Let's Talk: Potty Charts

I swore that I would never be the type of parent who posted on social media when my daughter, The Bird, learned to use the bathroom. I kept that promise. And look, I get it, you're all proud and stuff, but just....no. But that doesn't mean that I didn't go through all the trials and tribulations of what parents go through when they are potty training. When your kid does finally get it, it almost feels like you wanna shout it from the rooftops (or Facebook, as it were in this digital age.)

Anyway, it took us several charts to get where we wanted to go, potty-wise. And you know, there are print outs, and suggestions, but at a certain point, I had to make up my own that worked for me and my kiddo. So, I wanted to share those charts with you and tell you a little bit about what worked and didn't work for us. We waited until after her second birthday to potty train, and I want to be clear that you've got to gage if your child is ready.

Here's what I have learned about potty training: FOLLOW YOUR INTUITION AS A PARENT.

Here's what I have learned about being a parent: FOLLOW YOUR INTUITION AS A PARENT. 

I know, I know. It's the age-old lesson we're constantly re-learning, but I'm serious. These charts I'm posting, this advice I'm doling, it's not the end all, be all. There's a lot of advice out there, but it doesn't always apply. All that being said, here's the charts and here's what worked for us!

First Chart, as you can see above, was super simple. 

What worked:

1) CHARACTERS. Oh mah gawd did characters motivate her. 

Characters on the chart, characters on the underpants. CHARACTERS, PEOPLE! 

We would say, "Hey you gotta keep Elmo dry." We really tipped the scales when we got Dorey underpants. Considering she's a fish, and we told our gal to keep her dry, you can tell that potty training is some looney business, but hey, whatever works. 

2) Fancy-ass stickers. Those jewels? Toddler crack. 

3) Prizes. We had physical prizes (lots of cheap figurines and toy cars) but what usually took the day was the ice cream prizes. And I know, some people are against food as prizes or rewards, but I'm not those people, so... 

Chart two, shown above got a little more sophisticated as we got deeper into potty training territory. 

What worked: 

1) Ditching pull ups all together (well, not during nap time and nighttime, but during the day). It was big girl undies all the way. Were there accidents? DUH. But you know what, kids like to succeed, so it was fewer than you might think. 

2) Poop was a prize every time for a while. (Yep, I just wrote that. Ugh.) Look, it must be said...kids will learn to pee in the potty long before they will be poop masters. So, just hang with it and bring wipes everywhere. 

3) Not being attached to a timeline. You guys, this chart was up a looooooong time. Because some areas took longer than others. We didn't apply pressure because you know, kids DO potty train eventually, but they have to be able to do it on their own developmental schedule. 

4) Talking up those prizes. We were shameless. 

Third (and final) chart. (Not pictured) We switched from Elmo to Daniel Tiger in the blink of an eye. But, you know, CHARACTERS. 

What worked: 

1) Half-way point markers. 

2) Taking prizes down to a bare-ass minimum. Earn it, kid! 

3) Changing the chart to fit out (new, ever-changing) needs. (i.e.- brush your teeth, dammit!)

4) Not pictured here: THE TRAVEL POTTY. Ermagerd, this thing is magic. It folds up and you can take it anywhere, from Grandma's house to the grocery store to the zoo. Hell, we took it on a trip to NYC with us! I highly recommend a travel potty to save everyone from a (pardon my french) shit storm. 

By the end of this chart, she wasn't as jazzed on the charts anymore, which I took as a sign that she really didn't need them any longer. Three charts, and probably about 2 months total and we were solid on the potty training.  Everyone will train in their own time, so you shouldn't use my kid as the measure. Some will be faster, and some slower. But overall, if you are looking for a graduated chart system and some tips, I hope you have found this helpful. If you have any tips or pictures of your own to share of charts that have been helpful, I hope you will share them here for others as well. 

Happy potty training everyone! Hahahahaha.