Welcome to the first post 2021.... starting the year off with a Mum Life post - I don't write much mum content as this space is predominantly about fashion however occasionally I will share a post that I feel will benefit any mum readers out there. This wont be a "How to Potty Train" post, as my son did it his own way and threw all my research out the window! I actually found potty training the most stressful milestone in my sons life so far but these were products that I found really helped once we began the big boy pants journey and helped him to pick it up quickly. Worth noting none of these products are revolutionary but a few of them I didn't know existed until I found them or was recommended them by a fellow mummy.....
Firstly the main thing required is patience, YOU need to be ready to potty train just as much as your child. Be prepared for a hundred wees on your rug/sofa, don't get angry and if you need to go down the rewards route, then do it!
Nothing fancy needed here, just a simple plastic potty. We bought the IKEA Lilla as it was only £2.50!! We actually got three of them as they were so cheap, one to have in the lounge where little man spends most of his time, one for his bedroom for night time visits and the third one is actually at his nursery as he didn't want to use the ones available there, so we sent him in with his own (major breakthrough). Not the most aesthetically pleasing item sitting in my lounge but it serves a purpose.
2. Seat insert & step
We decide to buy the IKEA set of seat & step along with the potty and both of these items live in the family bathroom, although we did end up buying additional sets from Aldi to have in the other toilets in the house (just in case). My son has been using the seat every night at bedtime and every morning when he wakes up, so as to get him used to going on the actual toilet and to not be scared of falling in. They may need a little help getting on but my son is now big enough to climb on and off unaided. Again super cheap - £8 for the two.
IKEA Tossig Toilet Seat & IKEA FÖrsiktig stool
3. Travel Potty
The My Carry Potty, a great option for days out of the house, admittedly we did our training during lockdown so the only "out" was the park, but this travel potty is great for such occasions. With a vacuum seal on it, your child can use, close it up and there are no leaks, ideal if you can't dispose straight away. This will be good on car journeys too as there is never a service station when you need one! I gave my son the choice of which design he wanted and he chose the dinosaur, but there are others available including a penguin, ladybird and cat.
4. Panda Fold-up Seat
Another travel item but perfect for everyday out of the house. To begin with my son hated the potty, he much preferred the toilet and I didn't want to have to carry the solid IKEA toilet seat round with me, but I came across this one which folds down into a little pouch, ideal to pop in the nappy bag and get out to use in public toilets. This will be my go to when we go out and I don't want to carry the travel potty, places where I know there will be a toilet....shopping for instance.
5. Character Pants
This is an obvious one, but I wanted to include as its a good idea to let your child choose their pants, if they have their favourite characters on they are more likely to want to wear them. Also my advice is buy lots as there will be accidents.
Hey Duggee Multicoloured Briefs 5 Pack
6. Books
I bought a couple of books before we started as I thought it was important to talk to him about it before we started the process, give him an idea of what was coming. I chose the Thomas book as again its something that interests him and the other was a recommendation from a friend. Amazon has so many different books - there is bound to be one that your child will enjoy.
Thomas & Friends My Potty Book & What Are Potties
7. Oh Crap Potty Training Book
This was a recommendation from a friend and whilst I found it very informative my son did the opposite to what I expected so it wasn't much help after the prep stage, but if you need somewhere to start I can recommend this book. A real, down to earth read and no touchy feely just simple facts and humour, that makes you comfortable and relaxed about the potentially daunting task ahead of you.
8. Seat Protector
Another odd purchase but very logical - a simple absorbent pad for the car seat or pushchair just to help soak up any accidents on long journeys or out and about. We have only used a couple of times again because we are in lockdown but I think it will be really helpful for our next trip to Scotland (7 hours in the car is tough on my bladder never mind little mans!).
Koo-di Wetec Baby Seat Protector
So that's my essentials - I would love to hear from any fellow mums, what their potty training essentials & recommendations are.....
Leave me a comment below x
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