Potty training can be a dreadful time for toddlers and parents. I’ve heard horror stories from friends and family about the awful process. Some parents warned me it could take months or years to get my son out of pull-ups and into underwear full time.
So, before I started the potty training process with my son, I did a lot of research on what to expect and how to prepare myself (and him). After endless reading and stressing, I came to the conclusion that no matter how many blogs I read, my process and my experience would be different because no child or family situation is the same. I just had to dive in, expect the worst, and hope for the best.
Because I cloth diapered my son, I also wanted to start the potty training process using reusable training pants. They’re similar to pull-ups, just reusable. You can find my favorites here. I also stocked up on his favorite character underwear, potty seats, and reusable training pants.
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At first, I was determined to get him trained in 3 days (just like all the miracle Pinterest stories). In reality, I knew that whatever happened was going to happen, and I only had 1/2 the control in this process. If you think you’re ready to start potty training, there are some tools you better have ready and waiting because it’s gonna be a tough couple days.
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11 Must-Have Potty Training Tools To Make the Process Easier
- Potty chairs for the house
- Stool
- Potty chair for the car– a lifesaver all parents should have stashed in the trunk for those unexpected gotta-go moments!
- Carseat protector
- Portable potty seat for public potty– to keep away icky germs and security. Having a similar potty chair in public situations will help the process go smoother.
- Character underwear– these go my son excited to his favorite characters on his big boy undies.
- Flushable kids wipes– remember their delicate booties aren’t used to regular toilet paper yet.
- Disposable Pull-Ups or Reusable Pull-Ups-for bedtime only.
- Reward System- sometimes bribery is a must. Don’t feel ashamed. Slowly you can ween them off of the potty prizes.
- Bathroom Toy/Book basket- use for entertainment while your child is on the potty.
- Potty Chart-use this with your child to track their progress. Let them apply stickers each time.
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I’m a firm believer that in order for this to work and go smoothly your child has to be ready. Meaning they have to be showing most of the mental signs which include asking to be changed when their diaper is wet, hiding when pooping, keeping their diaper dry for long periods, and in some cases, being interested in how mommy and daddy use the bathroom.
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I started potty training my son when he was 2 years and 4 months old. He didn’t have any real interest in using the potty but he showed all the other signs so I figured I would give it a shot.
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One of the best tips I got from a friend was to eliminate pull-up use during the day, only have him wear underwear, and put him on the potty every 20 minutes to avoid accidents. Pull-ups, because they are similar to diapers, may not enforce training. With my son, the cloth pull-up was too similar to a diaper so he just continued to pee and poop in them. So I only used underwear during the day and pull-ups at night. This, along with a great reward system and a lot of patience is what did the trick for me. He was potty trained in 5 days!
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Some of my son’s favorite potty training books:
Potty Superhero: Get Ready for Big Boy Pants
Potty Training Tools to buy on Amazon:
What are some of your favorite potty training tools? Share in the comments below.
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Hi! I’m Meagan and I’m a 41 year old mom of a high energy almost 9 year old, happily navigating my way through the little boy years. I’ve been married for 14 years. I met my husband over 20 years ago in high school; we got married 10 years later after graduating from the University of South Florida. I currently help run a family business with my parents while blogging about my life and love of DIY projects!
When I’m not at a kids sports game, I enjoy spending time with my family on a beach anywhere. I also love decorating and organizing, fun DIY projects, bargain shopping, and eating out or in! I also love Barbecue anything and a good show or movie on Netflix.
Great tips! I don’t have a little one, but my friends do and it’s not an easy process !
It can definitely test your patience, especially if you’re not prepared. Thanks for checking out the post.
this is sooo cute!!! i dont have kids yet but will surely suggest this to my brother who has his own kids now. 🙂 and by the way, your son is sooo cute as well!
What a great list of must have’s for potty training! Wish I would have known about it sooner! thank you for sharing!
I think having a potty chair in the car is a great idea!
It’s a lifesaver, I recommend it to every friend who has kids!!