The Best Way To Get Your Reluctant Child To Wipe Themselves- Success in Potty Learning

Yes, the diaper phase is finally over!  For some its smooth sailing with no more poopy butts, for others it’s the dreaded battle of the “Wipe me’s”.  If your child is like mine and refuses to wipe after going “number 2” here is the perfect solution:  Make it fun!  I know what you are thinking, “Seriously make wiping your butt fun?” but bear (or should I say bare, lol) with me. Follow these simple steps to fully complete the “Potty Learning” process.

1.  Prep. Purchase a package of flushable wipes and the corresponding reusable wipes container.  Once you buy the container you can purchase the off brand wipes, which are usually less expensive to put inside.  Or better yet make your own wet wipes. Just google "homemade wet wipes" for multiple tutorials.
   

2. Decorate. Pull out the stickers, googly eyes, markers, paints, or whichever creative activity your child likes to do the most and let them create and make the container special. 

3. Pick a “name”. Explain that these wipes are for big girls and boys who wipe themselves.  With my daughter we called them her Very Super Special Big Girl Wipes. 

4. Placement. Find a special, easy to reach place in the bathroom and put the container there.  It may be beneficial to let your child find the perfect spot.  Important: Make sure they can be reached from the toilet!!

5. Disposal. I do not like things other then toilet paper being flushed down our toilet. However, if you don’t mind them being flushed, flushing too many at once could clog the toilet.  If you do not want to police how many wipes your child flushes down the toilet it helps to have a special small trash can nearby.  We use the Round Brushed Stainless Steel Step 3L Trash Can that we found on Amazon.  We like it because it is small, easy to empty, fingerprint resistant, and blends perfectly with our bathroom décor. M likes it because she gets to open it with her foot.
   

6. Reward.  Whether it be a sticker on a chart, a quarter for their bank, or a pat on the back always make sure to let them know that they did a great job.

By making it fun and exciting we were able to encourage our little one to wipe 100% by herself.  To ensure success, give your child the confidence they need by making the task at hand fun and exciting! 

 What is the biggest "potty" obstacle you've encountered with your child?

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Two Steps Forward, One Step back...

M has been out of her cloth diapers for quite a while now.  Like every toddler, she has the occasional accident but not anything major.  She has been doing so well.  She runs to the bathroom, gets her stool to turn on the light, pulls her pants down, and sits on her potty.  The only things she really needs help with is wiping.  

Which brings us to today...

M had not one, not two, but three accidents today.  She had two pee-pee accidents during our day at the zoo and one after we got home.  AND she peed on the couch yesterday after taking a 2 hour nap (she was awake when she peed).  She announces that she is going while she is peeing, but of course by then its too late to take action.  Granted we've had two very busy days in the hot sun.  And during those days we have also had a ton of water. 

We haven't been rewarding her lately because it has been so long since she has had multiple accidents.  I know that regression is normal with early potty learning...but 4 accidents in 2 days!!  I don't get it.  

Is it the busy days, the sun, normal regression, or just wanting to go where its convenient?  Maybe its that her brain is working extra hard because of her age and it just doesn't tell her in time.  She is feeling fine; no temp or anything out of the ordinary.  We are NOT a spanking family, nor do I believe in punishing for potty accidents.  If this continues, we may have to pull out the old potty chart again.  I'm at a loss as to what to do.  

What would you do?

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Potty Learning: When To Start..

As you can probably already tell, I am not a big fan of the term, "potty training".  There's nothing wrong with it, I just don't feel its the proper term to use when talking about a child.  Training is something you do with a dog.  With a child you teach and guide, right?  So I do not use the term very often.  So whatever you call it, it doesn't change the fact that you eventually have to do it.

But when is the right time to start teaching?

Since every Child is different, its so hard to figure out when to start your potty adventures.  With M I started as soon as she was able to to walk.  I never force the issue of using the potty, but I did bring her with me every time I had to go.  Most of the time she stayed when I put her on her potty.  Although, sometimes she required a book to hold her attention long enough to sit for a minute.  Even if she didn't go every single time, it was still conditioning her brain.  Luckily she picked it up very quick.  We were out of diapers by 20 months with only a few accidents here and there. 

We were also very verbal with her.  "Mommy has to use the potty right now" or "Yay, Daddy went pee-pee in the potty" are just a few examples.  We started celebrating anyone that came into the house and used the potty.  Sounds silly, but she saw the clapping and cheering and wanted them to be directed at her.  We continued to encourage potty use by constantly asking her if she needed to go; like once every hour.

We did the whole potty chart thing on and off.  For the most part it worked, but after a while stickers as rewards became nothing special. So we decided to use a trip to the toy store for a filled chart.  We always used positive reinforcements and NEVER scolded for accidents.  When I have to do it all over again for our next baby, I don't think I would change anything.

How did you teach your kids to use the potty?

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