Thank you Walmart for sponsoring this post!
My children are now 6 and 4 and though I’ve gotten a ton of questions about the topic, I’ve never dedicated a full post to potty training – until now!
Potty training has so many ups and downs and each child is so different – but the biggest lesson I learned throughout the process is that patience is sometimes the only answer. You can try different methods and bribe with toys and candy till’ the cows come home (is that still an expression?), but ultimately, your child decides when he or she is ready to be fully potty trained.
We didn’t use any particular method to potty train our kids – between daycare being SO on top of it in this area and being consistent at home, we didn’t feel the need to try any one method over another. What we did do was expose our kids to the potty through books about potty training early on and by buying them a potty (initially just to talk about it and wait until they were ready to sit on it).
Though both of our kids were potty trained when they were about 2.5 (starting earlier than that, but staying dry at night by then), our potty training journey was not without its challenges.
Both of our children were so awesome at sleeping through the night while staying dry – we didn’t have to use training pants for a very long time. There were a few accidents here and there, but nothing significant.
A lot of children potty train more easily for #1, but when it came to #2, it was a whole new ballgame with our second. He just would not go on the potty, ever. He would ask for a pull-up and would cry and scream and refuse to sit on the potty even though he had zero issues going #1 on the toilet multiple times per day. This lasted for months and we were stumped because he was fully potty trained for #1, including sleeping through the night, and none of our attempts for #2 on the potty were working. We tried everything we read about online, asked friends for advice, etc., but the lesson I learned was that time was the only answer.
One day, out of the blue after school, my son looked me straight in the eye and whispered to me “I’m going to do it mommy” and he walked to the potty, climbed up the stool and did it – I was stunned! He decided that day that he was done with training pants for #2 and just went for it. We were so proud of him and I feel silly now for ever even trying any other methods (stickers, candy, toys, all the bribes!)
Along the way, there were a lot of products that helped reinforce potty training at home and I’m partnering with Walmart today to share some key items to have on hand when potty training your toddler. This month, Walmart is celebrating the 20th anniversary of Parent’s Choice, their exclusive baby brand that offers quality products at a great value – they even have Paw Patrol training pants (a huge motivator for little ones!)
SHOP POTTY TRAINING ESSENTIALS:
potty book (and here and here)
We first introduced the potty by purchasing these potty books when we saw our oldest show an interest in the potty. We would read the books over and over to get her excited about trying to use the potty and to show what the process looks like and how you get a reward at the end (big girl undies!)
potty
Purchasing a potty while toddlers are first being exposed to potty training is key – it gives them their own special place to first start their potty training journey and is the perfect size for little ones – we kept one in nearly every bathroom so we could give our children access to a potty on every floor of our home.
cushioned potty seat (pink option here)
These potty seats are SO key for toddlers – they make the toilet much less intimidating once they’re ready to move on from the floor potty. This one is super cushioned and it makes the toilet a better fit for their small bottoms so they don’t fall in – I can imagine it’s scary for toddlers to have that big opening – these totally solve that problem and are comfy as well!
step stool (blue option here)
We have step stools in every bathroom of our home – not only are they great for brushing teeth and for parents to sit on at bath time, but they’re perfect for toddlers because the help them get on the toilet “all by themself” which you will hear 100 times when you have a toddler, haha! This one has the cutest star print and the stars give it extra grip so little feet don’t slip.
training pants for girls (here too) and boys
My kids LOVED having their favorite characters on their potty training pants – they always got excited to pick them out at the store. These are great to use as a transition from regular diapers and help teach toddlers the “pull down and pull back up” routine of wearing real undies once they’re potty trained.
disposable bed mats
I cannot recommend having these on hand enough when your child is potty training! Just put it under their bed sheet and if your child has an accident, no worries that your mattress will be ruined – just change the sheets and add a new protective liner. If your older child still has accidents at night, you can also try these bed time underpants that go up to larger sizes.
I hope you enjoyed this post! Every potty training experience is so different and the best advice I have is to be patient and know that all kids progress in their own time – it’s so helpful to remember this during the frustrating moments – I know I needed a few reminders myself!
SHOP POTTY TRAINING ESSENTIALS:
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