How to Potty Train in One Day

Drum roll, please…the post you have all been waiting for, How to Potty Train Your Child in One Day.

I am an expert in poop!  There!  I said it, out in the open, so everyone can hear.  I have been keeping this fact to myself for some time but now I feel a sense of relief that you all know it too. As a mother of 6 children, one of which is autistic, I can tell you I have spent much time dealing with the subject of excrement!

Today I will pass on my secrets to you.

 

Supplies

potty chair (not the kind that sits on the toilet)

candy

juice and water

cloth underwear

child’s favorite DVD’s or digital downloads, a television and DVD player

a day alone with your child at home where you have no other activities

 

For the record, there are two kinds of language.  Receptive and expressive.  Receptive language is the language that is spoken to the child and that they understand.  For example, if you tell a child “no” and the child stops doing what they are experimenting with, then they have good receptive language even though they can not utter the word “no”. Expressive language is the spoken word of a child.  I like to talk to children as if they are adults.  Just because they are little, does not mean they can not understand you.  Most often the child’s receptive language is much better than their expressive language.

 

TWO WEEKS PRIOR to D-DAY

1. Talk to your child every day about how, in just two weeks they are going to be a big girl or boy, go to the bathroom on the potty chair and they will have no more diapers!  This should be expressed in the most exciting manner you can muster!

2. Take them to the calendar and mark their special day!  This is a huge deal for them!  Check out the calendar daily and count down the days until they will get to be a big boy or girl!

3. Take your child out shopping for special underwear.  Make this is an event!  Once home, take out the underwear and look at it every day.

4.  Take your child to the store to purchase the candy and juice they will receive every single time they pee or poop in the potty!  Again, this is a celebration!

5. If you don’t already have a potty chair, go and make another special shopping trip to get one.

6. Talk…talk…talk about how excited you are about the big day!

 

 

How to Potty Train in One Day

 

Part One

Approach the day in a spirit of Love and Prayer!

Face the day with excitement!

The child will not wear any underwear or diapers today.  If you have a girl, use a dress and for a boy just a shirt.  Yep…no underwear!

Place the child’s potty chair a safe distance from the T.V. and center it in front of the screen.

You will be with your child the whole day…don’t try to fit in anything else.

Bring a big bowl of candy out so they can see it and start filling them up with lots and lots of water and juice!

 

*Because my kids did not watch much television getting to watch DVD’s for most of the day was incredibly fun!

 

Part Two

Your goal is to have the child pee and poo into the potty chair as quickly as possible.  Some children may have already used the chair, some have not.  For my kids, this was usually their first try and they were often scared to do it.  That’s why I use the DVD’s so the child will urinate unconsciously the first time and experientially know that it is not scary.

 

Every time the child pee’s or poops they get candy and more juice!  Lots and lots of hugs and kisses too!

Celebrate their success!

Practice…Practice…Practice!

Reward them every single time they have success.

By the end of the day, they have it!

 

The Next Day…

Keep talking, keep giving candy and juice, and set a timer for every half hour to have the child try to pee or poop in their potty chair.  Keep celebrating their success! I find it most helpful to stay home during these first few days to ensure continued success.  Continue with this schedule for as long as needed, gradually lengthening the time between the potty chair.

 

 

TROUBLESHOOTING

1. What if my child won’t sit in front of the T.V. watching the DVDs?

Move the potty chair where ever your child would like to play?  He or she can play with playdough, blocks, or paint at the kitchen table and sit on the potty chair at the same time.

2. What if my child will not pee in the potty after several hours?

This happened to me with my first daughter who is autistic.  She had an iron bladder!!  She did not go in that potty until 7 pm!!  She was scared…in the end, she went and was so happy!  Just wait it out, now if they are in pain and you sense this is not going to work, please ALWAYS keep your child’s well-being in the forefront of your mind and all your decisions. Abandon the ship and try another day!

3. What do you do at nap time?

I used underwear with rubber pants over them with my older children (yes, they did not have pull-ups then!)  With the younger ones I used pull-ups.

4.  How do you handle accidents?

Accidents will always happen, I remember one in particular that happened in an aisle at JoAnn Fabrics!  Always, carry extra underwear and wipes.  Stay home as much as possible.  DO NOT USE PULL-UPS during the day.  Encourage them.  Also, with some children, in the early days after D-Day, I would let them go without underwear so they would not get the feeling they were still wearing a diaper.

 

The Last Word is…

Keep it loving, simple, and happy!

 

Are you interested in more parenting tips?  CLICK HERE!

 

YOUR TURN…

What potty training tips do you have?

 

Blessings,

 

 

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