Monday 22 January 2018

TODDLER: Our Potty Training Journey and 10 Tips that Helped

A few months ago now we breached the much dreaded (on my part) milestone of potty training with Isabella. I was dreading it for many reasons, partially because I worked in a nursery during the summer of my degree and saw the mess that can be created and partially because having two children to look after is hard enough without the addition of potty training too. However when a lot of our NCT friends started potty training their children I started to wonder whether it was our time too. After many discussions with fellow mummies, buying all the paraphernalia that comes with potty training and setting a date in my head (and telling nursery so I was committed!) we were all ready for the big change.

Though changing Isabella's nappy had become such a chore with the constant wriggling, chasing around and crying almost every time it needed changing I still wasn't sure she was ready. I read up on the signs - saying they need the toilet, not liking being in a wet/soiled nappy, having a dry nappy after an hour or so etc. - none of which I thought Isabella was particularly doing. We had had a potty in the bathroom since she was about 15 months old, just so it was never something scary or unfamiliar. Since then she had used the potty at random points, but had then shown little interest of wanting to.

I have to admit, although Isabella was only 2.5 years old, I did feel a certain amount of pressure to get her potty trained. There was no actual pressure put on me, but somehow I felt it and just couldn't shift it. Weeks passed and Isabella's little friends were all doing so well with their potty training that I became curious to know how Isabella would do. My visions of mess everywhere, endless outfit changes and a long old journey to dry days/nights made me extremely nervous, but it had to be done and I was just putting off the inevitable. So when there was a gap between holidays and Christmas I knew we had to take the plunge and put Isabella in pants.

The week before I started speaking to Isabella about not wearing nappies anymore and she seemed excited about the prospect. I bought a variety of pants, including Frozen ones from Primark (her current favourite obsession), vests without poppers and some disposable changing mats from Aldi. We were ready! We started potty training on a Thursday because Isabella wasn't in nursery for another five days, the weekend was just around the corner and we didn't have any plans.

Overall I'd say it's been pretty smooth, after three accidents Isabella seemed to get the hang of using the potty and has had very few accidents since. I can barely believe I'm writing this because I was so sure she wasn't showing any of the signs, but it seems she was more ready than I thought. Now she uses both the potty and toilet, so that makes life easier when we're out and about. It hasn't been anywhere near as messy as I thought it would be and for that I'm so grateful! We still have the night times to tackle and I still feel slightly on edge when we are out for the day, but generally Isabella mastered potty training pretty quickly.


Below are my top 10 Tips and Tricks for Potty Training:

1) Wear leggings - they soak up more wee, making accidents a lot easier to clean up.
2) Have a potty upstairs and downstairs that is accessible - that way there doesn't have to be a mad dash up/down stairs.
3) Make washing hands part of the routine - Perhaps goes without saying, but even if you're wiping them, making hand washing part of the routine will hopefully help later down the line. 
4) Support them in pulling their own trousers and pants up/down - Independence is key, with a lot of toddlers insisting on it. Teaching them to pull their own pants/trousers/tights down means that they will be able to go to the toilet by themselves in no time. 
5) Use disposable changing mats to sit on in the car seat - This tip also works well for cinema visits early into potty training because it takes the stress out. If they have an accident it will be soaked up and can be discreetly dealt with. 
6) Get a doll's potty - Role play is something a lot of toddler's love to do, so prior to starting potty training it can be helpful to get a doll's potty for them to practice acting out with. Getting the doll to pull down their trousers, wipe afterwards and 'wash' their hands gets toddlers familiar with the procedure of going to the toilet. 
7) Buy pants that have a character on they love - Whether it be Frozen, Peppa Pig, Paw Patrol or any of the other popular children's characters, finding pants with them on makes it all the more exciting. 
8) Buy a couple of steps - Initially this will be needed for your toddler to reach the sink for hand washing, but very quickly they'll be able to learn how to sit on the 'big toilet' using the step. Having a step for the sink and for the toilet makes life easier, as you don't have to keep moving them around between the two. 
9) Don't start with physical rewards - This might be a bit of a controversial one, but I decided to start with no physical reward at all. Having two children is a juggling act at the best of times, not to mention throwing in a big milestone like potty training. When we started I thought I'd see how Isabella did and then introduce sticker rewards if necessary. We've never needed to use physical rewards, which has saved money, time and is more convenient. It won't suit everyone, but could be worth trying to start with because you can always introduce it later if needed. I opted for high fives, 'no accident' dances (quite the sight I can assure you!) and lots of positive praise.
10) Try not to hold back due to your own fear - This might not be true for everyone, but personally I was scared of taking Isabella on longer car journeys and days out in pants. What if she had an accident? Can we only visit places with a toilet near by? How will I manage to take her to the toilet while wearing Poppy? Despite these worries we have never used pull ups during the day and only put her in a nappy for a longer car journey twice (or if it falls during nap time). It is sometimes good to stop and question whether you're putting them in a nappy for their benefit or yours?

