Potty training tips for boys and girls that get the job done in a week (or less!).

1. How to Potty Train in a Week
Potty training tips for boys and girls that
get the job done in a week (or less!).

2. Potty Train in Sessions
You’ll want to train your child
in the morning and afternoon
for a few hours at home. Let
him eat, drink and play as
normal, but every 15 minutes
put him on the potty. At the
end of a session, revert back
to a diaper or pull-up and go
on with your day. When you
get home, have another
session. On the third day, go
for an all-day session.
If you leave the house, have a spare potty in the car or visit places
you’re sure have public restrooms.

3. Try Naked Time
Let your child peruse your
home…naked, or in just a t-shirt.
Because he’s not wearing a diaper
or underwear he’ll have no place
to put his pee or poop; he needs
to put it somewhere—in the toilet
would be a good idea! When he
does put it in the potty, make sure
you both have a look (yuck, I
know, but the visual is important.)
Make flushing a huge deal by pointing at the swirling water and acknowledging
the cool whooshing sound.

4. Give a Reward (and Get Creative!)
Stickers, stamps on the hand, or a single
M&M are all good potty prizes. Kick it up a
notch by taking your child to the dollar
store so he can pick out a super-special
potty prize for a training milestone like the
first full day in undies or staying dry
overnight. Food prizes like a pizza party
for dinner or ice cream sundae bar for
dessert (set out sprinkles, gummy bears,
and cherries in bowls, and let your child
create his own sundae) are also great
ideas.
If you don’t want to spend money, look around your house for an art project
you can do together and display it so he can show off his “potty prize.”

5. Be a Cheerleader
When your child does the deed, be sure to
cheer, clap, smile and hug (celebratory
dance parties are huge in our house!)
Also, let him make a few phone calls to
Grandma or an uncle/aunt so he can brag
about his major triumph. The more
people who make a big deal about this,
the better! When Grandma comes to visit,
maybe she’ll have a new coloring book on
hand—hint, hint!

6. Be Proactive at School
Be sure to alert your child’s teacher to the
fact that you are actively potty-training at
home. Teachers are busy with lots of kids,
not just yours, so if your child needs a
reminder to go, be sure to share this with
the teacher. Make going potty at school
less scary by exploring the facilities with
your child. Try drop-off a little earlier so
you can accompany your child into the
bathroom and watch as he does his
business. If you reward with stickers at
home, bring some in for the teacher—
she’ll gladly give them out to your potty
pro.

7. Show Him How it’s Done
For single moms, teaching a little
boy how to stand and pee can be
an obvious challenge. Sure, you
can pop him on a stool and tell
him to go for it, but trust me, a
visual is much better. Have a male
role model like Grandpa, a
godfather or uncle show your son
exactly what to do. Make it more
fun by giving him things to aim at
like bright Fruit Loops or Tinkle
Targets. In no time, your son will
be standing and peeing on his
own (phew, since public facilities
are so germy).

8. Take It on the Road
Potette—it’s a portable
potty your child can use in
the car or discreetly at the
park. Potty Toppers come
in handy when he needs to
use a public restroom.
Wipes and spare clothes
are also important to store
in the car and in your
child’s cubby at school.
Buy a few cheapie pairs of
pants so you always have a
clean set when you need
them.

9. Limit Bedtime Drinks
Lay off milk and juice at least an hour
before bedtime to help your child stay
dry at night. That might mean you
serve a later dinner so your child’s full
and doesn’t need more food and
drinks right before bed. Remember,
nighttime training often comes later
than daytime training; you might want
to focus on one at a time so you don’t
overwhelm your kiddo. It’s fine for him
to start off sleeping and napping in a
pull-up. He’ll likely wake up dry if you
reel in the drinks, and soon he’ll be
ready to hit the sack in underwear.

10. Read Potty-themed Books