Potty Training Tips from a Mom of 4
We are three (-ish) out of four kids in to the whole potty training thing. I’d like to pretend that I know exactly what I’m doing with potty training, or what they are doing, but in my experience, it’s been a lot easier if we leave it until they are ready and showing interest.
E is pretty close, except bed time and nap time. She didn’t really have any interest until she started seeing her friends at school and with a new baby in the house, I didn’t pressure her at all.
We recently had a Potty Training Party with Pampers Pampers Easy Ups® to celebrate our potty victories with friends. It’s not a party without a fun gift bag, too, filled with Easy Ups®, a children’s books about potty training, You and Me Against the Pee!, and tasty GoGoSqueez.
While the kids took pictures with a fun backdrop, some made super hero potty training masks,
ate and played,
the moms talked about their best potty training tips.
1. Wait until they are interested / ready / showing signs
This seems to be the number one tip. They need to be curious about the potty and able to communicate that they want to go. Even when my girls were stopping and knew what they were doing until they were ready to use the potty, it wasn’t happening. Call it stubborn or whatever you’d like, but it made it a lot easier when there wasn’t a battle.
2. Be prepared
Have all of the big-girl or big-boy underwear ready. Also, a step stool, or a potty seat or whatever you are going to use to help them feel independent and in charge of their pottying. For us, that also means having training pants like Easy Ups for those first trips out of the house and nap time.
3. Promote potty learning
This potty thing takes time and is a process. Mastering this eagerly anticipated milestone of childhood takes time, teaching, and plenty of practice and patience!
4. Take a teamwork approach
Remember, it’s a team sport. Remind yourself that you are (and always will be) on the same team as your child, it can really help you stay calm in the face of potty accidents and be a much more positive and effective potty training coach.
5. Celebrate success
Accidents are inevitable, but try to focus on the successes. Hugs and words of encouragement are great, but we prefer potty dances to celebrate the victories.
There are a ton of great features of Pampers Easy Ups® that we appreciate including:
· Pampers Easy Ups have fewer leaks than the other leading training pant to help simplify and improve the overall potty training experience.
· Have an absorbent core that holds 25% more than the other leading training pant to help ensure little ones remain dry.
· Up to 12 hours of protection, it works during the day AND night
· Fun Thomas & Friends® and Dora the Explorer® designs (in our house, the kids pick, we’ve done Thomas and Dora depending on their mood)
· A more underwear-like design for growing toddlers
· Graphics that fade when wet to help little ones learn
· Super-stretchy sides to make them easy to pull up and down when using the potty
· Available in sizes 2T/3T through 4T/5T
For more information, visit the Pampers Website.
What is your number one potty training tip?
This was such a fun party! I’m knee deep in potty training right now and I love EasyUps. They are especially good to hold lots of #1 when needed!
I sure hope we are close to being done, too! And, yes, they do hold a lot!
Thanks for inviting us, that book has helped a lot. We seem to be getting it down better now.
So glad you are seeing progress.
Love the potty book name. With all the new auto flush toilets in public locations make sure your child sees ahead of time it’s just flushing not attempting to suck your child in. I have also heard about moms carrying something to put over the sensor and flushing with the button when the child is finished.
Those auto-flush potties are terrifying!
Sounds like you all had a fun party. Although I am not in the middle of pottying training now, we will be down the road. I found with my others that I had to take it one day at a time and not get frustrated. I had to do as you suggested, celebrate the successes!
Definitely one day at a time….and trying not to get frustrated. Of course, that’s easier said than done.
I’ll need these again before we know it! Although I hear boys are much more difficult… we’ll see. Great party and helpful tips!
My best tip: Even if they tell you they are ready, wait just a little bit more…. I wish I hadn’t listened to Red… he was actually a few months from really getting it together and it SO prolonged our process.
So happy to have attended this party and excited to potty train a new one (in a few years!)