I’m not sure if there is any task more daunting than teaching a toddler how to use the toilet. As yucky as it may seem, diapers are pretty darn convenient – expensive, but convenient! Car rides, lines at the grocery store, restaurants without bathrooms – all of these situations are stressful enough even without the added pressure of a possible accident! It never fails though. There comes a time when the thought of potty training creeps into your head. Someone at preschool, a great aunt, or that crunchy mama who is still breastfeeding and used cloth diapers who now has a 16-month-old using the potty, all have an opinion about why your child should be potty trained NOW. The holiday weekend before Aubrey’s second birthday I thought we were ready. I thought I was gonna “keep her naked for three days and she would be potty trained by Monday!” HA! We tried this method for about 8 hours, and after the 10th time cleaning up pee off the floor I was over it.
Fast forward a few months and I was as ready as I would ever be to try again. That was the best decision. Tip #1: You just can’t force something on a toddler until they’re ready! Tip #2: I don’t think there is any “magic method”. We had the basic idea of having on just underwear for easy on/off and so she could feel herself if she was wet, and setting a timer to try going in intervals. We lucked out with our timing and it clicked after a couple of days. Do we still have accidents? Now and again. Does she battle sitting on the potty to poop? Yup. Or when shes in the middle of playing or watching her favorite show? You bet. But she’s getting better and I just think that is the way it goes with a strong willed two year old!
After spending hours sitting next to the potty and a few months of practice, I’ve rounded up some of the essentials for a pleasant potty experience!
(disclaimer: by no means is all of the “necessary”, it has just made life with a potty training toddler and little sister always in tow a bit more convenient. *contains affiliate links)
So much stuff, right? Well let me tell you – its worth it! We started off with just the mini potty at home. I loved that it wasn’t too much of an eye sore and she loved that it was “just her size!” It makes a little flush noise when you pull the handle and the lid comes off the back so you can store wipes or, like Aubrey, hide toys in. Soon after came the step stool and faucet extender because this mama was tired of lifting her up to wash her hands a million times a day! Once she got the hang of the potty, we changed out the seat on the closest bathroom to our living area. This may seem a bit dramatic, but let me tell you, its so nice to not have to deal with one of those little cushion seats and having to hang or store it somewhere. The kid seat just magnets to the lid and when Aubrey is going to use it, she just has to open the whole lid and then pull it down for the “perfect size seat!”
I’m pretty sure I avoided leaving the house for over a week once we started this! The thought of traveling or being caught somewhere without easy access to a restroom was scary! That’s where the
OXO travel potty comes in! You guys – its genius! We’ve used this at the park, in the back of my car, and I’m not even ashamed to say, on the patio of a restaurant that didn’t have a bathroom! (I swear she was blocked by the walls and the stroller – you gotta do what you gotta do!) Even when we go in a public restroom, you can either lay the legs flat to use on top of the toilet, or just use it on its own. The
bags that come with it are also amazing! I cannot even count how many times this thing has saved us over the past few months! Also, the
hand purifier and
spray are perfect for those potty breaks in the trunk or when I’ve got too much going on with a toddler and a baby and washing hands in a sink just isn’t going to happen! My faves are the Thieves line from
Young Living! If you haven’t heard me rave about it, you can read up
here and
here!
Unfortunately for me, I do not own this car seat protector, but you better bet when searching for this stuff to link on Amazon I ordered it! Nothing is worse than hearing, “Mommy I pee-pee’d!” from the back seat! This would have saved so much time!
I hope this post was helpful! If you have a potty trained toddler, YAY YOU! If you’re thinking about starting this milestone, I hope for a smooth transition!
Do you have any potty training essentials that you couldn’t live without?! I’d love to hear about them!
xoxo
Whitney
| This blog post may contain affiliate links that I receive a small commission on. Every product I review or recommend is something I would use or purchase myself. I am grateful for your support and love for the brands and companies that support the Whitney Michaels blog. |
* Whitney Michaels is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.
the Whitney Michaels blog 