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Potty Training {Take Six}

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Today is Day 3 of potty training Noah, and I have to say it’s going very well. I’m thinking it helps that his older brothers and sister remind him that he needs to use the potty like a big boy, rather than going in his pants. Most of all, though, I know he was more than ready to shed the diaper.

Even though I have been through this training process five times before – four, really, since Ben trained himself – I still dreaded it this go ’round. All of my boys were close to three when I began, so they all picked it up pretty quickly, especially with our potty training system.

I’d like to share some items we’ve had handy with each potty training experience ::

pirate pottyBooks — Books that provide helpful, step-by-step stories that introduce girls & boys to the concept of toilet training are incredibly helpful. There are a couple of books by Samantha Berger that we’ve had the opportunity to enjoy. Pirate Potty is a pirate-themed, toilet-training book that is fit for the little swashbuckler in your life. This book includes a pirate’s hat and reward stickers, while Princess Potty follows the same theme, but is fit for the Royal Highness in your life, complete with a tiara and reward stickers!

A Potty Chair — For the first little while, it can be intimidating for your little one to sit on a great big, adult-sized toilet. I can only imagine the sense of feeling like I could fall in! There are many different types of potty chairs, from simple to deluxe, but we have found that we really only need a basic chair with a removable “bowl” to easily rinse out between bathroom breaks.

Rewards & Incentives — While stickers work as rewards for some children, others need a bit more incentive to sit on the potty and avoid going in their pants. I let each of my children choose their own reward. Some of our favorite incentives have included licorice nibs and M&M’s.

Flushable Wet Wipes — Toilet paper can be rough on a tiny tush. Using wet wipes will help prevent rashes and also ensure a clean little booty.

Pull-Ups — I firmly believe that, once you toss out the diapers to begin potty training, you should steer clear of any type of covering that keeps the little tush dry. An accident is more apparent when wearing undies and we want our little trainee to know that s/he has had an accident. That said, we do use Pull-Ups at night, just until we can have dry nights.

Pull-Ups® training pants provided me with product coupons to try out the new Learning Designs Pull-Ups® with Toy Story 3/Princess and the Frog characters. I have also received Princess Potty and Pirate Potty to review. However, my opinions are entirely my own and I have not been paid to publish positive sentiments towards Pull-Ups® products or the Potty books.

Comments

  1. Well, we haven’t quite started potty training yet, but will start introducing the idea in the next few months. So, an essential will be the potty that I just bought, that will sit next to the big potty. At 1 1/2 he’s already showing tons of interest in doing what mommy and daddy do with the potty, so we want to just slowly get him acquainted until he’s really ready! I would LOVE to win this so we can get off to a great start with our son! Thanks so much for the chance!
    reynoldsmommy at gmail dot com

  2. Our oldest is starting to potty train (2nd attempt) and this time, he’s been motivated by M&Ms and getting a “special car” when he goes potty!

  4. We are just starting out, and so far we have a potty and a DVD, “Potty Time with Bear,” that my daughter likes.

  5. My biggest essential is PATIENCE! Patience for the process of teaching a new “trick” and patience for my kids to learn! I’m really going to need a big dose, I fear, teaching my little boy how to use the potty. I’m just not convinced that he’ll pick it up as quickly as my 2 older girls did. But who knows, he could surprise me! I think I’ll need to stock up on m&ms or jelly beans too!

  7. My potty training essentials are to keep some small toys as rewards around. Also, keep some books or something to entertain your child by the potty. So they can sit and play. Another essential is to remind, remind, remind.
    Thanks so much for this wonderful giveaway.
    rickpeggysmith(at)aol(dot)com

  13. Our potty training essentials for Natalie (2nd) include pull-ups, a seasame street potty seat and jelly beans for a reward. We have tried (and failed) twice so far and are taking a break now. We’ll probably wait at least a month to try again.

  16. I don’t know yet! We are about to start and this would be great! I need all the help I can get 😉 Thank you!

  20. We just started so it’s still trial and errors. So far, I’ve been able to get away with just clapping with enthusiasm. The novelty will probably wear off soon so we’ll be onto stickers and gummies next.

  21. m&ms or stamps work wonders =) as well as a timer to remind myself to take him to the potty

    autumn398 @ yahoo.com

  28. Potty essentials – well since my daughter has taken it upon herself to jump start this potty training – a soft potty seat. She likes to sit on the big girl potty and will tell me when she has to go. No not all the time, but I think if I put in the work with her, she’ll get trained. She’s not quite 2 years old.
    So I would love to win this stuff!
    .-= Heather @ One Take On Life´s last blog ..Wordless Wednesday: She’s his biggest fan =-.

