Tips for Potty Training your Toddler

A few milestones in the parenting journey might not be as stressful as we assume them to be in our heads. Potty Training is one such phase. Many people are scared of it, while a few others are also misinformed and misguided; thus, it becomes such a scary thing.

For quick tips & tricks on potty training, read the article How to Potty Train Your Toddler HERE 

But is just knowing how to potty train enough? Maybe not. It would help if you had a few things to ensure that the potty-training journey goes hassle-free and smooth. Here are the top 3 essentials you would need to potty train your child.

• Underwear designed especially for potty training

Different people will call it by different names – Padded Underwear, Potty Training Pants, Toilet Training Pants, Night Training Underwear, Training Pants. No matter what it's called, the purpose remains the same - To get the child off the diaper and transition to regular underwear. A cloth diaper has a feel dry lining inside, ensuring that the baby doesn't feel the wetness. But on the contrary, underwear lets the baby feel the moisture, as the whole purpose is for them to identify the cues vs. the mess and start communicating the urge to pee and poop. But with a single layer, non-padded underwear, the mess is spread on clothes, sofa, bedsheet, and everywhere! So, the first essential you need for potty training is good quality padded underwear.

• Books and music targeted towards potty training babies

It is important to keep it fun and not make your baby feel pressured or stressed about potty training. From classic to quirky, many books and rhymes help babies get familiar and not be scared of peeing and pooping on a seat and communicating the need to go. Choose a book in your baby's preferred theme or characters if available – like a king/queen theme, animal theme, etc. Start introducing them to these books and rhymes a few weeks before you plan to start potty training them to be familiar with the concept and are comfortable with the transition.  

• A potty chair or a potty seat

The very basic equipment needed to potty train your baby – where the baby can comfortably sit while pooping or peeing.         

Some parents prefer to start with a separate potty chair, and once the baby is comfortable, transition them to a potty seat attached to a regular grown-up seat. On the other hand, some parents skip the potty chair and start directly with a seat attached to the commode. What you choose entirely depends on the comfort of your baby. Like books and music, introducing the seat concept and talking about it, showing it to the child & showing how adults also use the pot every time they have to go helps a child get acquainted and comfortable with it.

Each parent has a timeline and their own approach. Thus, do not feel pressured to start the potty-training journey seeing how other parents or kids are doing it. Make it fun, be prepared for accidents & let kids enjoy the process!

Key Takeaways

• Really Important Step

Potty training is an important phase in any baby's life

• Stay Relaxed

Make sure you keep things relaxed, praise the wins, do not worry about the mishaps.

• Allow Freedom

Allow the kids figure things out on their own terms and let them enjoy the process.