Potty training can be tricky. From accidents to night-wets to consistency to motivation, we have some of the best Potty Training Tips and Tricks. Hacks to help you and your toddler succeed. 

Potty Training Tips for Toddlers

Who dreads potty training? Mothers who have been there before, definitely don’t look back on this period of time with glee. I remember with my first I was in a rush to get her out of diapers and potty trained. With my second, I probably delayed longer than she needed to go but it was much easier training.

What is the best age to start potty training?

My best advice, coming from a mother who has trained five kids, is don’t rush it. I definitely had a better experience with my second having taken my time and discussed it months before actually jumping in. She also was able to see her older sibling use the potty and wanted to do the same.

What’s the best way to potty train a toddler?

When you begin training a toddler to use the restroom, plan to stay home for 3 days to a week. Tis is why summer break, spring break or Christmas break are great ideas. Give your child lots of liquids. Buy a drinking they love like apple juice for that week . I found it best to go strait to panties/underwear and to stay home. A lot of movies and a lot of fun outdoors.

Initially set a timer. If you can put your child in front of the timer, it gives them control and they like that. Consider starting with 20 minute increments. Later you can move to as much as 90 minute increments.

When you place them on the toilet, give them a little activity like a book or play potty training games.

Potty Training Tips at Nighttime

Nighttime training for toddlers comes later in the potty training process. Once your child has had a few successful weeks of using the toilet during the day, begin potty training at night.

The best advice for getting through the night was waking your child. Well not technically waking.  I picked up my child out of bed. They pretty much remained asleep and sat them on the toilet. I did this right before I went to bed, around 10 PM each evening. I whispered in their ear, “go potty” and she easily went to the restroom. This saved us a lot from bed-wetting in the night.

In addition, make sure you cut off your child’s liquids an hour or two before bed. Give them a sip of water when brushing their teeth but not too much.

Note: night training might comes easier and earlier for girls. Some boys can take a little bit longer.

Potty Training Hacks

When potty training, bring a sense of humor and perhaps a drink at night (mama needs it!)

Enjoy these Potty Training Tips and Tricks and be sure to share with us any hacks or tricks you had when training your own child to use the bathroom.

Stickers are exciting, Here’s a fun Free Printable Potty Training Chart to help your little one stay motivated during the potty training journey. (Pick up star stickers HERE) | Alice and Lois

Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. Pan to stay home and drink lots of liquids. This will give you toddler plenty of opportunities for practice and success!

For convenience, when potty training store the potty seat on the wall near the toilet with a Command hook.

Pull-ups has an amazing resource. Get your child excited to start potty training by receiving a phone call from one of their favorite Disney characters. | Pull-Ups

We all know that a toddler wants to do their own thing! This potty watch has three different reminder times (30, 60 or 90 minutes) plus flashing lights and music gently remind your toddler when to go. Get it HERE.

This tip comes from me! Potty training in the night can be hard. Limit liquids 1 to 2 hours before bed. I would always pick up my sleeping toddler at 10 PM (around my bed time) and sit her on the toilet. I would whisper in her ear to “go pee pee on the potty.” This limited our nighttime accidents by A LOT – almost non existent. I did this for months to close to a year. A potty light would be great for those night time visits.

Who wants to clean the poo? Use coffee filters when your child has to poop. Obviously these don’t flush, so just toss in the diaper pail. I always used a plastic grocery bag. | Mama Frankenstein (no longer available)

When traveling, you can use a diaper. Keep a cheap potty chair in your car along with a few diapers. If your child needs to go to the bathroom, open a diaper and put in the bottom of the potty chair. When he is done, wrap up the diaper and done. No mess. | A Haven of Chaos

As a mom of 5, take it from me. The worse thing to clean during potty training is the car seat after an accident. Pick up a waterproof car seat pad (or Piddlepad). We also used changing pad pads or old burp cloths. | Etsy Store LaneyJDesigns (no longer availble)

Note: please go with the directions of your car seat. Some advise no loose fabric between the child and the car seat.

Create a fun potty treat jar. One M&M for sitting on the potty, two M&Ms for going pee-pee and three M&Ms for going poo-poo. | A Pumpkin and a Princess

Put your child backwards on the toilet and give them a dry erase marker. Let them color away. | Source Unknown

Update: I would not suggest letting your child color during the potty . I would suggest starting backwards especially for young boys.

