As my son neared his second birthday, I started hearing a lot of talk around potty training. As a first time mom, I knew this was a skill I had to teach my child but how? when? where? I was very lost. As I thought of the idea of potty training my son, I felt an immense amount of pressure on myself to do it and do it right.
I had been working on weaning him from breastfeeding in the earlier months leading up to his second birthday and knew I couldn’t attempt to do both at once. I waited until he had been weaned for a few weeks and felt like he was ready around 27 months.
Read Also: How I weaned my toddler from breastfeeding
However, I knew I needed guidance from others so I started reading articles online and talking to other mothers. Although I knew my son was ready, I wasn’t. How could I teach a two-year-old how to control his muscles and make it to the potty in time. I thought it was impossible.
Then one morning, it just hit me. I had been thinking about potty training for a few months and had already started reading a book about how to potty train. I knew I wasn’t ever going to be fully ready. But I just had to pick a day and start and that day happened to be that very morning.
Products I Recommend For Toddler Potty Training
Before I get into exactly what I did day by day to potty train my son, I am going to list four products I recommend to purchase beforehand. These four products were crucial when I was potty training my son and provided me with a lot of help and guidance.
Oh Crap! Potty Training Book
The first product I will recommend is the Oh Crap! Potty Training Book that I purchased on Amazon. This is my number one recommendation because it is a must-have during the process. Before purchasing this book, I had heard other mothers speak about it positively.
To be honest, I was skeptical on how well this strategy worked even after reading the book. Since I didn’t know any other way to go about potty training my son, I thought I would give it a shot and oh boy am I glad I did. The strategy provided in this book works!
The book is organized and sectioned off in a way that allows you to not have to read the entire book. It has sections catered to different people and different situations which I thought was helpful.
The author starts the book with convincing you that the time is right. She says that to be successful, your head must be screwed on properly. She explains why this is the perfect time for you and your child and how confidence in both yourself and child will lead to success. Personally, this was my favorite chapter. I was hesitant with the idea that my son might be ready and after I read the beginning of this book, I knew he was. It helped set my mind straight and in the right direction.
She then goes on to explain how to actually start the process and then addresses possible situations you may face during the training process and what to do if you encounter them.
I’ve included the table of contents above to give you an idea of what the book covers.
Regalo 2-in-1 My Little Potty Training Toilet
My next recommendation is the Regalo 2-in-1 My Little Potty Training Toilet. This was also a must-have for us while I was potty training my son. While they’re learning to go potty, they must have a portable potty you can move around and keep close by.
My other favorite part about this product was the fact that my son could use it by himself. It is the perfect size for him to sit on alone and go once he got to that stage. It looks just like a real potty and even has a button that makes a real flushing noise as a reward (this was my sons favorite part about using it!)Â
I also loved that the seat can be removed and fits on a regular-sized toilet. It was also very easy to clean because the inner bowl was removable, which I loved.
Since I did a majority of the potty training outside in the backyard, this portable potty was a must-have. I wouldn’t have been able to train my son as easily without it.
Disclosure: This item was gifted by the company
Toilet Training Seat
My third recommendation for potty training is this Toilet Training Seat I purchased from Target. Since I wanted my son to be able to use the actual toilet in the bathroom after he was trained, I purchased this toilet training seat to fit right on top of the toilet.
This seat is amazing because it has a hook to hang on the side of the toilet tank and is so easy to clean. The seat comes apart so it can be wiped down quickly. It also comes with a guard which has been so handy. It’s sold in various character prints to make it more inviting for children.
It’s been one month since my son has been potty trained and he still uses this toilet training seat until this day. It helps him sit with no assistance and not feel scared of falling in the toilet. This is a must-have!
OXO Tot 2-in-1 Go Potty for Travel
The last item I would recommend to purchase is this OXO Tot 2-in-1 Go Potty for Travel from Amazon. I purchased this item because when I started taking my son out while newly potty trained, I didn’t like the idea of him sitting directly on a public toilet.
