One thing every parent goes through with their children: potty training. No surprise there – this is something all kids go through. The most important thing is to get your little ones comfortable with this transition. It’s unfamiliar terrain to them, so the biggest hurdle is putting them at ease. My secret?

Cheerios!

As you can imagine, making it a game is a great way to make them feel more comfortable and at ease. When I was training Aden, I would tell him it’s time to play a game called Shoot the Cheerios. It’s not necessarily the type of game that matters, but that they feel relaxed and open to learning what you have to teach them.

Naturally we had to incorporate the Cheerios into our beachy home décor.

Positive reinforcement is also really important. It’s what tells children they’re on the right track, and they’ll feel accomplished with their achievements. That’s why I love little art prints like this throughout our house.

Quick Potty Training Tips

• Make this a laidback, fun experience – it doesn’t have to be serious!
• This time in their lives is full of information overload, the simpler, the better
• Some parents reinforce success by cheering them on, adding stickers or marks on a chart, or giving a special prize/treat – but no matter what, the important thing is that they know when they’re doing it right.
• Encourage them when they have a setback – accidents happen after all
• Be prepared for a relapse – this can happen and usually it’s a result of other changes in their life. At first, Aden did that for a little while – he wanted to be like his baby sister! So the fun game came in handy here, and he was back on track.

Have you been through this experience yet?

Xx,
Tamera