Do stickers or rewards help?

It’s perfectly possible to potty train without stickers or rewards. With the Ready for Potty, you don’t need to use stickers. However, offering encouragement through compliments and high fives is very important.

For children under 3, stickers and rewards usually don’t work at all. They don’t yet fully understand why they’re getting a sticker after practicing or using the potty.

Is your child over 3 years old? If so, it might help to try just one more time, or to take the next step. But be careful! It’s about the sensation, not the stickers. Otherwise, your child might sit on the potty or toilet extra often and try to squeeze something out, just for the sticker or reward. That doesn’t help them feel what’s happening in their body. If you stop using stickers or rewards after that, it will take a while before your child is truly potty trained.

Is your child responsive to rewards when learning something new? If so, keep the rewards simple, such as doing a specific activity. For example, your child can choose a coloring page, pick a fun song, or read a book. And reward the effort, not the act of peeing or pooping in the potty or toilet. Don’t reward them by letting them watch videos while they’re pooping or peeing, as this distracts them from feeling what’s happening.  

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