This post was written in partnership with Pampers.
Potty training is… frustrating? stressful? a lot of work? fun?! We’re right in the middle of potty training with our 3-year-old daughter. Our son was easy—granted, he was almost 4 by the time he potty trained, but he basically just woke up one day and decided that was it. No more diapers. He rarely ever had an accident. Potty training? A breeze! This “training” stuff is nonsense, I thought.
My daughter is proving to be a bit more difficult. She turned 3 about 4 months ago and she is well aware of when she needs to use the toilet. She just won’t.
To try to really kick things off and make using the potty more fun and exciting for her (YAY!), we had a Pampers Easy Ups® potty party! Near the end of our son’s diaper days, we switched him to Easy Ups, too, and we think that helped him get the hang of doing it on his own. So that’s step #1 with Rebecca!
Prepped and ready with our fun Dora and Thomas Pampers Easy Ups, cute potty training books (You and Me Against the Pee), and useful potty training tips, we invited some friends over to play.
We read the potty training book to the kids and then shared some tips with each other and from the book author, L. Jana, MD. Here are potty training tips that may help you:
- Watch for signs. Your child will communicate with you that they went to the bathroom in their diaper or that they know when they need to go (they might start to hide). Removing their pants on their own is another sign.
- Celebrate successes. There will be accidents and set backs. You will certainly feel frustrations at some point—and so will your child. Focus on the successful potty visits with encouraging words, excitement, and hugs.
- Be prepared. My son when straight to using the toilet, but some kids may be afraid or not tall enough. Be ready with a potty seat and/or a step stool. Rebecca wouldn’t use ours because “they are Ryan’s!” A special new seat just for her made it more exciting, too. Pampers Easy Ups are great because your child can learn to pull them on AND off just like underwear while they’re practicing.
- Be an example. Announce when you use the bathroom so your child sees the normalcy in it and how often you tend to go. Give reminders throughout the day about remembering to use the bathroom. Let your child in the bathroom with you so they can see the process and feel comfortable with it.
- Use rewards. Some moms at my party mentioned something like a sticker chart—a sticker for each time the potty is successfully used and after a certain number are collected, the child gets a prize.
- Make it fun. If you’re feeling stressed about potty training and possible accidents, your child is feeling it, too. We hung streamers from the bathroom doorway during our “kick-off” party and some decorations inside. It’s a FUN place to be! 😉 Rebecca likes hearing about being a big girl, too, and picking out her own Pampers Easy Ups and underwear.
The kids got in on the fun, too! They tried on their new Pampers Easy Ups, tested out the bathroom, and we celebrated the fun of becoming a big girl or boy!
So how have the past 2 weeks been? Eh. We’re getting there… I mean, we WILL get there someday, of course! We aren’t pushing it too hard; we aren’t doing a weekend intenstive “training” or anything. She’s in her Pampers Easy Ups (she loves to choose between her Dora and her Thomas), she’s got her own potty seat and stool, we give reminders to try the potty, and we’ve have a few successes, but Rebecca is certainly going at her own pace.
The Pampers Easy Ups have been great training pants for us. They have less leaks and an absorbent core that holds 25% more than other leading training pants—but they still have a nice, slim fit.
The fun Dora the Explorer® and Thomas & Friends® designs also fade when wet and the sides are super stretchy to make it easy for little ones to pull them up and down. Rebecca loves to do it all by herself (of course!) and we haven’t had an issue.
Do you have potty training tips to add to my list? Let me know!
Find Pampers Easy Ups for girls and for boys in sizes 2/3T to 4/5T. You can also submit a review on the Pampers website to earn Rewards points! Stay up to date with Pampers on Facebook and Twitter.
This post was written in partnership with Pampers. Any opinions are my own.
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