Potty Training Ideas - Crystal Lake,IL

We started potty training our daughter at age 2 1/2. We bought a plain Safety First potty and put it in the bathroom and the consistantly read a book called "My Big Girl Potty" Then we decided that we needed some sort of reward every time she used the potty so we bought loads of stickers. We just assumed that she would wear them on her clothes as some sort of badge but she had the idea to put them on the outside of the potty. By the time we were finished, it was covered from top to bottom with stickers. We still have it in our laundry room and it makes me laugh every time I see it.

I used a simple system that I had read about in a book. Toilet training in less than a day.
I bought a doll that wets as a model and we gave him a name and my son and I took him potty several times throughout the day. The doll got a mini m&m as a rewards as well as hug and a good job from my son and I. And then he would have an occasional accident. This is when i would say- can you show Peter (the doll) how to go potty? And then you can have his m&m.
By the third m&m he was going by himself and was just so thrilled that he could.
I also had him wear regular undies so that he could feel when he was wet if he had an accident.

The pooping part was a little trickier but he was potty trained in about a week and night trained in about a month.

He still had occasional accidents for about 6 or so months after but nothing major.

My son potty trained pretty early at just over 2 years old. What worked for us was juice on the potty (he didn't have it at all otherwise so it was a treat for him). Motivated him to stay sitting on the potty and then gave him ammunition to go. Then when he actually did go, I of course made a big deal of it and he got a fruit snack for a reward. It was a monster truck fruit snack (one fruit snack, not a packet, as he didn't know the difference and the most he would go through in a day was one packet then) so he called it "truck candy". Again, he didn't have them otherwise so it was a big treat. So he had extra sugar, but not too terribly much, and it worked. :) I just kept him in a pull-up until he was pretty consistently dry. It took maybe 2 months until he was in underwear all the time. Best wishes to you. My 17 month old is already showing interest, so I'm not TOO optimistic, but going to start with him at around 18 months when it gets warmer and see what happens...let him have fun with trying the potty and roll with it. Best wishes to you!!

First - Bless you with all those kids!
I have 2 kids(boy and girl)and used the same method for both and they both were trained within the week. First, get rid of diapers and pull ups and use underwear, they need to feel if they have soiled. Second, we used a regular doll or stuffed animal, you can buy one that potties but its not necessary. The first couple of days I often said "baby or bear has to go potty". I hid a wet paper towel in my hand and when I placed the toy on the potty I squeezed the water and then would say good job baby/bear, you should be proud of yourself. Then we graduated into after the baby/bear did his business it was time for my child to sit - same routine. Giving lots to drink makes successes and accidents happen more often. Within one week they both were trained my son at 2 1/2yrs and my daughter, I started earlier at 18 mths. Good luck.

I had an all day "tea party" consiting of water and crackers with my daughter. She had a blast pouring the water into the tiny cups and eating the crackers. The consistent water drinking had her in the bathroom a lot. She was trained in one day.