  30. My boys are all in their 20’s so it was a long time ago that I had to deal with potty training. Now my 2 year old grandson is getting ready and since I keep him 12 hours a day, most of the potty training duties will be mine. I’ve forgotten most everything I did. I think the reward system might work well. I am going to stock up on small treats like Hotwheels and see if that method will help us.

  35. My main essential was having plenty of cleaning supplies on hand for the accidents.

  37. I made a sticker chart for my daughter and also gave her a small matchbox car every time she pooped. She watched a Sesame Street video Elmo’s Potty Time that my daughter watched and we also read some going on the potty books. Her favorite was “I Can Go Potty” with Kermit. I’m going to start to try training my son in a few months and I’m not really looking forward to it because I’m afraid he’s a little stubborn.
    .-= Janelle´s last blog ..Full to the Brim – Kid’s Book Giveaway List (6/11/10) =-.

  40. This is my 3rd child so you would think I would be a pro at this – NOPE, not at all! She is tough! I am trying everything. I bought new, “pretty” underwear, we have a potty chair in the living room AND bathroom, PLUS, we have a Dora potty seat that goes on top of our toilet, together with a step stool to help her up. She is going in the potty, but still in her pull-ups too. I make a HUGE deal when she does pee on the potty, and have a baggie with small “treats” in it as awards.

    We have movies, books, you name it – I am trying everything! I need help from the potty fairy, if you see her, PLEASE send her to my house! 🙂

  42. With my fourth daughter, I am finding that training is easier than ever. Her older sisters provide support (running to get ‘dry panties’ rewards) and make good role models. I also keep a potty chair in the van so shopping doesn’t ruin a good dry day!

  43. we were the weirdos that put a potty in the living room 🙂 WOrked for us. Now we still wear pullups at bedtime, and I am really unsure about how to get him nightime potty trained!

  44. For my son, I used Once Upon A Potty for Him, fruit loops, and stickers as rewards.

  45. Until recently, praise was the best but my son has never really gotten past me just putting him on the potty, usually successfully, after lunch. He won’t tell me anything on his own until after he’s done it so now I’m going with bribery- Pez seems to be a key here.

  46. I bribed with popcicles, which probably was not a good idea since that would make them go to the bathroom more.

  47. Our family is just about to start this for the first time so I am looking for any advice and tips. I am not on Twitter. Thank you!

  48. Unfortunately, our potty training essentials consist of paper towels and floor/toilet cleaners!!

  50. Potty training essentials include M&M’s to reward and lots of parental patience. This is something your child needs to master in his/her own time. Good luck.

  54. Time, patience, and a potty is all you need to start out. The rest is trial and error.

  55. My potty training essentials are… patience, love, some informative kiddy books, and a good potty!

  57. we use books and a lot of patience. This would be so great, we are potty training our son, and i’m totally lost. Training the girls seemed so easy.

  60. we use books and a lot of patience. This would be so great, we are potty training our son, and i’m totally lost. Training the girls seemed so easy.

  61. My potty training help is to let the toddlers look at potty training videos on you tube.

  63. Patience is the #1 requirement, but it’s in short supply at times. 😉 Otherwise, Pull-Ups (my daughter calls them Princess Pants), stickers and M&M’s.

  66. Potty training essentials include: a cup of water, plenty of distractions (toys & books), and M&M’s. It’s so hard just to get my son to sit on the potty for more than 2 seconds! (The M&Ms help bunches!) Thanks for the chance!
    Kelly D. – secrets_girl23(at)yahoo(dot)com (aka) dkad23(at)gmail(dot)com

  68. When my daughter potty trained we had many, many, many pairs of terry panties, I kept them on the back of the couch. We also left her potty chair in the living room and then as she got better we moved it closer to the bathroom and eventually in the bathroom when she finally got control.

  70. Funny story my 3 and half year old has been potty trained for a year and just asked me about the candy that use to be in the bathroom that he go for going potty….. LOL

  74. We are potty training my daughter and the 2 absolutely necc things are: her cushy tushy seat (fits over a regular toliet seat) and one of her Winnie the Pooh books. She will sit there “reading” and all of a sudden… 🙂

  76. Some of my essentials is a jar we put a colored marble in after successful trips to the bathroom, and when the jar is full there will be special treat.

  81. What are some of MY potty training essentials?

    Cheerios! For little boys it is great for teaching them to go in the toilet (great targets)

  83. Some of our potty training essentials are their favorite book or small toy (this to them is comforting), music from a small radio, new character underwear such as Tinkerbell of buzz Lightyear and disposable wipes.
    The new underwear to them signifies that they are big boys and girls now. and once I purchased them for my son he was potty trained within two days. My daughter took about a month and I am hoping that the next will go just as smoothly.
    But we do still use pull ups for night wear.

