Welcome to Toddlers Made Easy. I'm Dr. Catherine, your host. I'm a pediatrician with more than 35 years' experience, mom of four amazing adult kids, and then their smudge, our great big golden doodle. And today we're going to talk about potty training. I want to share some tips with you today that make potty training so much easier. Potty training is a significant milestone in your toddler's development, but it doesn't have to be a hugely stressful one. Using a no pressure approach, you can make this transition smoother for both you and your child. So let's start with some simple and effective tips to help you navigate potty training with ease. The first one is let's talk about how to embrace a no-pressure approach. Well, the biggest factor in relaxed potty training is focusing on encouraging your child without pressuring them. Why is this important? Well, your child is going to experience potty training as their own accomplishment, not something they do to make you happy or avoid making you angry when they're not pressured to do so. We want to trigger your child's inner motivation to learn something new. Imagine for a moment helping your child learn to ride a bicycle without training wheels. Well, instead of pressuring your child to get it together or offering rewards for every successful turn of the pedal, you instead provide opportunity for your child to practice and learn. And as your child practices, he starts to develop a sense of balance and a sense of pride with his or her accomplishments. The lack of pressure lets them enjoy the process and appreciate their own accomplishments. You approach this as a team. Your child feels an inner motivation to succeed when there's no outer pressure distracting this natural drive. Well, similarly in potty training with a no-pressure approach, a child experiences self-accomplishment by focusing on their progress. Each time your child's successful using the potty, it brings them a sense of genuine pride. It fosters their confidence and independence, just like learning to ride a bicycle with gentle encouragement. So one thing parents often don't get is that even something as subtle as offering a reward for success, like Skittles, well, this can create unnecessary stress. Instead, you just want to focus on your child's sense of self-accomplishment. So let's talk a little bit about how to do this. So we're going to start with how to talk about potty training without putting a subtle pressure on your kiddo. So I would say something like, oh, sweetheart, this is where little kids pee and poop. Tell me when you want to give it a try. You're showing them the potty for the first time. Or you'd say something like, Want to know something cool? Soon you're going to start using the potty to pee and poop. Let's switch now to another important point, and that is to view accidents as lessons. Accidents are a natural part of potty training. Of course, there's something you may want to avoid, but realistically, most kids will have some accidents. So instead of seeing them as setbacks, view them as learning opportunities. When an accident happens, try to stay calm and say something like, oh, you're wet. That must feel pretty yucky. Let's go get you some dry clothes. This helps your child understand the process without feeling ashamed or discouraged. So you could say something like, oops, you didn't make it to the potty. No biggie. I bet the next time you can make it to the potty. I would suggest that when you start potty training for day one, you start with the bare bottom. Now, this isn't crucial, but it is something you should consider. So a great way to kick off potty training is by having a bare bottom day. So you allow your child to go without pants or diapers on the first day. This helps them become more aware of their bodily signals and the need to use the potty. It also makes it easier for you to notice when they need to go. You want to introduce the idea of potty training by saying, Wanna know something cool? Soon you're going to use the potty to pee and poop. Or you'd say, Oh, this is a potty, you'll be ready to use it soon. Or on day one, you could say, When your body tells you it needs to pee or poop, go to the bathroom and sit on the potty. That's where you let your pee and poop out. The pee and poop will go into the potty. Then you get up and wash your hands. Now, a little heads up here, I would cover your carpets with towels or roll them up, just think about accidents happening and take whatever steps you can to protect your carpets and floors and also your sanity. Before you begin potty training, I would choose the right time. Timing is crucial. Start on a weekend or when you have a few days off to dedicate your focus to the process. Staying home and focusing on training for a few days can create a more relaxed environment, and it also gives your child the chance to practice and get comfortable with using the potty without distractions of daily routines and rushing to pick up siblings or other outings. It also says, we're making a change without saying a word. Now, this isn't boot camp, but it's a low pressure way to focus on one thing. Again, it's not crucial you start this way, it's just something to consider. Now, also consider your schedule and to-do lists when you're starting and aim for a time when you don't already feel behind. I'd also consider preparing some food ahead of time to make sure this is more of a stress-free venture. Now, no pressure really means no pressure, and by adopting a no-pressure approach and focusing on creating a supportive environment, you can make potty training a relaxed experience for both you and your toddler. When a child feels pressure to use the potty, many of these little independent seekers will rebel and refuse to pee or poop on the potty. The root of so many potty training struggles and problems are caused by a child feeling pushed. No pressure means being on the same team as your child, just like when you taught them how to ride a bike. You worked together. How you manage the successes and accidents should also be no pressure. Yes, how we respond to successes can actually feel like pressure. So instead of jumping up and down with excitement or giving your child a reward every time he or she poops or pees in the potty, play it cool and say, oh nice, you had that feeling and you went pee on the potty. Or you could say something like, you did a great job listening to your body. I have a lot of free resources to help you potty train without tears. I use these methods with all four of my kids, and potty training was really easy. So easy I can't really recall ever potty training my kids. My kids just glided through the process. Now, I don't like to make things sound easier than they are, but truly potty training was a breeze. I also have an entire course on this approach called Potty Training Made Easy, and you can find a link to the course and to the freebies in the show notes. Now, before we go, let's just review some of the takeaways. A no pressure approach will allow potty training to be experienced as your child's accomplishment. It empowers your child who will beam with pride when they say goodbye to diapers, and your child will be less likely to refuse to pee or poop on the potty with a play it cool attitude. Okay, enough potty talk. Oh yes, before we go, last week I told you there'd be some crazy awesome news, and this is for the Montpreneur who wants to grow a wildly successful online business and still feel like the best parent in the world. Well, I'm now helping parents grow on Instagram over at at InstaPeriod4Periodmontpreneurs. I'm really thrilled to be able to not only help you with your kids, but also to help you grow a wildly successful online business. I organically grew to 1.2 million followers, and if I can do it, so can you. I'll put the link to my new page on Instagram in the show notes. Have a great week and happy parenting.