Ah yes, potty training. It’s funny how many things you forgot your parents actually taught you growing up…BRB while we call ours to thank them for dealing with the ~journey~ that is teaching a child to poop and pee in the potty. ANYWAYS, if you’re *over* the diaper phase and ready to introduce your LO to the world of big kid bathrooms, we hear you. Before you embark, we tapped our community of veteran parents to share the wisdom they learned from potty training their kiddos.
Always leave the house prepared.
Never leave the house without a change of clothes and an extra pair of shoes for your kiddo. If you’re using the traveling potty seat, make sure to bring garbage bags and extra wipes for…spillage potential. Just trust us on this one, OK?
Institute the ‘dream pee.’
Once you’ve begun potty training, get your kiddo out of bed while they’re in their half asleep zombie-like state (typically around 10-11pm) and sit them on the potty. Instincts kick in and they will pee before you put them back to sleep. The ‘dream pee’ is an all-time parent hack that will likely save you a great deal of time washing your littles’ soiled sheets.
Help your kiddo visualize the shift.
As with everything in life, people are much more likely to feel motivated when they have a stake in the game. One way to do this? Have your kiddo physically discard their diapers. The act of saying goodbye helps them engage in the process and motivates them to move away from the ‘baby’ phase and into life as a big kid.
Take the potty with you on-the-go.
Whether it’s just a potty seat or the whole kit + caboodle, it’s best to bring it with you when you’re out and about. If you only practice with your mini at home, it will take much longer to cement the habit of going in the potty. So, it’s best to make sure that the option to go in the potty is always available to them when *the moment* strikes.
Accept that it might not happen all at once.
Even if your kiddo is good to go in the daytime, that doesn’t mean they’re necessarily ready for the night shift. If it takes a bit longer to phase out nighttime diapers, that is A-OK.
Don’t force it. If there’s one piece of advice that you should take from us, let it be this: do not force your child into potty training before they are ready. Every kid is different and there’s no one-size-fits-all approach when it comes to potty training. The most important factor is waiting until your kid is ready or interested in making this transition, which can happen as late as 3 years old.
