In my experience, there are two things that can make potty training process much quicker and easier.

First and most importantly, finding a straightforward and effective approach to potty training that’s best for you and your child.

Second, using incentives that actually work.

1.     Finding a suitable potty training method that works for you and your child

The Calm Potty Training Method is a must read for any parent that anticipates potty training their child!

I have to admit that I didn’t know about it when I potty trained my first child, but I certainly plan on using it the second time around! I like that it’s a gentle, yet effective, child-led approach to potty training – and, you don’t have to drop everything else in your life for a few days just to potty train (because that’s not very realistic when you have more than one child to care for).

When I potty trained my first, I used Lora Jensen’s 3 Day Potty Training method, based on a recommendation from a friend. In my experience and based the experiences of friends (and friends of friends) that have used this method, it works well.

2.     Using incentives (the importance of rewards that work, and your enthusiasm)

The one thing I know for sure when I start the potty training process with my second child is that I will use Disney figurines as an incentive – and in the spirit of reusing and recycling – I will use the exact same toys that I used as a reward when I potty trained my first!

I tried using stickers with my oldest daughter the first day I began potty training her, but they didn’t really appeal to her (maybe because we play with stickers a lot). Luckily, I had purchased a bunch of figurines from the Disney store for a reasonable price the previous year on Boxing Day, so I threw them into a toy bag and let her choose one as a reward each time she successfully went to the washroom on the potty. Although my daughter enjoyed the prizes, she also liked my over-exaggerated enthusiasm when I told her that I was proud of her for using the big girl potty. This made it easy to transition away from rewarding her with a gift each time (after about five days). More importantly, it helped give her the confidence to use the potty on her own!

Please share the potty training techniques you found to be most effective.