Potty Training Rewards
Whether you're dealing with a potty training newbie or a seasoned potty resister, one of the best ways to get your kid on the pot is with a potty reward system. Here are some ideas for positive potty reinforcement:
- 1. Sticker chart. No toddler can resist racking up stickers. Charts can be as simple as tacking a piece of paper to the wall. Every time your toddler goes, bam! A sticker goes on the chart. Try printing your own
personalized reward stickers at Huggies.com or print out potty charts with your child's favorite Nick characters on Nick Jr.
- 2. Candy. Kids will do almost anything for candy. Just choose tiny sweet treats, like jelly beans or M&Ms, so you don't have to worry about sugar overload.
- 3. Stamps. Toddlers love stamps almost as much as they love stickers! Buy a stamp and an inkpad and stamp your kid's hand whenever he goes. (Or use a chart if you want to save on hand soap!)
- 4. Magnets. If you've got room on your fridge (or if you want to buy a separate magnetic board), you can give your kid a new magnet every time he goes. Try cool Nick Jr. paper doll magnets. Or add a learning bonus with alphabet or number magnets: Learn your ABCs and 123s while you go pee!
- 5. Tickets. Buy (or make) simple carnival-style tickets to hand out every time your kid does the deed. Toddlers will love just getting the actual ticket. Older potty trainers (3- and 4-year-olds) can redeem tickets for a bigger reward—say, 10 tickets for new coloring book, 20 tickets for a new monster truck, etc.
- 6. Printables. Kids love printable coloring pages and giving one as a reward is an inexpensive, fun way to encourage potty training. Find your child's favorite characters on Nick Jr.'s Printable Finder.
- 7. Activities. Let your kid earn special activities with you in exchange for going potty. This can be a supplement to a simpler reward system. Say, for every 10 stickers, your kid gets to pick out a book at the library or after 20 stickers, you head to the ice-cream store.
- 8. Legos. For older kids, get a Lego set (or something with multiple pieces) and let them earn (and then add!) a new piece or two to whatever princess castle/pirate hideout he's currently building each time he uses the potty.
- 9. Potty Training Rewards Calendar. These cute calendars let your kids push a button, hear a message and get a piece of chocolate each time they use the potty.
- 10. Get a piggy bank and let your child put a nickle into a "potty bank" every time she goes pee. If she goes poop, give her a quarter. By the time she's potty trained, she'll have enough to buy that Yo Gabba Gabba doll she's been begging for.
What reward system works for you? Tell us in the comments below.
For more potty training advice from Teri Crane, check out her potty training tips.
Talk to other potty training parents who are also in the pee-pee & poo-poo trenches on our Toddlers & Preschoolers Message Board!
Answered by
Teri Crane, the Potty Pro
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