Every child is different and though there is no method, the following examples do present a range of our students spanning the easiest to our most difficult.
Read them and determine the best method of potty training for you and your family.
As always, all names have been changed!
Casey: Similar to Anthony, Casey started at just under 2 1/2. He had no initial problems with #2 until later, at which point the problems were entirely behavioral. A brand new baby brother had him using attention seeking behavior as a way to find his place.
This is perfectly normal and was worked through with crystal clear communication. Casey learned that being able to use the restroom made him special because it was something his brother could not do. He was a big boy and big boys use the potty just like Mommy and Daddy.
Kylie: Kylie came to us at 15 months. Her parents informed us during their interview that Kylie was already potty trained. In reality, mom and dad were not entirely in sync.
Dad brought her to school in diapers or pull ups on a daily basis, but as soon as we laid down the law (underwear only) and raised the point that being potty trained does not mean coming to school in a diaper, Kylie had more than enough intelligence and motivation to get the job done.
At eighteen months she was dry.
Jordan: Our most willful child; exceedingly bright, but obstinate when it came to taking naps or going with the flow.
Jordan didn’t give a hoot about the best potty training method, but despised being dirty. He did not enjoy arts and crafts if they included making a mess, and would grow anxious whenever his hands became the slightest bit soiled.
The transition to using the toilet was made easy because he felt the same discomfort toward diapers.
Jordan was trained almost instantly, about a month before his second birthday. However, after demonstrating his ability, he started to soil himself for attention. This solution? We had Jordan clean his own mess under our supervision. Sometimes his #2 was so messy he had to shower himself.
This was not a warm and fuzzy shower one would associate with bath time, but a down to business cleaning. Jordan did not care for this consequence, realized the slot machine wouldnʼt pay, and quickly decided it wasnʼt worth the drama.
In Jordan’s case, the best method for potty training was clear communication.
Jack: Jackʼs parents werenʼt ready to get him out of the diaper. This meant he unfortunately flew right past his ideal potty training window. He grew comfortable being dirty and was still being changed at home on a changing table at 2 and 1/2 years.
We made the same suggestion to this family as to all our others, but they saw it differently and exercised the right that all parents have.
Each family is different and the correct method is the one that is right for you. The common thread through every success is clear and consistent communication.
Children often understand and are capable of far more than they are given credit for. Regardless of the child, the best potty training method starts with communication, followed by realistic expectation, and concluded by steady triumph.
