Potty Train’ Ready

It may seem obvious but waiting until your child is ready is the easiest way to go . . . hands down! This is actually the best advice any mom can give another mom to help potty train their little one. It was given to me and now I’m gonna pass it on it you! This is the one thing that I think helped the process to go so well for us.

You’re probably wondering . . .

Well, how do I know when my child is ready to be potty trained?

Of course, this will vary but you will know when it’s time because your child will start showing you signs that they’re ready. For instance, they may start:

• sitting on the potty by themselves (granted you’ve already bought them one and have it in an area of your home they can access easily)
• they may signal to you that they have to relieve themselves
• hide behind something or go off to themselves to relieve themselves
• showing independence (ex. saying things like ‘I can do it myself!”, can undress themselves, etc.)

If your child starts showing signs they’re ready, decide if you want them to learn on their own training potty or on the regular-sized toilet.

If you go with their own training potty, I recommend buying it and placing it in an area of your home that’s always visible and accessible. I would carry our Summer My Size Potty to whatever room in our home that we were spending most of our time on that day. So, it would be in my home office some days or the living room, the bedroom, etc.

If you decide you want to use the potty training toilet seat (that goes on the regular toilet) instead, make sure it’s accessible to your little one at all times. Besides you putting your child on the potty throughout the day, you’ll see that they’ll start going to the potty by themselves as well.

Training Potty vs. Training Toilet Seat

FYI – One of the downsides to using the training toilet seat is that you may find your little one in the bathroom doing things other than using the potty. Like, playing in the toilet and/or throwing things down the toilet. We usually keep the bathroom doors closed to keep the little one from going in there but eventually, they will get to the point where they will go to the potty on their own. They will need to be able to get to the potty when they feel the need to. So, instead of them going into the bathroom to sit on the potty, they go in there to play around.

I’m not gonna lie, I was dreading potty training my 2-year-old but it ended up being a really good potty train success story– especially compared to what I’ve seen other moms go through [that didn’t wait until their little one was ready].

4 – Be Consistent

Consistency is key! Let’s be real – our tiny humans thrive on predictability. They love knowing what’s next, and thrive in a world that makes sense to them. Honestly, I feel consistency isn’t just about timing. . . It’s about your approach, too. Pick a method that works for your family and stick with it.

Maintaining consistency even when things don’t go as planned is the tricky part. Accidents will happen (and oh boy, did we have our share of them!). But it’s important to handle these little bumps in the road with patience and reassurance. Rather than focusing on the mistake, gently remind your child about where pee and poop should go and swiftly move on.

I know this potty training journey might seem daunting at first, but hold on tight, trust the process, and remember to stay consistent. You got this!

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5 – Use a Reward System to Potty Train

There are so many things that you can incorporate to potty train your toddler. You basically give any kind of reward after they go on the potty. . . Just pick something and go with it! If you wait until your child is ready, this step won’t be as big of a deal. I personally like the idea of giving praise to let my child know she’s doing a good job. We gave her stickers [and a few lollipops here and there]. We got the idea of stickers from the daycare she was going to at the time. It worked like a charm!!

Sidenote: Some parents decide to give candy and others feel they don’t want to start bad habits by rewarding them with sweets. Every household is different so do what’s best for your family!

Final Thoughts

Potty training your toddler really doesn’t have to be as stressful as new parents think it is! There are some do’s and dont’s when it comes to potty training however, every family situation is different. And because every child is different, you should decide what’s the best method for your family and just go with it!

Which of these steps do you feel will be the most challenging for you when it comes to potty training? Drop me a comment below and let me know.