10 ways to make Potty Training a total wipeout!

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Two words every mama dreads yet knows it must be done. Potty Training !

I was anti-potty training. Once we trained I hated it even more. Oh the road trips became a nightmare. I think at this point in life, we’ve been to pretty much every gas station bathroom on the East Coast. And yes they are as disgusting as one can imagine.  Or actually worse. I’ve seen things, horrible things…*stares away into the darkness.*

So, we started at 18 months because well, mommy world pressure. And for the most part it wasn’t too bad. She would pee in the pot but never poop. And then came the withholding of poop. So I backed out.  Besides I have not mentioned this enough, but I’m a bit of a sanitizing freak so I hate having to go to a public restroom.  But it wasn’t meant to be…we had to go to every public restroom that existed. Just for that reason, I ended up getting a travel kids seat that goes on top of the seat. I wasn’t a huge fan of the  ‘sitting down potty seat’ since it freaks me out too.  Oh and I wash my hands like a millions times a day. Hmmm I’m not a germophobe but I’m sensing a lot of  issues!

Anyways back to the freaky mom and potty training. So we stuck with diapers until around the 2nd birthday. Then Elmo came in our world with the Potty book. Things started to change. The darn red puppet gave my toddler the motivation to give potty training another go. I was horrified! I was losing my grip on diapers!  I mean I was willing to give up necessities to be able to pay for diapers and not have to take the little one to the bathroom when away from our house.

But it wasn’t meant to be. We were being potty trained whether I liked it or not. The toddler had been cheering me on in the bathroom since ages(still have not had a day of privacy!) so it was my turn to return the favor. And yes we sang the potty songs and we cheered her on, so now she was down with the bathroom drill.

We clapped at every potty trip and flushed and wiped the cute Minnie Mouse Toilet seat (memory foam baby!) we got for her. It was like a Broadway performance each and every time. I was even beginning to think my toddler liked sitting on the seat a lot more than actually doing her ‘business’.

Anyhoo, once I knew the potty training bug caught her, I switched to training pants. And started taking her to the bathroom every so often. Many times we went and got nothing. But I didn’t cheer or clap l, so pretty soon we were able to identify what qualified as a success.  There were also days where we went without a diaper. But suspicious shapes around the butt area soon fixed that and we were wearing training pants all day.

At night I would still be using overnight diapers since I honestly don’t believe the training pants have that much absorbing capabilities. And to be honest, I was tired of washing the sheets because of well…leaks !

Around the same time we were working on sleep training and stopping milk after sleeping. So essentially weaning of all sorts. Voila, no more accidents. Like seriously I kid you not, I did not have to wake up at 5 am to change the diaper in order to avoid laundry. Eventually I stopped diapers at night by the time she was 2 years 3 months.

I’m going to say it again, my toddler has a deep LOVE for public restrooms. Like intense love, especially for those cramped airplane ones. She would want to go for no reason. And remember my phobia? Well the only solution I had was to get tons of wet wipes, Sanitizing spray, travel potty, Kandoo. I vaguely remember that I subconsciously keep mumbling  don’t touch anything, don’t touch anything, everything is lava!

Well months later, I still don’t like public restrooms…she still loves them but I’ve mellowed down. I’ve accepted that diapers are gone and this is our life now. I will be the public restroom explorer for sometime and that is my destiny.

So what helped in our potty training adventure that I tried vehemently to discourage? A couple tips and hacks that pretty much made potty training a lot less scary than what I had heard of. Check out some of the tips for doing the biz!

Some tips for  doing the Business

1. Similar to Baby Led Weaning , we went with Toddler Led Training. She  dictated the path for when she was ready rather me forcing her. That led to holding  and in man cases leads to UTIs and other scary issues.
2. Applauding each time there was success  Cheer for those #1s, clap away for those #2s . Don’t ask questions, just clap away!
3. Letting the toddler choose her toilet seat . This part was fun! We went to a couple stores to see what the seats looked like and she got to choose the one she liked. That really got her excited to try it out that adorable Disney Minnie Mouse Potty Seat . It comes with a toilet tank or a potty hook for easy storage                                                                            There are potty toilet seats too.I know some moms love the Disney Baby Minnie Mouse 3-in-1 or Disney Baby Mickey Mouse 3-in-1 (they turn into step stools!)

   

   

   

4. Adding story time on going potty.   We used Elmo Potty Time Songs . This was a present we received and boy was it a useful one. It has music to some of the kids favorite nursery rhymes that you sing along to but with potty training lyrics. Its was awesome! We would often sit on the seat and sing it there too!                                                   
5. Retain the audience – privacy is overrated. Applaud your own bathroom success with your little one. That will establish that you and your little one are doing the same thing. Well in reality you will never have privacy for the next couple years anyways, might as well use it to your advantage!
6. Go to the bathroom frequently and consistently.  That’s just to continue to establish the bathroom relationship. Especially first thing in the morning. We all have to pee when we wake up, them tiny humans too. You can use a seat or kids potty such as the or the adorable Summer Infant Step by Step Potty, or whatever works for you. Just remember to annoy the kids in succumbing to your will and going on the potty. You can win this!
   

   

   

7. Eventually getting to training pants.  Don’t rush it. These diapers are not well enough to retain the kid’s ..ahem..business! So take it easy and until your little one starts going in the potty, I wouldn’t recommend wearing them. Trust me, my ex-mattress is proof enough. Or if you would prefer, I can share the stories I’ve had about picking up some..ahem..business.
8. Having diaper free, training pants free hours. Okay so this one is tricky. Only try it out when you will be able to give your full attention to your LO. Otherwise keep gallons of Clorox and Lysol nearby! The only reason this helps is before they go kids will stop or have a certain expression and not wearing a layer of protection will make them think (for a split second) before going and that split second is what you to rush them to the seat! Oh the adrenaline, oh the rush. This is so fun right? Keep extra paper towels too.
9. Get one of those spray sanitizers . I spray the heck out of  everything.  Even my husband.
10. Have an deep love for public bathroom. Sigh. My toddler has some obsession with public restrooms. We’ve had a million false alarms especially when we’re out. And don’t even ask about the road trips. Think gas station restrooms…now multiply what you thought by 10. Let’s just say I have seen things. That’s why I started getting Mighty Clean Baby Disposable Toilet Seat Covers and a travel seat. Super easy and compact. Works perfectly on airplane toilets too! For the travel seat I used Playtex Cushioned Folding Potty Seat

Lastly have a strong heart. There are going to filthy things that you will see and possibly touch (I’m so sorry!).  Remember, this too shall pass!


Leave a comment and let me know how potty training went for you or if you have some awesome tips that worked for you!