How to Potty Train Your Child Before Age Two

My daughter was potty trained by 20 months. The best way to make your child comfortable with the potty is to reward him/her for making in the potty and to purchase one when he/she learns to sit. Even if it is hardly used, it will become familiar for the child once he/she is ready.

When my daughter learned to sit up at six months, I bought her a potty. I put her on the potty for ten minutes after feedings daily if we were home together. When she made, I showed it to her, told her what it was, and congratulated her. Many times she would not make at all. I diapered her throughout the day and when we left the house.

She started crawling at nine months and did not want to sit on the potty anymore. She wanted to crawl all day. She started walking at 14 months and became very wild. I left her alone for a few months.

She became less hyper at 18 months. I tried again. I stayed at home for three days. I let her walk around the house diaper free. When she peed on the floor, I said, "Look, you peed here. It's okay, we'll clean it up." Then I took her to the potty and told her to make there.

I diapered her only while she slept. When she woke up I took her pamper off. On the fourth morning she told me had to go, and she did. I smiled and said, "Good girl! Pee pee in the potty? Now you get a prize!" Prizes were cheerios or grapes, her favorite treats. Rewarding her for making in the potty reinforced the positive behavior encouraged her to do it again, helping her feel at ease with the potty.

Over the next few weeks, I watched her diligently. If she made one sprinkle on the floor, I exclaimed, "Let's go in the potty so you can get a prize!" She held the rest in and finished in the potty. When she stood still and made a pushing face, I knew she had to make number two. I told her to wait and go in the potty. She complied.

She made progress each week throughout the first month of training. By the fourth week she stopped having accidents. I bought her training pants and a toilet seat that fits onto big toilets for outings. Before leaving the house and before heading home again, I sat her on the potty to see if she had to go.

In the second month, she started having accidents again. I never made a big deal about it. As time went on the accidents completely went away. After another month of diapering her while she slept, I stopped because she always woke up with dry diapers and told me upon awaking that she had to go.

Do not revert back to pampers just because of a few accidents. If you give up, they will too. If children have accidents after weeks of not having any, they're just testing you to see how you will react, or are distracted. Once proven that they can make in the potty, you should not go back.

There are two things to keep in mind about this training technique. First, for boys, the father, or another older male, must take the child to the bathroom with him. Second, you must commence this method in the summer. Accidents are inevitable. Children wear less clothing in the summer. When an accident occurs, fewer layers get soiled. In the winter, especially in cold climates, pulling over on the side of the road because they have to go is impossible. Leaving children diaper free in the house is also not feasible because the house is colder.