Potty training. Isn't it fun? Almost as fun as lounging on a folding chair at the beach while a cabana boy brings you pina coladas. Riiiiight..... My little guy is (thankfully) mostly potty trained, but we're still tightening the screws a bit. He knows how to go, and he doesn't usually need much assistance. But he still has accidents from time to time. I remember when we first started potty training. He was probably a bit too young, so it didn't go very well. But as he got older, and we encouraged him and explained how "big boys use the potty," it suddenly clicked. However, we didn't stop with rewarding him or encouraging him. In fact, I found a few rewards that seemed to work well with him. If you're potty training your little one, try using one of these to keep your child motivated. Don't think of it as bribery, think of it as positive reinforcement.

 

 

1. Potty Plate

With my little guy, this was a hit! I took various kinds of candy (whatever I found around the house) and poured it onto a plate. I called it "the potty plate," and whenever my boy used the potty, he got to choose two pieces of candy from the plate.

2. Sticker Chart

For some kids, stickers might be an appealing reward. You could get or make a sticker chart and have your child choose a sticker each time they use the potty. They could put the sticker in a special book, or on a calendar showing the days they used the potty.

3. New Underwear

Once they start to get the hang of potty training, you could promise that your child will get to pick out a package of "big boy" or "big girl" undies. They'll love feeling like they are making "big kid" decisions, and they'll definitely try not to ruin their new underwear.

How is potty training going for your little ones?

What other rewards have worked for you?