Potty Training: Final Steps

The last blog was on the first 3 days of potty training. From here on out, it gets easier time-wise!

Day 4: Take child potty every 10 minutes and every time they ask. That means we try potty, then start the timer just as we finish.

Day 5: Take child potty every 15 minutes and every time they ask.

Day 6: Take child potty every 20 minutes and every time they ask.

Day 7+: Take child when they ask to go potty.

If they don't recognize the potty signs by now, then stop at every 20 minutes and continue to do that until they get it. Days 4 and 5 were the WORST for us potty training! It seemed that any time we tried potty, she would have an accident about 1 minute after an attempt. So. Much. Laundry.

The goal here is to still keep a 100% positive attitude, with no negative reactions to accidents. Keep any reaction to an accident neutral (quietly clean it up), and then praise and reward attempts at potty-ing. 

Honestly, I am a pretty positive person by nature, and I struggled a lot! I called my dad and sister and cried to them and said it was too hard. But they both told me to not give up, and to remember how much we had already done. That was the biggest motivator for me not throwing in the towel- I didn't want to have to repeat those 3 days of living in the bathroom!

Note: If your child is on seizure medication, MAKE SURE they aren't late on any doses or miss any. Any time we were late and the two times we missed (in the 2 months since starting potty training), those times corresponded exactly with the days that she had multiple accidents.

Note #2: The thing that helped CHelsea most to understand the concept of going potty was pouring warm (not cool, not hot, not cold) water over her to give the sensation of peeing.

Note #3: No pull-ups in the house! Yes there will be accidents. And messes. But pull-ups are too much of a regression when worn all the time. We did use them on some outings though, but she usually keeps them dry.