Chances are right here at the Holidays is not the time to tackle potty training, but maybe you want to be ready to tackle this with your little one in the New Year! Here are a few tips and tricks and products that from my experience will make this milestone easier for kids, parents, and caregivers!
Talk and Read About it First!
Start by introducing the idea of potty training through books! Here are my top picks that I used for my little girls. My girls loved the little tiara that came with this book and they enjoyed earning stickers to put on it. I loved that this was a departure from the food driven reward system that many use for potty training.
I am thinking later next year I’ll try my hand at potty training my first little guy and this book is in my cart for when we need to read up!
If You have to go Potty Stop and Go Right Away!
Watching an episode of Daniel Tiger about potty training is another great tip! Seriously, I still sing this little song to my almost 4 year old daughter. Luckily you can download this episode to watch over and over again.
Potty for Home and Away
When you’re ready to commit I recommend having a potty for at home and on the go! Here are the types of potty’s I’ve used and love!
My daughters all loved their bright pink potty chair and while the aesthetic didn’t really match my decor I tolerated it because I wanted them EXCITED and looking forward to sitting on their pretty throne!
Once they were more adjusted I replaced this pink nightmare with a simple potty ring like the one below. I highly recommend the Puj brand because it is soft for little backsides and easy to clean!
Finally this potty is perfect for on the go and you can even get disposable bags for quick potty trips on the go!
Trust me this will come in sooo very handy when you’re out and about with a newly potty trained little one!
Pull Ups and Training Bottoms
You will still need to utilize pull ups at night for a while and having training underwear is also great for school or home when accidents can still happen. We always just used the Target brand ones and never had any issues.
Time of Year
I highly recommend if you can help it to do potty training in the Spring or Summer. For little girls this is super easy because they are likely wearing little dresses to make it easy to get to the potty without going through so many layers. For little boys I love this to because there are less layers to change when accidents inevitably do happen.
Watch for Cues
As a parent you will likely see cues that your little one is ready to start potty training, but also be open to input from caregivers, teachers, trusted family members or grandparents about when the time is right.
Finally all of these suggestions on essentials and recommendations on timing and how to introduce potty training are based on my own experience. If you try and it just isn’t right for your son or daughter then stop take a break and revisit again when you are both more prepared. Finally, pediatricians are always a great resource if you have further questions or concerns! Happy Potty Training!