After your child has learned to potty train throughout the course of the day, you’ll want to start working to potty train your toddler at night.

Often, this can be a more challenging process than learning to potty train during the day as your child may not yet have enough bladder control to make it through the night yet. It is completely natural for this process to take some time. Often, working at nighttime potty training can lead to potty training regression. If this happens, please be patient.

Additionally, please be sure your child is quite comfortable with going to the potty during the day. If he or she hasn’t successfully learned to potty train throughout their day, they will most likely not make it through the night.

Listed below are a few some helpful hints to follow once you begin to potty train at night:

1. Be certain that your child goes to the potty right before they climb in bed.

2. To reduce the chances of an accident during the night, limit the amount of water, milk, or juice your toddler drinks for one to two hours before bedtime.

3. Leave the door cracked, a night light on, and put your child’s potty seat in the closest bathroom so that he or she can access it during the night. This likely won’t happen for some time, but with practice your child will get out of bed and use the potty when they need to.

4. In the early stages, you may want to consider getting your child out of bed once during the night to go to the bathroom. This can make the process of learning to potty train at night go more quickly.

5. Make use of pull-ups. By putting your child in pull-ups at night, they’ll have the protection of a diaper, but have the ability to go to the bathroom on their own once they are comfortable getting in and out of bed on their own.

6. Always provide your child with loads of encouragement. This goes for all steps of teaching your child to potty train, but be sure to offer your child heaps of encouragement and rewards. Make a big deal of small successes!

Above all else, nighttime potty training requires patience. By following the tips listed above, you will start to see progress. Every child learns to potty train at their own pace, so always remember to allow the process to unfold naturally without pressure or stress.

We’ve received quite a few emails here at Mommy Potty Training over the last few weeks from parents who are trying to find a Toy Story Potty Chart to help potty train their toddler. A while back Huggies offered a set of Pull-Ups which came in a box that included a “Toy Story Potty Chart” which could track your toddler’s progress in a fun way. Unfortunately, these are becoming pretty hard to find. I did locate a vendor on eBay which offers a personalized Toy Story Potty Chart for about $4.00 plus shipping.

An even easier and more fun activity, however, might be to actually make one of these for your toddler on your computer using a word processing application, publishing program, or Photoshop if you have access.  We can’t offer images to use in your project due to copyright issues, however, here’s what you need to do:

Making a Toy Story Potty Chart

1. Create a new 8 ½ x 11 inch document

2. Fill in a fun background color (blue seems to work well with all of the Toy Story characters)

3. Create a table in the lower half of the document with 7 columns (one for each day of the week) and 4 to 6 rows (depending on how many times per day your toddler “goes”)

4. At the top of the table, place a title which includes your child’s name (such as “Cole’s Potty Chart”)

5. At the top of each column, label the days of the week

6. Go to an image site such as Google Images or Flickr and find images of your child’s favorite characters, either from Toy Story or another theme

7. Right-click and save the images to your computer, then place them in the top half of the document. If you really want to have some fun, you can use “bubble quotes” and place words of encouragement in them straight from the mouths of Woody or Buzz!

8. Next, I would recommend saving the document and sending it to a printer to produce a full-color print. You’ll also want to have it laminated so that you can easily remove stickers and start over. FedEx Office, Office Max, Staples, and many other stores will allow you to log right into their website, upload the document, select your options, check out, and then pick up at your convenience.

9. Purchase similar themed stickers in your local department store’s toy department, making sure they’re small enough to fit in your “potty boxes” (about ½ x ½ inches).

10. Hang the chart by the potty and have some fun!

When teaching your toddler to potty train, these reward charts can be an incredibly fun way of getting your child excited about this big step. While the Toy Story Potty Chart may be hard to find, you can have a lot of fun using your creativity to design one specifically for your child!

We often repeat this message here at Mommy Potty Training, but it’s a point that’s always worth repeating and in this article we’re going to explore it in more detail: the less stress that your child (and you as a parent) experiences when they learn to potty train, the more successful he or she will be. When you potty train your child, there are a few simple keys to keeping the process lighthearted and educational that will help ensure that the process is as rewarding as possible for your toddler.

Don’t Rush Your Toddler

This is perhaps the most important key to keeping the stress level at a minimum and it’s a simple one to follow: don’t start to potty train before your child is ready. If you’re child lacks the necessary physical and cognitive skills to potty train with consistency, it’s going to be a long, painful process. There are no parenting awards for having a potty trained one-year old. If your child is capable prior to two years of age, go for it. Otherwise, let the right time come along.

