Potty training toddlers can be challenging or fun based on how you approach it. Even the calmest of dads and moms end up becoming frustrated and scolding the child. What’s worse is intimidating the kid with frightening stories. For instance, saying that an alligator will chase him if he doesn’t poop on time will traumatize the kid at an early age. So, what is the right way to potty train a child that will give quick results? Potty training rewards ideas are all you need to keep frustration at bay and create a healthy growing environment for your toddler.
Advantages of Giving Potty Training Rewards
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, bathroom training rewards are beneficial. Instead of being schooled, all your child needs are your patience, support, and encouragement. A reward is not the same as a bribe as the kid will get a reward after depicting good behavior, not before it. Have a look at the top benefits of the reward system:
1. Provides positive reinforcement
From good manners to communication – a kid must be taught everything. Praise and positive reinforcement potty gifts will give a reason to the child to repeat the behavior that impressed you. So, you have to make sure your toddler associates the potty with something meaningful and positive and what could be more motivating than giving some small prizes?
2. Boosts self-esteem
Receiving praise for systematically doing something increases the self-esteem of a child. They tend to remain more aware of setting examples of exceptional behavior as they feel like they have achieved something wonderful. So, you must let them know from time to time how blessed you are to have them in your life.
3. Easy to track progress
When you introduce potty training prizes, both the parent and the toddler can stay updated regarding the success rate. This information is essential as your kid’s healthcare provider might be interested in knowing about the kid’s pooping habits.
4. Offers immediate rewards
Getting some reward soon after pooping like an adult will create a happy memory in the mind of your child. They will realize that there is a connection between the prize and the behavior. So, they will be excited to poop at a fixed time every day and do it in a manner that pleases you.
Potty Training Reward Ideas You Have to Try
Potty training is not something that will happen overnight or within a specific time frame. Being positive and flexible throughout will make your child feel loved and not pressurized. There are plenty of innovative ways to incentivize a kid to do its business instead of giving sugary treats. If you are looking for some potty training reward ideas, then you may consider the following options:
1. Add stickers to the potty training chart
A potty-training chart will make it super easy for you to track the progress as well as patterns of your toddler in the potty-training mission. Each time your child is successful at using the potty or washing hands after pooping, you can add a gold star or cute toilet training stickers to the sticker chart to communicate how proud you are.
So, the chart can be your way of giving some recognition and encouragement to your smart kiddo. The best thing about these types of charts is that they can be customized as per your kid’s age and your preference. You can change the targets as your child gets older.
2. Non-material rewards
Who says rewards always have to be purchased? The main idea is to increase your toddler’s confidence by recognizing their achievements. Non-material toddler potty rewards can be anything from a bear hug to taking them to the park in the neighborhood. The only thing that you need to remember is that it has to be something the child appreciates. For instance, if a boy looks forward to spending time with grandparents, he can be told that he will get to visit his favorite people on the weekend if he poops responsibly.
3. Books
Books can be a kid’s best friend and you have to make your child fall in love with books at an early age. There are such colorful children’s books with pictures of animals, places, foods, etc. that they a bound to grab the attention of a kid. From story books to general knowledge books – there are all types of books written specifically to sharpen the minds of children. So, giving potty training incentives in the form of books is a clever way of making your kid learn new things and feel rewarded at the same time.
4. Inexpensive rewards
When it comes to potty training motivation, you can also give material gifts to your big kid that are not costly. Crayons and a drawing book can be gifted so that your little girl can showcase her creativity. Gifting a football to your kid, on the other hand, will keep him/ her physically fit as there’ll be plenty of physical exercise. So, as long as you don’t promise to give something that you cannot afford, there’s no harm in buying such gifts that will keep your kid engaged.
Potty Training Rewards to Avoid
Since we mentioned the best child potty incentive options to encourage your toddler, we also feel the need to stop you from giving rewards that might have adverse impacts. For example, bribing your child with expensive rewards won’t be wise as they will feel like they are entitled to costly presents. This will make them materialistic, and they will forget to appreciate the beautiful things in life.
Similarly, you should not resort to candies and sweets if they wash their hands after pooping as too much sugar is not good for the developing brains and bodies of children. The American Heart Association opines that a 2-year-old child should not consume more than 25 grams/ 6 teaspoons of sugar per day. So, refrain from giving unhealthy treats and give healthy snacks like nuts, fruit salads, etc.
Parting Thoughts
We hope that the information we provided will assist you and your darling kid achieve potty training milestones. Once your toddler adapts to the daytime training, you should proceed with the nighttime training as well.
Note that it is crucial to have consistency and patience as every child is different. So, if your kid is facing some setbacks, let your child take their time and keep encouraging them instead of being hopeless. Lastly, be it potty training or teaching maintain hygiene – enjoying the potty training journey and celebrating the small successes will strengthen the bond between you and your child.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. What are some effective rewards for potty training a toddler?
Healthy and tempting snacks prepared with food coloring, building blocks, lots of hugs and praises, stickers on the chart/ reward chart, and gifting potty training pants with animal prints are some amazing potty training incentives.
Q. How do I implement a reward system for potty training?
To reward your kid’s potty training achievement, you have to be thoughtful and come up with new ideas instead of giving toys and chocolates to the little one every time.
References:
Potty Training Reward Ideas That Limit Sugar (clevelandclinic.org)
Toilet Training | Pediatric Patient Education | American Academy of Pediatrics (aap.org)