    Thank you so much for the giveaway.

    jweezie43[at]gmail[dot]com

  85. Some of my potty training essentials– Daddy and lollipops! Both are pretty motivating!

  87. My potty training “tip” would be to wait until your child is ready. If you try before they are ready, it just won’t work. Try it for a few days and if they are ready, keep going, if not try again in a month or so.

  88. Bribery 🙂 I always use a sticker chart, candy (a couple of Skittles or M&M for each success), and a bigger prize everytime they get a set number of stickers. It’s also important to find which training pants and/or underwear works best for your child. If they love them then they’re less likely to soil them. We also bought a doll that wets so that they could see the doll pee and help “train” their doll.

  90. Potty Training essentials: you must find some reward that your child is very interested in.

    macd9900 at gmail dot com

  91. Don’t expect instant results and a “virtue” that I had to learn to have-patience

  92. Potty training hasn’t started quite yet in our house, but soon… very soon… we’ve got the chair, steps, movies, etc, but I think the most important things would be diapers/pants that jr. can operate on his own should the need arise and hand wipes to make sure we all stay healthy.

  98. What are some of YOUR potty training essentials? 1. Talk about it a lot to assess if they’re really ready. 2. positive reinforcement

  99. My son won’t be ready to start potty training for probably a year or so (fingers crossed), but if I learned anything from the first 9 months, its to be prepared. So, on that note, I’d still like to win and have the ‘stuff’ ready to when I do need it instead of needing it and not having it.

  100. Potty training essentials in my home are cheerios (to reward ) and lots of toilet paper! It seems that paying with TP is funner than learning to use the potty

  102. Potty books, a washer & dryer, & a steam cleaner for the rugs. Yeah, there are going to be a lot of accidents.

  107. My potty training essential is a sentence that was told to me by an older friend of the family who taught kindergarten for 30 years. She said:

    They WILL walk, talk & be potty trained by the time they start school, don’t worrying too much about it.

    That’s helped me so much. We’re not potty training a little girl we have welcomed into our home from foster care. She’s been delayed because she hasn’t been in 1 place long enough to get a good system down. So we’re using praise, patience & a Laurie Berkner song on the iPod to reinforce using the potty. When she goes, we give high 5s, and then dance our booties off 🙂 Good flushable wipes are another essential!

  109. I would say patience is essential and cleaning supplies for when he doesn’t make it to the toilet.

  110. I do not believe that there are any potty training essentials. When the child is ready the child is ready. I let my boys run around in the back yard without a diaper. When they started seeing what happened when the pee’d something clicked for them and they understood the process. Both were completely potty trained by 18 months.

  111. potty training essentials

    potty
    pull ups
    chocolate chips (reward)
    stickers (reward)
    lots of water (to drink adn make pee)

  115. Stickers to reward them each time they go. Pullups help a lot too. A comfortable potty chair and lots of patience and praise.

  118. I don’t have any potty training essentials since I haven’t potty-trained my son yet (in a few more months…) but I’m guessing I’ll be needing lots of training pants and patience!

  123. funny books,some treats,carpet cleaner&cool underwear!

    ardelong2(at)gmail(dot)com

  130. Some potty training essentials are lots of little rewards like stickers, small toys and candy!

  131. My potty training essentials:
    potty
    pull ups
    stickers & chart (my reward system)
    patience!

  132. So far so good with potty training, however, I have always kept the portable potty close, in the living room or kitchen….might sound strange but they need to be able to get to it quick and having them see it constantly is a neverending reminder…After all, we empty it right away anyway.

    Thank you for the entry,

    Nikki

  134. My potty traing essentials are a pair of big boy/girl undies so that they feel more confident and ready, a great sturdy potty seat and lots of child friendly foam hand wash.
    lisalmg25 at gmail dot com

  136. Some of our potty training essentials were lots and lots of patience. We always highly praised them when they went to the potty and made it a fun experience.

    ardy22 at earthlink dot net

  144. Some essentials would have to be favorite books and music (for the long waits!) and candy or other rewards for reinforcing a good job. Thanks!

  148. Some of the potty training tips might work with your child but some others won’t, although they have been effective in potty training other children. Make using the potty a habit in your child’s life. Take the child to visit the bathroom once or twice in the beginning and then increase the number of visits. Make sure you make the visits to the toilet at about the times the child is most likely to pee-pee or poo-poo.

    Even if the child does not pee or poop every time he is taken to the toilet, the time is not wasted. On the contrary, the child will get accustomed to flushing, wiping and washing up.
    Potty Training Child at http://www.pottytrainingchild.com/´s last blog post ..Prepare For Potty Training Sessions

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