Potty Training Tips: What Really Helps

I hate potty training. Sorry, that’s probably not what you want to read at the start of a blog post about potty training tips, but I feel better now it’s out of the way! Potty training can be messy, tedious and embarrassing at times. I had my fair share of ‘poonamis’ sans nappy (well, not mine, the kids’!) and puddles in the middle of town.

A Positive Potty Training Experience?

Potty training can be all these things but it doesn’t have to be, and as I am starting another potty training journey with my youngest, I have decided to shake off that negative mindset and to give Wriggly a positive potty training experience with the Huggies Pull-Ups 6 Steps to Potty Success. Go me!

Rather than worrying about the negatives (puddle of urine at the Waitrose checkout, anyone?), I will be patient and focus on the overall sense of achievement Wriggly gets when she manages to control her bladder. The plan is to be prepared when we’re out and about so I can take a relaxed approach to little accidents.

3 Potty Trained Children, 1 to Go!

I will not bore you with a detailed account of each of my children’s potty training days (there’s a video below for that!), but here is a short summary of how it went:

• Crevette: boy – out of cloth nappies soon after he turned 2.
• Beanie: girl – started potty training at 2 1/2 – took a long time (about 18 months) before she was fully dry during the day.
• Jumpy: girl – toilet trained herself (no potty) a few months before she turned three.

When Do You Know Your Child Is Ready to Potty Train?

Wriggly has just turned 3. She is more than ready to potty train, but until recently, I was not ready, so I waited. Every child is different and they all respond in their own individual way to potty training. One method might work with one but not with the next.

Wriggly recently started picking her clothes and getting dressed in the morning. Every morning, she tries to wear knickers instead of a nappy. Her key worker at preschool also suggested it was time to go with the flow and encourage Wriggly to use the toilet or potty. In light of all this, I joined forces with the lovely people at HUGGIES® Pull-Ups®, who sent us lots of potty training tips, expert advice and a box full of goodies to help us achieve this monumental milestone. The box was so big Wriggly could fit in it.

So could her sister!

HUGGIES® Pull-Ups® and potty training expert Dr Wittenberg also shared The 6 steps to Potty Training Success with us. It all makes a lot of sense. Check out the 6 steps here.

Copyright: HUGGIES® Pull-Ups®

If you watched our video above, it is quite clear that Wriggly and I are both ready (step 1). We waved goodbye to nappies (step 2) for good last week. When I tried putting a nappy on her last night as she had just been sick, she refused and demanded her night time training pants (HUGGIES® Pull-Ups®). I particularly like this checklist focusing on readiness. If you can tick 3 or more, you are ready to get started with potty training!

Copyright: HUGGIES® Pull-Ups®

We are most definitely on step 3 with Wriggly. She wears Pull-Ups® with knickers on top and every hour or so, I encourage her to use the potty, without being forceful. Although we have only been going a week, I find it really encouraging that we are on step 3 out of 6. There is a sense of achievement and I can see us succeeding without too much trouble. Wriggly still needs to lean wet from dry. That’s our next big thing (step 4), then we will focus on night-time dryness (step 5). All we will have to do after that is being consistent (step 6). Doesn’t seem so hard or tedious now!

Here is a little video about our experience of potty training, a few potty training tips, things that worked and a cute toddler!

Our Potty Training Essentials

Here are the things I mentioned in my video:
• HUGGIES® Pull-Ups® Day Time
• HUGGIES® Pull-Ups® Night Time

• Potty
• Toilet seat adapter
• Step
• Soap or nice hand wash
• Stickers
• Glow-in-the-dark stars or feet to guide your little one to the toilet at night (or night light)
• Timer to remind your little one it is time to go to the toilet
• Potty training books and activities
• wipes
• backpack for little one to take when out and about (couple of Pull-Ups®, wipes, plastic bag, change of clothes)

Save me on Pinterest for later:

Have you got any good potty training tips?

Disclosure:
This is a commissioned post as we are working with HUGGIES® Pull-Ups® this year but all opinions and photos are my own. You can get HUGGIES® Pull-Ups® from the baby aisle.