Cost-Effective and Easy Tips for Potty Training Girls

As the mother of four girls I learned and became really experienced with potty training. However, I cannot take all of the credit for this having my mother around definitely helped me. I have 2 sisters and one brother so she had already gained her experience many years earlier. The fact that my mother was born and raised in Puerto Rico and as a young child her mom did not have much as far as any resources to help in potty training so they learned the old- fashion way of "just doing."

Today there are probably more than fifty gadgets out there to help and assist in potty training. I will tell you that none of it is needed. I look now at what is available and the cost of these items and I wonder how can any child learn to use the potty with so many bright colors and toys attached and fancy designs. When my mom helped me with potty training of my first girls she was just straight to the point.

Mom just took the diaper off and placed the girls in "panties." That was it, nothing more to it. She would tell me to observe them and if they had anything to drink or eat then place them on the toilet seat. I did just that. She also told me that whenever I went to the bathroom have them go in with me and observe. Then tell them it was their turn. As with most anything the best way to teach children is through a model behavior. They visually see you using the potty, then they try it and with consistently doing this eventually they will learn how to use the potty on their own.

Accidents were bound to happen. But mom never made a big deal of it. Immediately we changed them into clean underwear and we started all over. And within a couple of weeks they were potty trained. There was no need for pull ups, although I did use these when I was out in public places as a precaution and back-up.

Eventually with each of my girls the process only became easier because I used the other one as a visual aid in training. And potty time became a family event. We would sit around the toilet seat and take turns and the only thing that I invested in was a soft cushion sized toilet seat, so of course their small "little butts" would not slip through.

Using this method was very cost-effective, and I did not invest a lot of time in doing it. All of my girls were potty trained by the age of two. And I am really grateful that mom was there to help me through this because if not I am certain that I would have spent a lot more money and time reading and buying unnecessary gadgets.

Potty training does take patience, but I know first hand that if it is not made into such a big deal and without a lot of fuss any little girl will master this quickly. Just as they learn to put on lipstick because they see mom do it they will learn to use the toilet just like mom does it. Good Luck!