It’s the Holiday season…time to potty train!
While potty training might be the LAST thing on your mind this time of year, using the holidays to get your tot pumped about potty training may be the best move you’ve made all year!
Here are several ideas on how to take advantage of the holiday season to introduce potty training to your kiddo:
Use Advent Calendars
Advent calendars aren’t just for counting down the days until Christmas. They can also be a great reward system to get your little one excited about using the potty! Advent calendars are fairly inexpensive, and they have 24 little chocolates hidden behind a closed door! What’s more exciting for toddlers??
Positive consequences are very important in potty training, so explain to your tot how they’ll get a piece of candy from the calendar every time they make a good potty choice. This can be as simple as sitting on the potty (some kids are frightened by the thought!) or as big as actually going in the toilet. Be sure to reward them for each of their wins!
Small Gifts Before Christmas
The holiday season is all about gift giving, so take advantage and use this time of year to give your tot small gifts all related to potty training.
Potty training books that introduce the topic in a way toddlers can understand are a great gift to give your child before Christmas! Some of our family’s favorites are Everyone Poops by Taro Gomi, Big Girl Panties by Fran Manushkin, and Big Boy Underpants by Fran Manushkin. You may even be able to find a book about potty training that includes their favorite character! Once your child has the book, read it to them before naps or bedtime so they get familiar with the story and the process of using the potty.
Another small gift you can give your tot is underwear. Getting some panties with their favorite characters on them could be the best thing that ever happened to them! You can even let them pick out their favorite pairs online to make sure they love their underwear before they have it. Think about how excited they’ll be when their package arrives especially for them!
Give the Gift of Potty
You can take it one step further and give them their very own potty for Christmas like the Contours Bravo 3-in-1 potty! The features of this training potty will assist both parents and tots with the potty training experience. There’s a removable waste cup for easy cleanup, which is a must-have for how often you’ll be emptying out the potty! The potty also has a slip-resistant grip to keep your child steady when seated. Plus, there’s a soft splash guard large enough for boys but easy to fold away for girls.
Once your child has mastered going on their potty, you can remove the potty seat to fit on the toilets in your house. Your tot will already be comfortable with the feel of the seat, so it should be an easy transition to the actual toilet.
Have Them Pick Their Prize
If your tot is still pretty hesitant about potty training, you may want to up the incentive a bit! Picking out a bigger toy or activity could be just the thing to get your toddler excited about potty training. Make it a big event by going to the toy store together to pick out their prize!
Once you know what toy or activity will motivate them, you could have them include it in their letter to Santa! Let them know that Santa is watching them and will know whether they’ve been using the potty or not. If they’ve been doing a great job potty training, getting the prize they picked out will be so satisfying on Christmas morning!
If they haven’t been doing so great with potty training, you can still give them their prize, but let them know that Santa said they can’t open it until they are potty trained. You can even place it somewhere they’ll see every day to remind them of their goal. Trust your instinct to know what will motivate your toddler the best!
Make a New Year’s Resolution List
Every year adults make New Year’s Resolutions, so why not include your toddler! Sit them down and talk about goals in a way they can understand. Get a fancy piece of paper and write down “Potty Train” as the first goal. Ask them about other things they’d like to work on the next year. They may surprise you with their insight!
You could even have them sign their name so they know that their goal is official! Hang up their resolutions in their room or the bathroom. This reminds them of their goals to keep it fresh in their minds.
Conclusion
If your toddler still isn’t ready to potty train after you’ve tried all of these suggestions, don’t worry! Each child is different and will be ready at different times. If you have the essentials ready, you’ll be ready to go when the time is right!
Happy Holidays and happy potty training!
