Potty Training Guide | Rewards and Praise

Potty Training: Rewards and Praise

Giving Rewards

There are people who don't go along with the idea of giving rewards to children. Their postition is kids shouldn't get treats for doing a task they should be doing anyway. On the other hand, it's a proven fact that a reward system of some kind helps reinforce behavior to get the desired results.

A reward doesn't have to be something spectacular because you're dealing with a little person who has great fun spinning around and around just to get dizzy -- so they're easily impressed -- especially if you're with them.

Parents who've successfully completed potty training report that using all sorts of methods that end up working. A reward system should suit a child's personality with incentives that are going to be important to them.

It's been mentioned that it's a good idea to place a potty chart on the refrigerator door or in your bathroom. When your child is success at going potty, have them put a sticker or star on the chart and when they reach a specific number of stickers, they get a small prize or a special trip.

Rather than a chart, you could make a picture of a road leading to a place such as "Candy Land".

	Introduction
	Is Your Child Ready?
	Help Your Child Get Ready
	Finding Your Child's Throne
	The Right Time to Start
	Bladder & Bowel Control
	Diet Alterations
	Staying Dry in the Daytime
	Giving Rewards and Praise
	Good Hygiene
	Nighttime Training
	Training When Travelling
	Helping a Resistant Child
	Physical Complications
	Potty Training Regression
	Special Needs Child
	Multiple Children Training
	Training Tips for the Boys
	Potty Training Conclusion

The idea is to make the reward sometime down the road when they've gone on the potty a predetermined number of times. When they get there, they earn a special. You can have your child make a poster, which is cute way to teach him/her about staying on track when working towards reaching a goal.

Candy is, of course, a welcomed reward for potty success, such as M & M's. Some parents use Skittles, miniature candy bars, gum, and suckers. It's not important what the reward is as long as it's something your child really desires!

If you're not sure what will work as an incentive, just ask your child what s/he would like since, of course, they know bestwhat they want and when they want something bad enough, they're going to work hard to get it!

You can gradually phase out the rewards as your their visits to the bathroom start to become routine. Continuing to use rewards when they've mastered the task will only lead to them expecting a reward everytime they go and so they may start going more often than they actually need to.

However, with some children, rewards simply don't work. Every child is different, so you're going to have to discover what's going to work with your child.

Rewards are one thing, but the ultimate reward for any toddler is often your approval.

Giving Praise

Praising words can serve many functions for your toddler. It can boost their self-esteem, raise their confidence, and be a huge motivator for them. It can also promote an atmosphere of comfort for them.

Dole out the praise as often as you can – not just during potty training. But this website IS about potty training, so here are a few things to remember when giving positive reinforcement with your words.

Some people feel you shouldn't make a HUGE deal out of using the potty, but when you're trying to reinforce a positive behavior, it has to be up to you.

Give physical reinforcement in the form of hugs while you're giving out that praise. Clap and say words like "Good for you", "What a big boy/girl", "You went on the potty – YAY!" and such.

Don't just congratulate your child for going on the potty; praise them when they stay dry too. Check his/her pants every hour or so and let him/her know how great it is that s/he's stayed dry.

Some parents have created elaborate song and dance routines to let their child know how pleased they are. Kids love to be silly, and many adults like to be silly too. Use this time to explore your own inner child when potty training is occurring.

Praise for jobs well done should be second nature. It's just too easy to see the "bad stuff" children do when in reality they're doing a lot more "good stuff" then we give credit for. When it's time to introduce the potty to your toddler, give it a sunny spin. Make it sound wonderful to be old enough to sit on the potty chair.

Accidents are going to happen. If your child has an accident, don't make a big deal about it and don't get angry. If you do this, it will chip away at their morale and could start making them feel like they really can't do the job they're expected to do.

If your child has an accident, just help them get cleaned up and forget about it. You may want to say something encouraging like, "It's alright, and you'll make it to the potty next time."

Praise your child even if he or she just goes and sits on the potty but doesn't go. This will likely occur early in the process, and is a positive behavior that should be acknowledged.

Another important part of potty training is teaching your child about good hygiene.

Go To: Good Hygiene