Shortly after turning 2, Brielle was showing more interest in potty training. Up until that time we had a potty out for her to sit on as she desired but with a newborn in tow I wasn’t ready to make the leap to focus on their life changing milestone. I dare say it but we are now officially potty trained (for the day, we haven’t made the overnight jump yet!)
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Here are 10 items we had to help make the process a little smoother/more fun once WE were both ready:
- Different in home potty options – I read lots of posts that either lean on the side of choosing a potty type and having them use it and others which said to have options and let them decide what they prefer in the beginning. We already had this stand alone potty from a friend so we can drag it all over the house or even outside if needed. We also purchased a Sesame Street Soft Potty Seat and Princess potty seat stationed in each bathroom in case we were near those facilities. I’m happy to report that she does use all three and will even use the regular potty without a seat!
- Travel Potty Seat – This Kalencom 2-in-1 Potette Plus is stationed in our car for on the go emergencies. I’ve heard horror stories about traffic or not making it to a rest stop while in the car and it just sounds messy! She hasn’t had to use it yet but we’re ready!
- Potty Hook – This hook is pretty inexpensive and worth it to keep the seat off the floor.
- Books about the potty – Brielle is already an interested reader and I like the idea of books helping to teach lessons. P is for Potty! was a birthday gift back in August and Monsters Love Underpants was another that came at Christmas. Grab a collection and start getting them interested in this new potty training adventure!
- Stickers / Treats for incentives – Fun (creepy?) fact: I was potty trained on M&Ms. Since Brielle isn’t one to get a lot of treats, especially candy, mini M&Ms were a great incentive for her to go in the beginning. Then we switch over to stickers on a fun potty chart I made her, which she was more of a fan. She LOVED putting stickers on her chart (1 for “peeps” as she called it, and 2 for…ya know) Feel free to download your own copy HERE or by clicking the image above! I’m happy to report that copies of it were used for my nephews who are now both working on being fully potty trained as well!
- Step Stool – Our potty seemed taller than normal so she needed a 2 Up Step Stool to get comfortable on top. Tip: buy both a single and double step version and have your child try them out to see which looks more comfortable for their hike to the top. This was the second one I purchased as a single step was too short for our potty height.
- Pull Ups – I also read many conflicting posts about pull up training pants and whether they’d help encourage potty training or hinder it as some kids still consider and use them like diapers. We immediate called them underwear (or “underwears” as she called them) and she knew they were more special than the everyday diaper. To us, it was a slow transition and way to make her feel more like a big girl without creating a mess when she had an accident.
- Cute underwear – Get some cute underwear (or better yet, let them pick it out for themselves) and encourage the opportunity for them to wear them as a “big girl/big boy” during potty training season. For the longest time she wore underwear in the morning and afternoon when we were home and just a pull up for nap. Now she’s all excited to sport her cute “underwears”!
- Faucet Extender – Potty training is, of course, a great opportunity to continue teaching good hygiene and the importance of washing hands. Pick up a single faucet extender to the sink so they are able to wash at the sink when they’re done.
- Toddler Soap – To follow up the last point, toddler soap is a great addition to your bathroom accessories. We use Kandoo hand soap for Brielle, keeping one at every sink the house! She loves the smell and calls them “Brielle’s soap” feeling special to have her own accessory in our bathroom. (Side note: we also use the Kandoo flushable cleaning wipes to clean up after…ya know) Check out their website as there always seems to be coupons to print!
Share some of your potty training tips in the comments below!
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