This is one of those, why didn’t’ I think of that items. My child hated the automatic flushing toilet! Carry a pack of post-it notes in your purse. In public bathrooms, place a sticky-note over the sensor to relieve fears! | My Crazy Blessed Life

Tell those cute toddlers they get to pull the paper down to the paper – and when it gets there, they tear it off! (Honestly this would work for my older kids too – anyone else!?!) | Today’s the Best Day

Speaking of the potty, another genius idea – take a look at this potty training tip! Drop blue food coloring in the potty. Tell your child when they go, the water will magically turn green! | Source Unknown

Make your own training pants for potty training with this tutorial! | Life Sew Savory

Create a potty chart with milestones… like Candyland. Place a small sticker on each hallow square and a larger sticker on each solid square. Each solid square gets a reward. | Steps Naptime Notes

Create a potty zone with books, changing of underwear, bubbles, and or something to color. You can put a puppy pad below the toilet. | Source Unknown

Pull-Ups has the Top 8 Potty Training Games | Pull-Ups

Hit up the Dollar Store or Target’s dollar section before you begin training (remember you want to be home a few days). Have a reward potty treat bag for hitting milestones.  This worked very well for our family after we were toilet trained but needed work with #2 in the toilet.| Embellish Goods

These might be useful, take a look at these Top 10 Potty Training Apps. | Source Unknown

Toddlers are tricky – happy one moment, screaming the next. Take a look at these Toddler Tips – Why didn’t I think of that hacks and tricks?! Pin to Pinterest.

Are you a new (even a repeat) mama? I am a mama of 5 and these Newborn Tips, Hacks and Tricks are pretty creative. Pin to Pinterest.

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Clever Toddler Tips and Tricks. Preschool Hacks for new and old moms. Toddler tricks and toddler ideas to make life more efficient for a frazzled mom!

Toddler Tips and Tricks – Hacks for New and Old Moms

I don’t know what’s more challenging. The day you bring your child home from the hospital, the terrible twos or the terror-acious threes! If I had to choose, I would say get all the advice and tips you can before hitting the toddler years. Getting those those days of independence.

Parenting Tips for Toddlers

Where do you begin? Parenting toddlers should come with a manual (and nanny.) Toddler behavior can be difficult. Kids 2 to 5 are beginning to exert independence and want to do everything themselves. They especially hate being given direction. While there is no magic want for discipling toddlers, there is one helpful peace of advice – give your child options.

Examples of giving toddlers choices are taking a bath. The end result, no matter what, is your child will get in that bath tub. Ask your son/daughter do you want to skip to the bath tub or walk backwards. You have given you child 1.) a boring activity but turned it into controlled play 2.) you have the same result, the child is going to the bathroom but you are supplying the toddler with options.

The best Parenting Hacks During Toddlers Years

Since raising an independence toddler can be a challenge, look at these cleaver toddler hacks and tips that will make a frazzled mom’s life more efficient. If you can have control over the mess, over the stroller, and over the feedings, it makes controlling the child a bit more easier.

How many times have you taken your child out of the stroller and it is tipped over? Use Ankle Weight as Stroller Counterbalance to keep your stroller from tipping. We got these – an umberella stroller and ankle weights. (Later you can use them in the gym!)

Make An Instant Art Bib With Glad Press n’ Seal. No washing of clothing involved! Just press and seal the plastic directly onto front of the shirt for an instant art smock. | Raddest Mom (no longer available)

Turn any cup into a sippy cup! These Snug Silicone Sippy Lids come in different colors.

Have fun with this cheerio necklace hack. A great way to keep snack off the floor! | Raising Miss Matilda

Use an old shampoo bottle to help smaller children reach the sink. | Source no longer available

We took my son to an amusement park the other weekend. The trip was for the older kids but I felt awful about how overheated he became. Take a look at this portable battery-operated fan, perfect for a stroller (or car seat!)

This is one of those, why didn’t I think of that items. My child hated the automatic flushing toilet! Carry a pack of post-it notes in your purse. In public bathrooms, place a sticky-note over the sensor to relieve fears! | My Crazy Blessed Life

Speaking of the potty, another genius idea – take a look at this potty training tip! Drop blue food coloring in the toilet. Tell your child when they go, the water will magically turn green! | Source Unknown

Since having the twins and having less hands for carrying things, I have learned to have a mommy hook or carabiner to hold excess items like diaper bags. shopping bags and grocery baskets (for quick run ins!)

I have used this light for ALL FIVE OF MY KIDS! Sleep train your child with their very own big girl/big boy clock. I love these toddler alarm clocks that tell you when it is day or night (to keep your child in bed!) We found this sleep training clock here.

We found the Hatch Baby Rest Sound Machine and Light and have really enjoyed it with the younger 3 boys.

What an easy way to keep track of the beginning of a chore chart. Use a manila folder, cut fold it in half, slice it into 5-ish chores and add magnetic tape for opening and closing when a chore is done. You can open the list each morning to start over. | Source Unknown

Have a lot of snack pouches that are hard to store? Try this hack – Baby Food Pouch Slider . (Also seen in our Life Hacks and Newborn Hacks and Tips!)

Mess free painting. Paint with an egg carton – toss when you are done! | Mom Dot

No-mess applesauce! Pick up a single-serve cup + cut straw – parenting hack! | Source Unknown

Make your own spill proof mason jar for snacks! | Babble (no longer a website)

Create a timeout chair! We love this timeout chair with a timer. It lets your child know when they can get up! | Source Unknown (Purchase a Toddler Time Out Chair)

Summer vacation with kids?!? Packing is stressful for me, so put their full outfits in a big Ziploc, so you can just grab out of suit case without thinking! Put the dirty clothes from the previous day in the Ziploc! I do this packing hack all the time! | Pin Lady

Tired of a stroller that takes up the entire trunk – stand it up! This family used a bungee cord to stand the stroller up-right providing room for groceries, suitcases and more! I bet they have a lot more tips! | Large Families on Purpose (no longer a blog)

Are motor skills developing? Pick up a Sandwiches ‘N More Toddler Utensil so your child can hold a sandwich. Grab yours HERE. (no longer available.)

Create the cheapest toddler bumpers (baby bumpers) with pool noodles. This pool noodle hack and also be used on tables, fire places, the edges of doors (to prevent from closing ones fingers) and more! | Montana Prairie Tales

Please don’t do this – it will chock the child. But a cute chuckle under parent supervision. Do you have a toddler that loves to take off their diaper – take a look at what Greta did!

We all know that we have done it – hide your candy where the kids will never look! | Source Unknown

Cut watermelon into watermelon sticks. This tutorial is perfect for little hands! | Sober Julie

Use an empty wipes container to store travel snacks for your kids. It’s the ideal size for kids’ hands — and you can even keep food cold by putting a reusable ice pack at the bottom. | Practical Parenting Ideas (unavailable)

Someone gave me this tip when I first had my children and I began as soon as they were born. Washing toddler socks in a mesh laundry bag is such a great idea to keep little socks together. Another one I washed them, was safety pinning them together. Do this if you have one child (not if you have 5 – easier to keep track of the safety pins!) | Mom Hacks 4 Everyday

Save the Boon Grass you bought to dry sippy cups. It turns into the perfect crayon holder for the art table.

Use painters tape to create parking spaces for even the kids vehicles! | The Organizing Junkie (also seen in our Easy Garage Storage Solutions and Hacks.)

You guys, I had my less than a year ago third child (and I am pregnant with the fourth and fifth – yes I am accepting this very quick twin pregnancy). Not evening being a first time mom, this Newborn Tips, Hacks and Tricks post was very helpful. Take a look at all these tips! Pin to Pinterest.

If you have a toddler, these Potty Training Tips and Tricks are a must. Pin to Pinterest.

Enjoy these Monthly Baby Photo Ideas. Pin to Pinterest.

Also check out these…

Pregnancy Tips:

Tips for the First Trimester – Pin to Pinterest
Tips for the Second Trimester – Pin to Pinterest
Tips for the Third Trimester – Pin to Pinterest

WHAT’S TRENDING? Take your kids on a BACK TO SCHOOL SCAVENGER HUNT for their school supplies.


Also access our Free Frugal Coupon Living Printables to help you find joy through embracing the chaos of motherhood more easily!



Stay in the know with daily deals, recipes, crafts, life hacks and seasonal content on Frugal Coupon Living. Receive this and more in your inbox.