Disclosure: This post was sponsored by Pampers through their partnership with POPSUGAR Select. While I was compensated to write a post about Pampers Easy Ups Training Pants, all opinions are my own.
Potty training your child is one of the bigger milestones that we look forward to in parenthood. I recently potty trained our older son, which didn’t go as I expected. Since our boys are only 13 months apart in age, our younger son is now showing signs of being ready to potty train. I’m hoping that he trains easier than his brother!
Honestly, I think he will be a bit easier to potty train simply based on the fact that he has been able to watch and learn from his brother. Wishful thinking? I’m not sure! I do know that I’ve personally been able to learn from experience what I did and did not do correctly while potty training our older son, which will hopefully be beneficial as we begin potty training round two!
Here are some things I wish I would’ve known while potty training my son for the first time:
Potty training takes time and work – The first time our son successfully went potty, it was a huge sense of accomplishment for him and for me, too! I was so excited and proud of him! I thought to myself, “Wow, this is so easy!” Yea, not so much. After that, he refused to go to the potty again for quite some time. Then, he would only go pee pee in the potty for a while. Becoming fully potty trained has taken much longer than I expected, and certainly longer than some of the 3 day programs I’ve read about.
2. While in the potty training trenches, make sure you have backup. What I mean by that is, don’t be afraid or ashamed to use Pampers Easy Ups Training Pants to help with the potty training process. Every child is different, but I know that our son needed these. They’re great for day or night. During the day they help kids train, and they protect them at night, with up to 12 hours of leak protection, so I know my kids won’t wake up soaked.
3. Pack extra clothes and supplies – One afternoon during the early potty training days, we went to a park near our house. He had successfully gone potty before we left the house, and was wearing big boy underwear. I didn’t pack extra clothes for him since I thought he was able to use the bathroom. Well, my potty training confidence was shattered when another mom pointed out that my kid was peeing on the playground, and was soaked down to his shoes. Not fun. We had to leave the park and head home to get cleaned up. From then on, I always made sure to pack extra clothes just in case of an accident.
4. Be patient – Remember that your child is learning a new life skill, and it definitely won’t happen overnight. With the right attitude and the right tools to assist you on the potty training journey, it’s sure to be a successful process.
What other potty training tips would you share with a mom who is potty training her child for the first time?
I trained each of my boys in a weekend. It was way easier for me than I thought it would be.
For me my son actually trained himself. But I will say that when he didn’t want to go to the bathroom because he was playing it became quite messy. Even after being potty trained for over a year he would not stop playing long enough to go to the bathroom and will just go in his pants. So my suggestion is take him to the bathroom every couple of hours when you’re out playing.
I do not have children so I really can’t offer any tips. I do know from talking to my sisters in law that it can be a frustrating time. It’s good that there are products like this to help with the process
My sister potty trained her girls using a lot of these tips! She had pretty good success in short periods of time.
These are all great tips. I was very lucky as my daughter trained very quickly and it was actually at daycare that most of it was done. Other kids really struggle with this so thank you for the post!!
Yes! Extra clothes and supplies are an absolute MUST when potty training! I forgot them ONCE and it was a disaster.
Pull-ups saved us! Seriously, they made night time potty training so much easier.
Pull-ups have saved me many times.. I would add in to not put too much pressure on yourself. I had it in my mind that I could potty train my oldest over a weekend and when I couldn’t I felt like I failed. It was horrible. I had to realize that it wasn’t me… LOL
Easy Ups are a great tool for potty training. It can be a tricky process when you are out in a store with no washroom. I always pack a change of clothes just in case i need them. These are great tips.
Very good tips. I remember these stages with both my girls. I made sure to always bring extra clothes while out too. I found it easier to go right to undies and learn from there.
Great tips… Potty training was a long time ago in my life but I remember even then that every hint was valuable & Potty Training disposables were invaluable.
Pull ups are totally the way to go when it’s time to potty train. I agree about the need to be patient when going thru this time also. We all hear of the kids who potty train quickly but that’s not how everyone is going to handle things. I feel like getting frustrated would delay the whole process!
I never potty trained my children and let them go at their own pace. They went from diapers to the toilet. I think the tips you shared here are good ones that will help many parents.
Oh yes! Potty training is definitely a reason to be proud, for both child and parent. My triplets were very hard to train and the boys often still use easy ups at night. My triplet daughter trained quicker but some of her seizures still cause urination. If she’s having a tough day with breakthrough seizures she reverts to easy ups, too. Great tips! Patience IS a virtue!
your boys are so adorable. my friends use pull ups as well and they love them and totally stand by them.
When I started potty training my son he was the easiest. He rarely had accidents and never peed his bed. His big sister–forget about it!
Good advice and idea, my two year old little man is still in diaper, I think he’s not ready for potty training, but I’m still encourage him.