Potty training 😆 😆 😆 Remember, the fourth trimester when you are thinking what the heck did we do and literally thinking the misery will never end? Yea, that was the first five days of potty training for us. We decided to start potty training our little guy at 21-months. In the end, I am so glad we did it at this time and I love being diaper free (except for nap and night time). This is going to be a lot of information so I am going to split it into at least three posts. This first post in my potty training guide series is about preparing for potty training and leading up to the big day.
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Potty training is one thing I did not research very much before going into it. In hindsight, I think that was a good thing. I had heard some people potty train around age 2 and it sounded good to me so I just went with it. I heard lots of great things about the book Oh Crap Potty Training so I bought it when the little guy was 20-months and started reading. I also read On Becoming Pottywise for Toddlers because I had a lot of success with the Baby Wise books. I will say the two books are very different. I took a little from each book to create our potty training method which I will write about soon!
According to Oh Crap Potty Training, the best time to potty train is sometime between 18-30 months. So, naturally, I already thought I was behind. She provides signs of readiness which include staying dry at nap time, the ability to sing the alphabet, and looking for a quiet space to poop. If you’ve heard of the three-day method, Oh Crap Potty Training is sometimes confused with that method. However, I want to stress that it’s actually not a three-day method but a three-step method (more on that later).
Potty Training Guide: Preparing for Potty Training
We chose a day for potty training ahead of time. We chose a weekend because we are both home and IF it took more than three days Dan had Monday and Tuesday off so we had 5 days to dedicate to potty training.
We gave ourselves about two weeks which gave us time to mentally prepare and purchase our potty training supplies which included:
- My size potty — We chose this one because it looks like a real potty. We figured it would make it easier for him to identify what he was doing and make the transition easier to the full-size potty when the time comes.
- Oxo 2-in-1 Go Potty — We purchased this potty for when we are on the go. We knew we had holiday travel coming up and we figured it would be good to have anytime we go out. It’s a potty that folds into a carry case and fits in a diaper bag. You can use it as a potty on the floor by lining it with these bags or use it on a full-size potty so your little one can fit on the seat. This thing has seriously come in handy!
- Summer Infant Deluxe Piddle Pad — This is a must-have for car seats and strollers. It easily goes in and out and is washable in case of accidents. In hindsight, I suggest getting two. One of us would forget to take it out of the car seat and the other person wouldn’t have it. Plus, it’s an add-on item at Amazon!
- Lots of undies — Here is a funny story. I actually took Aiden to Target to buy undies to try to make it exciting and a fun thing. Well, they really didn’t have underwear in his size. Eventually, I found one style in the baby section 😆 Maybe that should have been a sign…however, Amazon had briefs and boxer briefs. I also got training underwear for the early days when we go out because they are a little thicker in the event of an accident.
Introduce potty training books and videos:
In the days leading up to potty training, we spent a lot of time with potty training books and videos. We hoped that this would familiarize our little guy with the act of using the potty and make it fun. Here are some of our favorite books and video clips.
- Potty Superhero
- P is for Potty
- My Big Boy Undies
- Daniel Tiger Potty Training (the song is an advantage)
- Sesame Street Potty Training also if you have HBO, Season 47, Episode 13
We also brought Aiden to the bathroom with us whenever we went. However, this is something we started around a year and a half.
That about sums up our preparation for potty training. My next post in the potty training guide will be the first five days (because potty training for us definitely did NOT happen in three days).
Did you follow the Oh Crap Potty Training Method for potty training or something else?
If you liked this post check out Re-Play Baby & Toddler Tableware Review and Tips to Keep Your Toddler Hydrated.
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