The thought of potty training your child can be a really daunting thought. There can be so many factors to think about such as, are they ready? are they the right age? have I got time? Should I buy pull up pants or just pants? What do I do during the night? It can almost become so overwhelming before you have even got started. In my blog Why is summer the perfect time to potty train? I am going to break down some of the key points to consider. Hopefully this will make potty training a breeze for both you and your little one.
Are girls easier to potty train than boys?
Some my argue that girls are easier to potty train than boys. They claim girls like to be clean, boys can be lazy, girls learn faster all the excuses come out of the woodwork. I can not give a definitive answer to this question personally as I am mum to 5 boys. But what I can say is all my boys have potty trained really quickly and easily. So I would say girls and boys will happily potty train when the time is right for them. As their parent you know your own child so you will be the best judge of when they seem ready.
Summer is Holiday time
During the summer months parents may take more time off work to spend with children during the school holiday. This makes the perfect time to start potty training. You are more relaxed, nice weather means spending more time outside and a slower pace in general if you are not rushing about all the time.
Get your little ones out in the garden and if accidents do happen, then its really no big deal.
Fewer and lighter clothes
In the warmer weather we always tend to wear fewer and lighter clothes. This can be a huge benefit when potty training as lighter clothes are easier to pull up and down. Shorts and pants are far easier to deal with than tights and trousers, especially at the start. Summer clothes are also far easier and quicker to dry than heavier winter clothes. If the weather is nice you can even let your little one just run around in pants and a t-shirt.
I would recommend popping a pair of pants on so they get in the habit right from the start of having to pull their pants up and down. The last thing you want is for them too happily wee on a potty when they have no pants on but wee in their pants and not pull them down.
We all drink more in the summer
In the warmer months we always drink more so this is perfect for more potty opportunities. Kids are also more active playing outside so again making them need to wee more often. I think this really makes potty training easier. Getting the kids outside and running about, whilst keeping them well hydrated. It’s a great way to get them started with potty training and used to sitting on the potty for a wee or poo. The added bonus is that any little accidents that happen are outside so no drama.
Play-dates in the summer are also a great idea. Kids love to copy kids. If other kids are using the potty then this might help to encourage your little one to use the potty too.
Time to start Nursery or Pre-School
If your little one is starting Nursery or Pre- School then chances are they need to be potty trained. This could be fast approaching so try and start potty training as soon as possible to allow plenty of time. The last thing you want is for your little one to feel rushed as this might delay them potty training. Potty training should always feel relaxed and stress free to your little one.
Traveling whilst potty training
If you have to travel whilst potty training don’t panic. Just be well prepared. I always used to take a couple of full sets of clothes, just in case. If you are in the early stages of potty training you could always pop a pair of pull up pants on your little one whilst in the car. This is just in case you are on a motorway where you may not be able to stop straight away.
When we were potty training our boys, we always used waterproof car sear protectors, they also fitted perfectly in the pushchair too. They were really handy if an accident did occur. Once you arrived at your destination just change your little one into some clean clothes and job done. The car seat protectors came in packs of 2 so we would just swap the seat protector for a dry one and then we were ready to carry on.
We also used to take a travel potty with us. This has got to be one of the best purchases we ever made. There are so many travel potties to choose from now, but we bought the 2 in 1 travel potty. As well as being a travel potty it could also be used as a toilet seat on a toilet which I found so beneficial during potty training. You do have to bear in mind that you have to buy disposable liners for the travel potty. They were really easy to use and dispose of too. This just meant that no matter where we were there was a potty to use.
Night times
When you first start potty training you could use pull up pants during the night. This would still allow them to go to the potty/toilet if they wanted, but also catch any accidents.
Once potty training is under way and they are becoming dry during the night you could start just putting them to bed with no pull up pants on.
At this point i started taking them for a wee at night before i went to bed. I would lift them out of bed and carry them to the toilet. 9 out of 10 times they would have a wee, so it was a good result. I would then carry them back to bed and tuck them in again. I found this was a winner towards them being dry in the night.
Once i stopped using pull up pants in the night i used to pop mattress protector pads on the beds. I would lay the pad on top of the sheet and they would just lay on it, you could even pop it under the sheet as well. It was just a great way to protect the mattress if they did have an accident. At the start of potty training i would make up their bed by having a sheet, a pad, a sheet and a pad. If they did have a little accident in the night i could quickly get them changed into clean pyjamas. i would then remove the pad and the sheet, if it was wet and the bed was still made up ready. This meant i did not have to mess about looking for bedding to remake the bed up.
Good Luck
Potty training should be a positive experience for both you and your little one. If you start potty training and feel your little one is not ready, just wait a little bit longer and try again.
I feel the key to quick and successful potty training is definitely consistency. Get up every day and progress with your potty training journey, this will really help your little one to establish a positive potty training routine. Every day is a new day so if you have a bad day potty training don’t worry put it all behind you and carry on. There will inevitably be accidents. Stay calm and don’t worry, potty trining doesn’t last for ever.
If you enjoyed my blog why is summer the perfect time to potty train?, please check out my other blogs:
