Ah, the dreaded “potty training days.” Where your patience is running low, and your laundry is piled high. I feared these days when my daughter showed readiness signs because I was unaware of how to potty train, let alone how to potty train a girl.
So, I did plenty of research. I learned tips and tricks from other moms with girls to make this experience as effective, fun, and educational as possible. And since potty training a girl can be tricky, I thought I’d show you some tricks I learned through the process!
5 Tips for How to Potty Train a Girl
5 Tips for Potty Training a Girl
1. Go Shopping Together for “Big Girl Panties.”
Before the training even begins, get some potty training must-haves. Even better, get your little girl excited about this change with a shopping trip. My daughter and I made a big deal about our “big girl panties shopping day.” I hyped it up for a couple of days, letting her know she would have a special mommy-daughter bonding time to buy something just for her. While she didn’t fully understand the meaning or functionality behind the panties, the fact that she got to choose her favorite designs made it something she was excited to start wearing. This also created a desire for her to select Pig Peppa over Pampers.
2. Go Diaper-less for a Few Days
Once it came time for the training to start, I blocked off an entire weekend with no plans. No leaving the house, going to the zoo, running errands. And for a full three days, I let Lace run around diaper-less. I also purchased three cheap “potties” and placed them around the house – one in the bathroom, one in the living room, and one in the kitchen.
I explained that when she needed to tee-tee, sit on one of those potties to do it. Of course, she had plenty of accidents because she wasn’t used to relieving herself anywhere but inside her diaper. But every time I noticed she started to trickle a little bit, I’d pick her up and lead her over to the nearest potty. Once she finished, I’d let her look at it so she started to grasp the concept little by little.
3. Give Her a Treat Every Time She Goes
Bribery, what a beautiful thing! Many moms might not agree with me on this one, but this worked for my little girl. I explained that I’d give her a treat if she went tee-tee on the potty. Of course, these treats don’t have to be sugar-filled or candy-coated. It could be anything that interests your little girl – time outside, a sticker, a chance to watch her favorite TV show. On top of the treat, we would exuberantly rejoice every time she used the potty. We’d dance, shout, sing, and giggle – which brought joy to the event, lessening fear and eliminating frustrations.
4. Show Her the Proper Way to Wipe / Clean Up
Here’s the deal with little girls – teaching them how to wipe is essential. Since their bodies are designed so differently than a little boy’s, educating her on how to clean herself will help her develop hygiene skills that she will practice for the rest of her life. After every time Lace would pee, I’d wipe for her and show her the importance of wiping front to back. Once I wiped for her, I’d let her have a turn so that she could get the hang of it herself. When it comes to going poop on the potty, you can ask your little girl to lean forward (while she’s still sitting on the potty), and you wipe her from the back and then let her have a chance to try it, too. And finally, of course, after flushing, hand washing is essential!
5. Overall, Be Consistent
The main thing about potty training a girl is to be consistent. Trust me. I know it can be a frustrating process. She will have accidents, meltdowns, and days when she refuses to go. And it might take way longer than just one weekend for her to understand the process – and if that’s the case, that’s okay, do it again the following weekend.
Either way, give your little girl some credit – she is brilliant. And give her some extra patience – because this is like learning a new language for her. She will ultimately understand this – and once she does, she (and you) will feel empowered and accomplished.