Pile on the Praise

This is probably the most fun part of potty training toddlers for both the child and the parent. Lavish the praise on your toddler when he or she accomplishes any little step in the process. If you make a big deal of small successes and perhaps employ a few treats of choice along the way, you’ll make the process of learning to potty train much more fun for your little one.

Get Everyone on the Same Page

When your toddler begins to potty train, mixed signals from mom, dad, aunts, uncles, and other caretakers can be very confusing.  When potty training toddlers, it’s crucial to make sure that everyone who will spend a significant amount of time with your child throughout the day communicates the same messages regarding the process of potty training, positive words of encouragement, and what’s expected of your child.

Add Potty Books Into the Mix

Potty training books are a time-tested way of illustrating to your little one that this very private and strange activity that you’re working on is something that absolutely everyone in the world experiences. Show them they’re not alone by choosing a couple of potty training books that they can look at while using their potty.

Maintain Appropriate Expectation

Above all else, be sure not to expect the world in a day when you potty train your toddler. Be realistic. This is a lifelong skill that takes time to learn. Be patient and help your child through each step in the process without demanding anything of them.

Teaching your child to potty train isn’t always easy and can often be frustrating, but if you follow these simple tips you’ll find the process much more rewarding for both you and your child.

Many parents are now aware of the general recommendation by the American Academy of Pediatrics to wait until the age of 24 months before you begin to potty train your child.  We’ve mentioned many times before on this site that potty training toddlers is far from an exact science, and while this guideline is appropriate for most children, you might be asking yourself if you need to wait until age two to potty train.

It’s helpful here to discuss some of the considerations which the AAP may have taken into account when introducing this recommendation so that you can make your own decision on when to potty train when the timing is right.

According to the AAP, beginning to potty train prior to age two (and even 18 months) is likely to have no long-term consequences for your toddler.  However, they do recommend setting very realistic goals and expectations if you choose to potty train your toddler at such an early age. As you may be aware, in past decades and in some world culture today, potty training begins in infancy. Many cultures, even in European countries, begin to potty train at around one year of age.

However, the primary consideration you should keep in mind is that in the majority of cases, the longer you wait to potty train your toddler, the less time it will take and the more effective and successful the process will be.  There are a few reasons behind this.

Primarily, you child needs to be physically capable of the demands associated with potty training toddlers.  This includes being able to cognitively recognize the physical sensations which make them aware of a need to go to the bathroom.

Secondly, emotional readiness is a factor in the process.  Is your child interested in potty training? Can they give you verbal feedback on when they need to go the potty?  Will they be interested in the process and rewards of learning to potty train?

Lastly, potty training toddlers tends to be more successful when your child can control the process themselves. When learning to potty train, if your child is able to participate in the process by going to the potty on their own, pull up and down his or her trousers, and control their bladder and bowel movements they will tend to progress much more rapidly and many pitfalls can be eliminated.

By understanding the physical and emotional factors associated with potty training readiness, you and your child can make the experience of learning to potty train relatively painless and maybe even fun!

One of the most common questions that parents ask prior to potty training toddlers is “How long will it take to potty train my child?”  As with many issues surrounding the process of teaching your child to potty train, there is no one answer to this question.  There are so many variables involved and every toddler will respond to the process of potty training differently.

Many pediatricians and parenting professionals claim to have methods to potty train which ensure a successful experience within one to three days, while some children may not consistently go to the potty on their own for three to six months.  While there are a few things you can do to prepare your toddler to successfully potty train, be patient and understand that this is a dynamic process which requires some flexibility and openness from you as a parent and for your child as well.

Additionally, your child may learn to potty train during the day in a relatively short amount of time, but not learn to go at night for months after that.  Again, this is part of the experience and you need to be sensitive to your child’s specific needs and progression.

In my experience, the major determining factors in the amount of time it takes to initially potty train toddlers are the process and environment that you adopt at the first stage of potty training.  For one of my children, we locked ourselves in the house for a three day weekend with no other plans and nothing but a potty chair, lollipops, and a dozen pairs of Dora the Explorer underpants.  We totally committed to it for the entire period, took her to the potty every 30 minutes all weekend long, and she was almost completely potty trained by the end of the third day.  If you’re interested in this rapid method of potty training, there are several courses available for a minor investment, including the system that we advertise at the top of this page by Dr. Wayne Jensen.

