Michelle Duggars Parenting Tips

Our favorite Duggar Family Guidelines, which Michelle says reinforce character:
1. Always use soft words, even when you don't feel well.
2. Always display kind actions, even if you have been mistreated.
3. Show joyful attitudes even when no one is looking.
4. Have sincere motives with no thought of self-gain.
5. Never let the sun go down on your wrath; don't go to bed angry or guilty.

Beth Hall, AP

At first, I was trying to potty train the children when they were too young to even pull down their pants and put them back on by themselves. They could "perform" if I was there to help them with all the mechanics, but if I wasn't there, they weren't successful. If they could get their britches down, they could almost never get them back up. Now I don't start potty training until the child is able to take his or her pants off and put them back on without my help. (I'm not a perfectionist. If they get them on backward, that's okay; at least they get them on!)

J.S. Wedgeworth, Chicago Tribune / MCT

The other (potty training) requirement is that they have to be able to climb up on the "big potty" by themselves. I never liked the separate little potty chairs. They just added one more thing that had to be cleaned in the bathroom, and too often the child wanted to be helpful and empty it him/herself, and the results were, shall we say, unpleasant. Before I start potty training, I want to make sure the child can climb up on a regular-size commode without assistance.

Beth Hall, AP

Summertime is the best time of year to potty train because there aren't as many clothes to deal with. To get started, we have the usual pep talk, explain the whole procedure, and proudly announce to the family that this child now is wearing "big-girl panties" or "big-boy underwear." We do take the child to the bathroom throughout the day and encourage him or her to give it a try. When the child is successful, I reward him or her with a Skittle or an M&M, and the whole family cheers when he or she comes out of the restroom, hands washed and ready to receive that treat.

Beth Hall, AP

We also use potty training to reinforce important character qualities we want to instill in our children: obedience, self-control, and attentiveness. (I tell them) there is a little alarm in your body that tells you, "I've gotta go potty." That's when you practice self-control. You need to stop what you're doing and instantly obey that initial prompting and run to the bathroom. That way, you stay clean and dry, and everybody is happy. There are no messes, and you're showing Mommy that you are learning to be a big kid and practice self-control and obedience.

Beth Hall, AP

As other potty-training mothers of sons know, little boys tend to get distracted easily while they're going to the bathroom. For this reason, I made the rule that they have to sit on the commode until they learn not to spray the walls or make a mess on the floor. Of course they want to stand like a big boy, but often they're too short at first, so they have to stand on their tippy-toes and that's when the problems start. So they sit until I'm assured the bathroom is not going to be a target range.

Beth Hall, AP

Potty training is certainly a lot easier now than it was when we started twenty years ago, both because we've learned a lot and because now each new trainee has a large crowd of siblings providing praise and encouragement and motivating the trainee to succeed. There's nothing like coming out of the bathroom after a successful experience and having a dozen or more siblings excitedly waiting to give you a congratulatory hurrah or a high-five.

Beth Hall, AP

We begin our daily routine with personal hygiene (get dressed, brush teeth, comb hair, etc.). Each older child has a younger buddy (or two) that they help. We eat breakfast and read the Proverb of the day, then we "quick clean" the house (older child and their buddy work together to clean their jurisdictions). Throughout the day we try to pickup as we go along, but naturally things tend toward disorder. So, it is a constant training process with "quick clean" times throughout the day.

Credit: www.duggarfamily.com

Brad Loper, Dallas Morning News / MCT

We have a master schedule of each family member's responsibilities displayed on our kitchen wall. For each month, we also have individual daily checklists which cover schoolwork, chores, music lessons and personal hygiene. These were designed...so we could see at a glance how each child is doing. These checklists enable us to keep our children accountable and also reward them accordingly.

Credit: www.duggarfamily.com

Brad Loper, Dallas Morning News / MCT

We have goals, but then we have reality! We are learning to practice flexibility -- not setting our affections on ideas or plans which could be changed! Sometimes we have "Daddy Days" when Daddy overrides the schedule and takes the children out for family time, a field trip or a service project. We try to make each day fun. Everyday is an exciting adventure!

Credit: www.duggarfamily.com

Jim Bob Duggar Senate Campaign / MCT