Potty "Learning"

I am a mom to a rambunctious, independent, and smart 2.5 year old. We are neck-deep in the transition from diapers to being a fully potty trained human being. Next up, college.

Part of me is so sad to see the diaper stage be over for my first-born because it's another sign of her growing up, but it helps that I have a 3 month old right now too so my husband and I are literally neck-deep in diaper trash.

Because my daughter has a mind of her own, we have been experiencing a dramatic and completely stubborn little mind, so we have not been applying too much pressure. To prepare for the day that she would be "ready", I did a little prep work on the front-end. I started by putting a small potty that was perfect for her size in the main bathroom that she uses. Here is the potty that we chose Summer Infant Potty https://amzn.to/3wu3TWR

We chose this one for several reasons:

1. Resembles a realistic potty

2. Low to the ground

3. Removable basin for easy cleaning

4. A handle that allows the child to "flush" (it makes the flushing sound too)

The storage compartment on the back where I can store potty books and wipes

I made sure to select several potty books with her favorite characters or with sound buttons to push, flaps, etc. to help keep her busy while on the potty. Here is a few of those

Sesame Street - Potty Time with Elmo: https://amzn.to/3wqiMcG

This Little Dino Has to Potty: https://amzn.to/49s8szr

Cocomelon JJ's Potty Time: https://amzn.to/4bQPhRw

I set up a potty chart as well -- this was super simple -- I just used a Sharpie on some paper to draw a some boxes the size I wanted (for my teacher friends, I just drew a 10-frame!), and I bought some of her favorite character stickers (Frozen & Minnie Mouse) You can pick these up anywhere, but here is a cute bundle for potty learning that goes on awhile (haha)

https://amzn.to/3Ih80IB

I also had a "potty jar" where she could drop in a little pee or poop emoji and track her progress. I thought this would excite her more, but to be honest, she loves the sticker chart more! For kiddos who need a different way to track their incentives, here is the jar: https://amzn.to/3OZUNrj

For my family, we do a lot of driving. We are traveling a lot, and sometimes, we are out at our farm for awhile working or managing cattle, so I knew I wanted to have a system for potty learning to continue during those times where you can't get to a real bathroom. For this reason, I purchased this portable option https://amzn.to/4bQPAvE

I keep this in my car and that way I can set it up if my daughter needs to go when we don't have access to a physical bathroom. This particular one comes with liner bags too which makes clean up even easier.

To help with the fear of "big big potties", I also got a foldable seat attachment. My daughter loves to take "Froggy" with her to the potty when we are eating out or at a store, etc. https://amzn.to/3SRB0LL

Some of this may work for you, and some of it may not! Potty learning is such an ebb and flow experience for both children and parents. Having these prepped ahead of time will help immensely when your kiddo decides to start using the potty without any prior attempts! You want to keep the momentum going, so anything you can do to prep ahead of time like setting out the potty, getting them use to it, hearing the language, and practicing in all areas (home, other people's houses, stores, etc.) will help take the confusion down a notch, too. Celebrate small victories like the tiniest drop of pee in the potty and celebrate big ones!

I suggest never making negative comments surrounding this learning experience. We don't want little learners to ever feel guility or have negative associations, or this can lead to set backs and regressions. Try to avoid getting upset when kiddos have an accident (even if it is on your couch), and even if you are sooooo overstimulated and tired of changing the bed sheets night after night. At leaset try to hide those emotions from your toddler who is just simply trying to figure it out.

Some phrases and words that we try to use are:

• Actual words such as "pee" or "poop". We cut out the "teetee, peepee, doodoo, etc." Too many names for things can be soooo confusing. Stick to the same language if you can.

• Bathroom/Restroom (pick one that you use most often, try not to use both interchangeably right now)

• "Potty" to describe the actual toilet

• "Panties" vs. "Diapers"

• We try to reinforce the action by narrating the event. For example, "You went pee in the potty! or "Ryan is sitting on the potty and pooping." That way they can associate the action with the language with minimal confusion.

To help our child identify the urge to pee or poop, we talk about feeling a tickle in our tummy and then letting the pee come out. This is helpful for this age because describing it in other ways can be very complicated and not developmentally appropriate. I am a big advocate for keeping it simple.

We by NO MEANS have this figured out. This is just what has been working for us and for our 2.5 year old daughter. She is still learning to use the potty as it has not been a 3-day method and TA-DA she is solid. She goes to preschool with their own routines and procedures, and while we try to model that at home, there are other policies at play. For example, she is not verbally saying "I need to potty." yet, and therefore, she has to continue to wear diapers/pullups at school. This confuses a lot of the process when she comes home and spends time being bottomless or in panties, but it's just part of our process right now, and that's ok! Learning a new skill is NEVER linear, and there is never a one-size fits all method to learning anything. Give yourself and your kiddo grace.... They will accomplish so much more and celebrate their victories with you!

Here is a comprehensive list of some items we are using in our potty learning experience (click the image below):