For our second child, we let the process unfold much more slowly.  We began to potty train on a Monday when he was going to day care and let the environment at school in which he saw many of his friends “going potty” do a lot of the teaching for us.  This method of teaching him to potty train was equally as successful, but it took about two weeks to actually see any consistency in him using the potty on his own.

Some children may take a few months to potty train and this often includes several periods of potty training regression in which the child will experience “accidents” and very often refuse to go to the potty on his or her own.  This is perfectly natural and you need to have patience with your child during these setbacks.

Remember, once you choose the process that you plan to use to potty train your toddler, have patience and stick with it.  By working with your child to find the best method that works for them, you’ll successfully teach your child to potty train regardless of how long it takes.

When it comes to setting out on the path to potty train, you and your toddler need to ensure that you’re setting yourselves up for success.  Deciding it’s time to start to potty train is a big step and you need to realize that you’re investing this time in helping your toddler learn a very critical life skill, not just something to check off the list of parenting “been there, done that” experiences.  That being said, there are a few tools and products that you may want to employ during the process to potty train your toddler with success.

Potty Chair

This is perhaps the most important item the list when it’s time to potty train.  You can find small potty chairs in a variety of sizes, shapes, and colors.  Take your toddler to the store with you to pick one out if you’re planning to purchase one locally or show him pictures of the different potty chairs if you’re ordering online.  It will be rewarding for your child to feel like he’s helping to direct the process.

These chairs typically are placed on the floor so that your child can have easy access to them while they’re learning to potty train.  Place the chair in a private place, but in an area in which you’ll be spending a lot of time during the potty training process.

I recommend starting with a potty chair over a toilet trainer (which sits on top of your existing toilet lid).  It’s a little too daunting to start out with the “big potty”. Our family used the BabyBjorn Potty Chair and both of our children did really well with it. We have a girl and a boy, so we chose a neutral color: green. It has received great reviews on Amazon and is currently available for $23.49 and qualifies for free shipping.

Pull-Ups

As your child transitions from diapers to underpants, you’ll probably want to introduce them to pull-ups.  This will keep them from having messy accidents (trust me, you’ll have plenty) while at the same time letting them have the opportunity to try helping themselves to the potty chairs when they need to.  If you choose to potty train your toddler while keeping them in diapers, you’re going to be stuck helping them get a diaper off each and every time which is cumbersome for you and takes away from their independence. We used the Huggies Training Pants in a 2T-3T size, which worked well.

Rewards

These can be any that you choose to make the experience of learning to potty train fun for your child.  There are many philosophies regarding the use of rewards with regards to behavioral training, but with potty training toddlers it is really an effective approach.  Many parents use lollipops, candy, fruit, or other sweets.  Just stick with something that you’re comfortable giving your child that they can get excited about.  Give them a reward each and every time they sit on the potty chair at first and then gradually begin to reserve them for instances in which they actually “go”.  You can phase them out after a few days of success. If you plan to use rewards, it’s a good idea to combine them with a potty training chart such as the Kenson Kids Reward and Responsibility System. This will provide your toddler with a visual guide that indicates what they have done to successfully work toward receiving a reward.

There are many others products out there than can assist you with your special situation.  Do some homework and you’ll find that when you decide it’s time to potty train, there are many resources to help you and your child succeed!

Husky questions?

1. should i get a alaskan malamute or siberian husky?
2. i hear they arent good with other pets. we have a rabbit and hamster. we dont expect the dog to play with them, but to perhaps ignore them? we will socialise the pup
3. tips on toilet training?
4. boy or girl?
5. what are their down side and up side?
6. how can i tell a good breeder from a bad breeder?
7. i hear they love a good howl; how can i quieten them down?
8. pulling; they were bred to pull and other than teaching to walk sensibly on lead when puppies, anything else we can do so we cant be seen being dragged by a adult husky at the park?
9. names? for boys we have:
shadow
wolfy
rebel

I hope you are not talking about either breed as a “starter” dog. You need to be an experienced owner with both.

1: Do A LOT of research PRIOR to making a decision.

2: The hamster will be an appetizer and the rabbit will be dinner with the Sibe no questions asked.

