Sometimes the 7 P plan is not enough. This often happens when continence is needed now or at least in the next week or two. Reasons for this range from parents simply being fed up with poopy pants and Pampers to ultimatums from day cares. So if you are willing to spend a lot of your time toilet training and be consistent about following the guidelines, your child can be toilet trained in a few days.
A good time to begin intensive toilet training is a weekend when you are free from work and other chores. OK you are never free from work and chores. Just pick a time when all the things you have to do can be set aside for a while without too much of a penalty.
1. Increase fluids.
Toilet training is really a form of plumbing, and to do it well, we need something to plumb. Said differently, good training requires multiple toileting opportunities, and the best way to achieve this goal is to have your child drink a lot. So let them drink as much of their favorite beverages as they want; you can even encourage them to drink more. And stay at home! Filling them full of fluid creates multiple urinations, and thus, multiple training opportunities – if you are home. If you are out and about, it creates either a big mess and large headache, or a lot of little messes and small headaches. Neither option is fun for Mammy and Daddy.
2. Give frequent prompts
Watch them carefully. When they begin to show signs of having to go, tell (don’t ask) them to go to the bathroom and then take them there. When they really have to go, the signs are obvious (e.g., they grab themselves, cross their legs, and wince). If they have their shirt off, you will be able to see more subtle signs (e.g., minor to major movements of their lower abdomen). In a sense, this is like bombardier training – you need to get them over the target before they release their payload. Keeping a close eye on them reveals when the payload is near the bomb bay doors. A more structured way to do this is to merely tell your child to use the potty every 30 to 45 minutes.
3. Do dry pants checks
Every 15 minutes or so, check your child’s pants to see if they are dry. If they are, praise your little trainee. Because this is intensive training, it is recommended having a system for rewarding your child for dry pants. For example, you could make a chart where you record each pants check and give a star each time you find dry pants. Then, you can reward your child for, say, every 10 stars he or she earns. Or, you can arrange to spend “Special Time” with your child in the evening after a day of dry pants. Special Time means one parent spends 15 to 20 minutes with the child doing an activity the child particularly enjoys. Always follow through on promised rewards.
4. Praise
You should abundantly praise and appreciate all toileting successes. And if your child happens to go to the toilet unprompted, something big should happen!
5. Use positive practice for wetting accidents
Positive practice is an intensive practice of what should have been done instead of the accident. It can take various forms, but it generally involves multiple practice trips to the bathroom after an accident.
Information provided by parenting.org