If you're about to embark on the potty training journey I wish you the best of luck. My biggest piece of advice would be to not bow to external pressure and wait until your child is ready. 

What are/were your biggest fears when it comes to potty training?

Feel free to leave a comment - I love reading every single one :)

Helen x

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26 comments

  1. Great tips, especially about wearing leggings - that would never have occurred to me! I was like you, worrying about how much mess there'd be - however, both of my boys were fairly straight forward, especially my youngest. I did give a sweetie as a reward and gave a little dance and song too! haha I am sure you will find your own way and it will go great!

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  2. I was like you, I dreaded potty training and thought Max wasn't at all ready as he showed none of the signs. But all of a sudden he wanted to wear pants, so I went with it. I think we had one false start, and I abandoned, then 2 weeks later he asked again and he nailed it in a couple of days. I remember being so nervous about taking him out, but he's never once had an accident outside of the house. I highly recommend the My Carry Potty - we still take it with us in the car now!

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  3. Potty training can be really stressful - I think it's great that you have been able to do it without physical rewards. I love the idea of role playing with a doll's potty it definitely makes it seem more fun!

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  4. Potty training is such a daunting prospect. My oldest 3 were all 2 years 9 months and they did it themselves. They chose their time and there were very few accidents if any. :)

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  5. Oh my goodness potty training! I don't miss this at all haha! Great tips. My daughters both loved choosing their own princess knickers :)

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  6. What fab tips - she's done so well! My goddaughter has just been potty trained around the same age and lots of these tips would have been so handy!

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  7. My nephew took his sweet time but how he took to it once he started was awesome, even now I am amazed but we felt it best to let him to do at his own pace. Great tips

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  8. We did pretty much the same as you. We made a huge thing about our daughter picking out her own knick knicks and potty. We stayed at home solidly for about a week so that there was no pressure and just went for it. We also did a reward chart with chocolate buttons and at the end got her a new dolly as a prize. Well done to Isabella x

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  9. I hate potty training the most. These are some very helpful hints that I wish I'd had when my kids were small.

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  10. The idea of the fun pants is cool! And I think you have some good reason not to use physical rewards. Thanks for this! We are off to try it soon!

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  11. Our youngest is coming up for potty training. His big brother was already dry at this point, but you are right, it's so important to remember that they need to be ready. We moved house and country last year, and the time was just not right as there was too much else for him to deal with.

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  12. Well done to your little one. I am glad this horrid task of potty training is almost behind you and good luck with the nights... I hope all goes smooth

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  13. I am so glad we have done potty training here! Great tips, well done! Kaz

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  14. I'm so glad I don't have to go through it again with my two. I think the child has to be ready - even if that doesn't fit in with mum and dad's schedule. We had a great book - Pirate Pete's Potty which makes a cheering sound - Ieuan used to love it. We also used pull up pants to bridge the gap between nappies and pants.

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  15. I dreaded potty training the first time around, but I think the key to everything is timing. If they are ready then it will be ok. If they are not ready it will be hard work and it's best to stop and try again in a few weeks.

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  16. These are all great tips. All 3 of mine were so different to do, with different results all at different ages!! However, the biggest challenge was doing 2 (twins) within months of each other!

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  17. Such great tips, sadly I'm not a mother, but I will pass these on to those I know who are! x

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  18. These are great potty training tips. I like that you described the leggings as being useful as they soak up the wee which is better for accidents!

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  19. Great tips, this post will really help those going through the training process! xo

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  20. Mine loved having characters on their pants! It made them so happy to wear them

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  21. Love these tips, I'll have to share this with my step sister as she's about to start potty training my nephew x

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  22. Great tips! This is definitely helpful as this phase can get challenging especially to new parents.

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  23. Another vote for character underwear. I would swear Elsa helped with Isla's potty training, too, ha.

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  24. Some great tips ! Gosh it seems like a life time ago when I was potty training ! - Unconventional Kira

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  25. Potty training is my least favourite parenting job but Sebastian took to it surprisingly well and sailed through it. Patience is key!

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  26. There is a center for Pre NCT check where they serve the best service and it is really necessary to check your cars NCT. It ensure that your car is suitable for the drive or not.

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