3: Potty training is the same as any other breed. Sibes are extremely intelligent though and may pick up on it quicker.

4: Not much difference there. Temperament is the same for the most part in Sibes.

5: See below!

6: A good breeder either shows his dogs or uses them in there dog’s job category. He also will require a contract usually. They care about the breed AND their puppies even after you buy one. A BYB or puppy mill cares only about how much money he will get for a puppy.

7: It is in the breed and it is unlikely that you will be able to train it out of the dog. We have a couple who don’t make any sound at all and several who love to “talk” to you.

8: Training is pretty much it. Some of ours do the leash thing pretty good, others not as good, and the last one not at all good. Do not use a harness though unless you want to be dragged!

9: Our boys are: Bandit, Jake, Nanook, Demon

Our girls are: Sheba, Queen, Missy, Alexis (Lexie), Princess, Zoe, Tasha, Molly, Rustie (if a copper), Abby, Ashley

10: They do require a lot or exercise. Either a couple of 2 to 3 mile hikes at least 2 times a day, or a secure yard to play in. A second husky comes in handy as a playmate. But the yard HAS to be secure! Huskies can get out of almost anything. And NEVER ever take one out off leash. Ours have about 4 acres inside an invisible fence to play in. This type of fence works great for Huskies.

11: We have only had one with this problem. We tried the drugs, pheromones etc. with her. they didn’t help much at all. She has calmed down a lot over time since she had her eye surgery for juvenile cataracts.

·Ask yourself, why do you want a Husky? It doesn’t sound as if you have done enough homework on the breed.

Huskies are a special breed that most definitely is not for everyone. Yes, they are beautiful. Everybody loves them. And they have many good points as well as bad.

Some of he good points:

1. They love all people of all ages.

2. They love company.

3. They are extremely intelligent.

4. They are easygoing and forgiving.

5. They are clean with little or no “doggy” smell. Some people who are allergic to other breeds can live with Huskies.

6. They are generally quiet. They rarely bark except in playing, but will “talk”
or howl like their wolf ancestors for no reason.

7. They don’t require a lot of food. (get good fuel mileage)

8. They are honest. Their body language and voice can be
taken at face value

9. They are not fussy eaters and will eat pretty much anything that doesn’t eat them first. But they do require a proper diet. (see # 6 below)

10. They usually get along with other well adjusted canines
but they will take up a challenge if offered.

Some of the bad points:

1. They love people …. any people. This is sometimes
seen as a lack of loyalty.

2. They are not guard dogs in any sense of the word although they may come to your defense.

3. They have a STRONG desire to run. This was bred into them. It cannot be
trained out of them. They must be kept in a secure
area. They are escape artists like a hairy Houdini.

4. They are extremely intelligent and mischievous. You
have to be smarter than they are to stay ahead of
them. Don’t laugh. It’s true, they are smarter than
most people.

5. They are too independent and strong willed to make
it through obedience training. (see # 4 above). They will know and understand the command but if they don’t see the point in carrying it out they won’t.

6. They are very keen and efficient hunter / killers.

7. They must be kept occupied. A bored Husky is a
destructive Husky. (see # 10 on below)

8. They shed. A LOT! Year round. Then twice a year or more they “blow” their coats. This takes shedding to a whole new level.

9. They dig …. A LOT! You could rent your yard
to NASA to train astronauts on.

10. They need company, either human or canine and will
be miserable without it. Though they can survive
outdoors they really need to be inside with their
“pack”……. YOU!

11. They can live 12 to 14 years. Maybe longer. This is
not a bad thing. But can YOU live with a 2 year
old that long? That’s what it’s like with a Husky
in your life.

Again DO YOUR HOMEWORK! Know what you are getting yourself into. If you can’t handle the challenge unfortunately it will be the Husky that pays the price.

If you do decide that you can handle the challenge, go through a rescue group. DON’T go to a pet shop or a back yard breeder

Help! I need toilet training tips! How is it done quickly?

I have a toddler and I’m a working Mom. I need tips and tricks for quick effective potty training!

when my duaghter was potty training i just had to take away the diapers. she had to pee in her pants a few times to understand that it isnt comfortable and using the potty is good. when i tried using the pull ups she just wouldnt even try to use the potty. it was quick and very effective. she did occasionally have accidents but now she is a potty pro!

Martin Solveig & Dragonette – Hello 3FM Serious Request 2010 HD