Potty training was probably one of the most daunting tasks to date. I was so nervous going into it, but just like anything else, you just have to rip off the bandaid and do it. And I know this is my motto, but stay consistent —whatever it is you decide, just stick to it!
When to start?
I believe there is a sweet spot sometime between the ages of two and two and half. You want to get them when they are old enough to understand everything but young enough to skip the manipulation tactics.
If you start too young, your child may not understand what is happening, they may not understand bladder control, and/or they may not be able to communicate that they need to go. The older they are, the smarter they are, and the more aware they are of themselves. Im not saying you wont be able to potty train a 3.5 year old (let’s face it your kid is unlikely going to college in diapers), but it may be a little harder than say a 26 month old toddler.
Remember, you know your kid better than anyone else and every kid is so different, so do what works for you. Can your child(ren) follow commands? Do they talk yet– do you think they could communicate to you that they have to go? Can they run — like as in can they run to the bathroom? If you answered yes to all of these questions, your child may be ready!
They are Ready, but are you?
The next question to ask though, is, are you? You have to be in the right mindset to enter into potty training mode. Patience is key. Can you stay home with your child for a few days to get the hang of it?
I’d recommend carving out a week of time to spend working on this skill with your kiddo(s). And if you have twins, I am just being honest, you may want two adults around at least for the first 3 days.
Last but not least, make sure both parents are on the same page!
Pull-ups vs Underwear vs Naked
Here is one of those scenarios where you ask five people and you will get five answers, which is something you will likely encounter with any parenting advice. But I will sum up my thoughts as to why I chose what I did.
Pull-ups
I don’t love the idea of Pull-ups for potty training because it is really just an expensive diaper that pulls up like underwear. Your child will not know the difference between being wet in a pull-up vs a diaper. I will say that I am not completely opposed to using pull-ups from time to time when you leave the house, but I don’t think switching to pull-ups from diapers will help aide in the potty training process other than they are easier for your kiddo to pull off themselves. If you are attempting to potty train in a week or less like I did, consider skipping the pull-ups (at least in the house) and doing underwear or going naked.
Underwear
We chose underwear and here are the reasons why: First, it’s something for them to get excited about– my girls picked Minnie and Princess undies and couldn’t wait to wear them. Second, they felt what truly being wet feels like. This, in my opinion, helps them figure out when they actually have the urge to go. Third, clean up is mostly contained to laundry. And Lastly, less transitions. Not that there is anything wrong with commando, but I like undies personally.
Naked
Here are the arguments for naked instead of undies: some people will say that underwear also feels similar to a diaper because it is constricting. With undies you will be doing a TON of laundry the first few days, but on the flip side, if you choose the naked route, you may be cleaning a lot of urine off the floor and your little one’s legs.
Whatever you choose, it doesn’t really matter, just stick to it! I truly believe that you can be successful with either option long as you stick with your plan!
How to start?
Start by getting your kiddo excited! Tell them we are saying bye bye to diapers tomorrow. And let them pick out their first pair of undies (if you decide to go this route). And just rip the bandaid off.
The first day, I would recommend taking your child to the bathroom about every 30-45 min to sit on the potty.
When (notice I didn’t say if) your child starts to pee and they are not on the potty simply pick them up, pull down their undies, and sit them on the potty. Maybe just mention something like did you feel that? When you feel like you need to pee its time to go sit on the potty!
FYI: Id skip pants for the first few days because you will be running to the bathroom often. My girls just wore a t-shirt and undies for the first four days or so.
After day one
Made it thorough the first day? I promise each day gets a little easier. Stop prompting so much on the following days and let your kiddos tell you when they have to go. Accidents will happen. But just remember, progress is progress.
Each day, promote independence a bit more. Try to get them to pull down their own undies. Or maybe don’t chase them into the bathroom so quickly, let them take the lead. The more you do for them, the less they will do for themselves.
Nap/Nighttime
For now we are still doing diapers for nap and nighttime sleep. And I really think it is okay to just focus on awake hours first. We will likely drop the nap diaper before the nighttime diaper. We plan to drop the night diaper when the girls have about 10 days or more of dry diapers overnight.
Stay Calm
Take a deep breath! Kids feed off your energy: the more stressed you are, the more stressed they are.
Worst case, they have an accident on the couch. Not that that’s fun, but guys, it’s not that different than a puppy. Just saying. I’m not claiming it’s fun (or easy), but in hard moments, step away and take a deep breath. It will all be okay, I promise!
I know I’m repeating myself here but progress is progress. Celebrate the wins. This has been the hardest part for me too!
Considerations for twins/multiples
Potty train at the same time. If you think one twin isn’t ready, wait till they both are. It will just make your life so much easier to do both at the same time.
Consider having two people around to help run them to the bathroom at least for the first three days. It is a lot for one person to conquer alone.
Other than that just follow all of the same times as mentioned above!
Things you may need for potty training:
Little potty vs potty seat? The nice thing about using a big potty is that public bathrooms are adult size so it is an easier transition. Plus, they are easier to clean. However, small potties like these are less scary, and if you have twins, I would suggest having two options in the bathroom for both kiddos to use. We have one small potty upstairs and one downstairs and well as a potty seat for both bathrooms. Here are some things I think are great to have on hand:
Step Stool for Big Potty – promotes independence getting onto the potty and makes it a little less scary since your child’s little legs don’t dangle so far.
Lots of underwear/Changes of clothes – Id have at least 20 pairs of undies on hand per child for the first day of potty training. I really like these thick ones from amazon. We bought some other ones with characters from Target, linked here, to get the girls excited about wearing underwear. They are not as soft, but the characters are fun. We also have these ones from Nordstrom which are great if you are looking for thinner, soft undies.
For on the go:
Plastic bags for dirty clothes – don’t make the same mistake I did! Ziplocss, grocery bags, or even doggie bags like these to prevent smell will work!
Several changes of clothing
Portable Folding Toilet Topper
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Rachel is a mama to two beautiful identical twin girls, Izzy and Maddy, and lives in Atlanta with her husband, girls, and cute little pup. Rachel graduated with honors from New York University earning a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree and the Founders’ Day Scholar Award. She also received her Masters of Science in Nursing degree from New York University. Rachel has spent the majority of her career as a pediatric nurse and currently works in pediatric oncology.
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