Bag the Diaper Bag and Grab a Purse

Michelle carries a purse. Since ALL three of her children were potty-trained at two, I’d say she’s an expert at getting her kids to ditch the diapers.
“Toilet training isn’t as hard as you think,” Michelle encourages me. “The hardest part being persistent: you cannot give up.”
Michelle says you know your child is ready for the “big kid” chair when s/he is old enough to understand and follow commands.
The theory (fact, according to some) that says girls are easier to toilet train than boys? Not so, according to Michelle. “My son was the easiest of the three to get to go pee-pee in the potty.”
Plus, she adds, “if you wait too long once your child is ready, you run the risk of your toddler becoming stubborn and not wanting to toilet train.”
So, here are the tips Michelle shares to take advantage of the potty-training window of opportunity.
First, set aside a week that you (the parent) are willing to dedicate to potty-training. “You can do anything for a week,” Michelle says. It’s important to give yourself and your young one a solid week for the task at hand – you don’t want to start for a day or so and then give up, Michelle says.
The next step is to help your child recognize the sensation you feel BEFORE actually going to the bathroom. The best way to do this is to put your child in cotton “big kid” underpants. “No pull-ups, no diapers,” Michelle says, “they have to learn the feeling of going to the bathroom and anything padded disrupts the sensation.”
Be prepared to do a lot of pee-pee clean-up during your dedicated time to potty-training. Have a good carpet cleaner, disinfectant and rags for quick messes.
Then, Michelle says, they have “potty-parties.” For her first two kids Michelle ‘bribed’ them to go in the potty with soda and m&m’s. “Find something your child will appreciate as a reward,” Michelle suggests. “Our third child loves gum, so I gave her gum each time she went in the potty.”
Michelle does not follow a specific method. “I basically potty-train the way my mom says she did it,” Michelle says. And adds that she borrowed Dr. Phil’s ‘9-Time Repeat’ suggestions: where you repeat the action nine times.
“My kids saw me going to the bathroom and I would encourage them to model the behavior. Or, with my third, I would set a doll on the toilet rim and then poor water behind her so my daughter could ‘hear’ the pee-pee.”
Whatever treats you use to bribe, dolls to model behavior or repeat methods, Michelle says to stick with it for the whole week. “It will work,” she declares. “Don’t give up.”
While potty-training, if you leave the house and during nap time, Michelle suggest using pull-ups. If, during your week of potty-training, you have to leave the house for more than three hours with your child, use a diaper. As your child gains bladder control and recognizes the urge to use the potty, replace the pull-up with a towel under their hips during naps.
Michelle admits that genetic bladder control plays a factor in your child’s potty-training success.
However, she maintains her belief that if your child understands and responds to commands, they can be toilet trained.