Potty training stickers are a great idea to reward your toddler for successfully using the potty. But, when potty training our oldest daughter, I discovered a very cute and clever kind of potty sticker – it goes inside the potty!

Tinkle Time Re-Usable Potty Training Stickers are placed inside the potty. Under normal conditions, the sticker is black and no image is visible, but when your toddler tinkles in the potty, the heat from their tinkle makes an image appear on the sticker.

When my daughter started potty training, we gave her reward stickers whenever she sat on the potty, to encourage her to sit… but she wasn’t using the potty. But, when we added the stickers inside the potty, it became a game for her. Our stickers were pictures of farm animals and she would jump up after going tinkle and say, “I can see the piggy.”

The amazing thing was how fast she switched from just sitting there to actively trying to go tinkle. It happened as soon as we put the sticker in the potty.

We also re-enforced her success with reward stickers as well – one for tinkies and two for poo-poos.

If your toddler is sitting on the potty regularly, but won’t actually go to the bathroom,  take a look at Tinkle Time Re-Usable Potty Training Stickers. They might just be the thing to jumpstart the process.

Some people don’t agree with rewards when it comes to children. They feel like they shouldn’t be given a treat for performing a task that they should be performing anyway. However, it has been proven that using some type of a reward system will help reinforce behavior and bring about desired results.

Rewards don’t have to be anything huge and amazing. Remember, you’re dealing with a little person here who thinks it great fun to spin around and around to get that dizzy feeling – they’re easily impressed – especially if you are with them.

Parents who’ve been through potty training successfully report using all sorts of different methods that work. Your reward system will have to fit your child’s personality and contain incentives that will be important to them.

We mentioned before placing a potty chart on your refrigerator or in your bathroom. When your child successfully goes on the potty, let them place a sticker on the chart. If they reach a certain amount of stickers, give them a small prize or a special trip.

Instead of a chart, make a picture of a road leading to a specific place ala the game “Candy Land”. The idea here is to make it down the road by going on the potty. When they get to their destination, a special treat is given. Involve your child in making this poster. It can be a really cute way to teach your child about staying on track while trying to reach a goal.

Of course, candy is a big winner when it comes to potty rewards. Little  Conner got M & M’s each time he would go and this seemed to work quite well. Other parents use Skittles, small size candy bars, gum, and suckers. It doesn’t really matter what you use as long as your child really desires it!

If you are unsure about what will work as an incentive, ask your child what s/he would like as a reward. They know what they like the best and if they want it bad enough, they’ll sure work hard to get it!

To illustrate how subjective rewards can be, I want to tell you what worked when potty training one little boy. When he was small, back in the early 90’s, his idol was Pee-Wee Herman (I know, I know!) He watched “Pee Wee’s Big Adventure’ and “Pee Wee’s Big Top” over and over again until his parents thought they would scream if thhey had to hear that guy’s laugh just one more time.

His grandmother was shopping the clearance aisle of a discount store when she spotted a talking Pee Wee Herman doll. Now this doll was a little disturbing looking, but very life-like and uttered Pee Wee’s famous catch phrases when you pulled the string on his back. The boy was enamored.

His parents let him have the doll to play with for just a day before they put him up on a shelf in the bathroom. They told him that when he went potty like a big boy, he could play with Pee Wee for a half hour. That was all he needed. Two days later, he was fully trained.

So Pee Wee taught him to “pee pee”. Sorry, I just couldn’t resist!!!
Gradually phase out the rewards as your child’s visits to the bathroom become routine. If you continue to use rewards once they have mastered the task, they’ll start to expect them and may go more often than they really need to.

Keep in mind that rewards don’t always work. As we’ve said before, every child is different and you have to find what works with yours!
Rewards are great, but the ultimate reward for a toddler can be your approval.

The first step in the potty training process for your toddler is developing their control of their bladder. This is a challenging process, because accidents will happen and they always involve pee!

Some parents prefer to begin toilet training in the winter or rainy months when it’s hard to get out of the house, but it might be easiest to begin toilet training in the summer, if this fits your schedule. Summer clothes are light and can be removed quickly. And when accidents do occur, you’ll have fewer layers of clothes to launder.

If possible, plan to devote at least three days in a row to begin bladder training and give your child your complete concentration. During those days you must be able to drop everything when a child has to go.

Tell your child that you expect to be told if there is a need to go.
The idea behind this is to let your child be in charge of as much of the toilet training process as possible.

Put your child on the toilet first thing in the morning, before naps, after naps, after meals, after being dry for two hours, and before bedtime. Initially a regular schedule can help with this process.

Keep them company while they’re trying to do their business. You can use this time for reading or just talking. Books about potties are appropriate selections to keep in the bathroom! But we’ve already said that, right?

Praise all progress. For some, sitting more than 10 seconds may be progress. Try turning the water on and letting it run for inspiration. Have you ever really had to go to the bathroom and heard running water making it difficult to hold your urine in? The same concept can apply when it comes to your child.

Running water can be a great way to inspire your child’s bowels to let go. Just don’t let it run forever. If they’re gonna go, they’re gonna go. If they’re not, they’re not. Know when to stop; otherwise, it becomes a game!

Offer more fluids when you are actively involved in training. The more a child drinks, the more a child will need to urinate and respond to body signals. Occasionally say to your child, “It’s time to try now.”

Set a timer to remind your child when it’s time to go potty rather than doing all the reminding yourself. Use the reminder as a “before” condition: “After you use the potty, we will …”

Consolidate success by maintaining the same routine for several weeks. Keep in mind that even children who have mastered the bathroom procedure may wet their pants during the day for several weeks or months.

If you have followed all reasonable steps for some time without success, stop! Try again in a few weeks or months.