Potty training is a huge milestone!
It marks the end of pricey diapers and diaper pail refills, wrangling squirmy butts on changing tables, and saving poop in a bag until you find a trash can that’s safe to throw it in.
While we might celebrate the beginning of the end, potty training can be stressful if your toddler just doesn’t seem to get it as fast as the other toddlers you know.
If you’re stressed about potty training, the first thing you need to do is take a deep breath, and repeat after me:
“My child will not go off to college in diapers. And if they do, I vow to send them to a school far, far away so someone else can wipe their butt.”
There, does that help? 🙂
Yes, potty training can be difficult, and many tears will be shed, but at the end of the day, know this: you’re doing a great job.
You’re a fantastic parent.
You’re doing the best you can do for the most thankless task there is.
Stop stressing, and just breathe.
Your child will one day pee and poop in the toilet without you.
Whether you’re trying out the three-day method, one-week method, or just winging it altogether, here are a few ways to make potty training less stressful and more fun… for everyone!
16 Easy Ways to Make Potty Training Less Stressful
Introducing the Potty
Use potty books, songs, and apps.
Introduce the concept of peeing and pooping in the toilet with picture books, potty songs, and potty training apps. We liked this cute board book called Potty by Leslie Patricelli.
And this post is a funny round-up of the best potty songs you could ever imagine. Don’t forget to do the potty dance as you sing along!
Find a role model who pees in a toilet.
Does your kid look up to Daddy or big sis? Maybe your toddler loves Elmo or Mickey. Have their hero show or tell them how to use the potty.
Let them own it.
Pick out the potty seat together. Pick out underwear, pull-ups, or training pants together.
Let them choose whether they want to use a potty seat or the big toilet.
Toddlers may be small, but they’ve got big opinions and are always looking for a little freedom. Offering choices, no matter how small they seem to you, will mean the world to your toddler. Plus, offering choices is an easy way to help manage toddler temper tantrums.
Find out more ways to deal with tantrums in this post on Abrazo and Coze.
Rewards and Flat-Out Bribes
Set up a reward system.
Gummy bears or little toys for them, chocolate and new shoes for you. After all the work you put in, you’re gonna need a big reward as well! Try one candy for pees and two for poops to start with.
Our toddler did not get the hang of potty training until we introduced M&M’s as a reward (which we called a “pee-pee snack”). With this method we had our daughter day-time potty trained by 16 months. And it’s only a little embarrassing when your daughter points at the M&M’s in the check-out aisle and yells “pee pee snacks!”
Use a cool sticker chart.
Do you have a potty princess or a potty pirate? Check out these adorable sticker charts that come beautifully packaged (castle or pirate ship box) with a cute book and dress-up accessories.
Potty Playtime
Make it a game.
Time them to see how fast they can pull down their pants and hop on the toilet. Take turns taking shots of juice and see who can go potty first (whoever pees first is the winner, BTW). Keep things light and fun and keep those positive vibes flowing.
Keep easy entertainment nearby.
Have a basket of books, toys, or pull up a good show on your phone when your kid is on the toilet. This will help keep them on long enough to possibly experience a potty success.
Turn potty training into target practice.
My husband remembers his mom putting a couple Cheerios in the toilet for him to aim at when he peed. My mother-in-law said it quickly became one of his favorite activities!
Having the Right Equipment
Swap out the white toilet paper.
Get yourself some rainbow and unicorn toilet paper!
I had no idea there were so many fun patterned toilet paper rolls out there! Try your child’s favorite color if you’re not into unicorns.
Bring on the color magic.
Add some food dye and have them watch the water change colors as they pee! Or, try this magic potty sticker that you put on the bottom of your potty chair. When your toddler pees on it, an image magically appears! Choose from a fire truck, butterfly, train, or flower. (No one ever said potty-training was glamorous, but if it works, it works!)
Use a silly timer to help you both stick to a routine.
Most potty training methods advocate sticking the potty trainee on the pot every 15 to 20 minutes. Download silly sounds on your phone, use an app, or try a cute cow kitchen timer!
Light up the toilet seat.
We recently bought a toilet seat with a built-in potty seat and nightlight! My two-year-old and I love this one because the securely fitted child seat flips up to reveal the normal adult seat beneath it, and it’s completely removable for when potty training days are over. (Yes, that day WILL come!)
It’s also soft close up and down so no banging in either direction! She also loves to race to see if she can pull her pants down before the soft-close training seat drops down.
If you already have a good toilet seat installed, try this motion sensor toilet bowl light instead. It’s easy to install and comes in 16 different colors! Bonus: it makes a perfect night light when your child is ready to pee on their own at night!
Try a musical potty.
This potty chair has a sensor that plays a tune whether your child goes number one or two! It’s super-helpful for figuring out if your child is actually doing anything on the potty! We have friends who used this and say their toddler LOVED making the potty “sing” and it helped them potty-train their toddler in less than a week!
When All Else Fails
Offer fun snacks that will make them drink more.
Before you can learn to pee, you have to NEED to pee! Choose salty snacks that your kid loves and that will make them thirsty!
Offer juice, flavored milk, infused water, or any drink that they love. It’s OK to put healthy meals on the back burner just this once…
Have a toy friend learn to go potty, too.
Explain that your child’s favorite stuffed animal or doll is learning to use a toilet too! They both can learn together! Put a toy potty next to your toddler’s potty so they both can go together.
Make it a party.
Does your toddler have other friends who are learning to go potty too? Have a potty training party where everyone shows off their potty chairs and celebrate this new milestone together.
If your toddler sees their friends learning to go too, it may just be the extra push they need to try a little harder to figure out the whole potty thing.
I hope these tips and ideas help make potty training less stressful for you and your trainee.
And remember moms and dads, this poo, shall pass.
Share your best potty training tips below!