This item is also perfect for times you cannot get to a bathroom quickly. I found it helpful when I went out on nature walks or to parks because I wanted my son to continue learning to go while sitting (as to not confuse him) but also wanted to make sure he was able to go when he had to.
The OXO Tot 2-in-1 Go Potty for Travel is amazing because you can place it directly on a toilet or stand it up so it can be used anywhere on the go. It comes with disposable bags that you can throw away right after they’ve gone in it. A plastic travel bag is also provided with it making it easier to carry around as well.
Day to Day Training Process to Potty Train Your Child in Just a Week!
Day 1
I started the day by making a big deal about throwing away diapers. My son threw away his diapers in the trash and we did a little excited dance to celebrate.
I took off all his bottom clothing (yes, no underwear, pull-ups, or pants!) and had him play around the house with only a shirt on. As scary as it sounds to have them bottomless while training, it works and is one of the most crucial steps. This step allows them to physically see when they go and make the connection between feeling and doing quicker. If you skip this step, expect the process to take longer.
I started my morning by watching him very closely. This helped me learn how often he pees and helped me look for signals that he was going to go.
I limited where he could play in the house to both the kitchen and living room since they were both tile and hardwood. This allowed me to clean up any messes quicker and easier. He was not allowed to sit on any beds, couches, rugs, or carpets. I kept him entertained with lots of puzzles and books so he didn’t attempt going to other rooms.
He started the day with many accidents, as expected since this was his first day. Every time he would start to pee, I would tell him very calmly that pee did not belong on the floor but belonged in the toilet. While I would be telling him this I would be carrying him to the Regalo My Little Potty Training Toilet I had close by. During the first day, most of his pees ended up on the floor.
Day 2
Surprisingly, day two was much more challenging than day one.
We started the day the same way we did on day 1. We threw away diapers and did a little happy dance. I made sure to keep him bottomless again.
We then went on to playing with puzzles and doing activities on the living room floor.
The first few times he peed, it landed on the floor. Right, when I noticed he was going, I would ask him to hold it and he would (progress!). This is when I realized he started to learn that he can control his muscles.
However, when I would transfer him to the potty, he started crying a lot more than the first day and refused to sit to continue peeing on the toilet.
I made sure not to force him to sit when he showed signs that he didn’t want to since I didn’t want to create any sort of fear surrounding the toilet.
Day 3
The next day, I moved potty training out to the backyard. I thought this would be easier because my son enjoyed being outdoors and it made me feel less stressed about cleaning up messes.
Since the Regalo My Little Potty Training Toilet is portable, I brought it out with us so he can have a potty close by. I kept him bottomless while outside as well.
He went on his day playing around the backyard. I made sure to let him know where the potty was placed in case he had to go and began watching him. I prompted him less often as to not put pressure on him.
What he did on this day surprised me. He would begin going, look down and notice, hold himself, and run to the potty while screaming “pee-pee”. He was starting to show signs that he’s understanding the concept.
Most of his pees this day started off on the floor but ended in the potty, which was good progress.
During the evening, it was obvious he had to go poop but was holding it in. I placed him on the toilet and tried to find ways to make him relax. He was fearful of going and starting screaming “all done” while crying. I took him off.
After about an hour, I put him back on and started singing to him and playing with him to try to make him relax. He started out by crying but after about 5 minutes he successfully went. We made a big deal about it, did a happy dance, and explained how his tummy feels better.
He got up and was excited to flush everything down on his own. This made it a little more fun for him.
Day 4
I decided to continue potty training my son outside in the backyard because I found that this made both of us feel better and less stressed.
On day 4, I took my son outside right in the morning, but the only difference on this day was that I let him go ‘commando’ (which means with thin light shorts and no underwear on).
I felt like he was ready because he was showing a lot of progress from the day before and I now wanted to teach him how to hold it with clothes on.
This day was bittersweet. He started off the entire morning holding all his pees until he got to the potty and finished on there. I was excited. He was doing so well and was going on the potty alone. All I was doing was merely watching him. I barely had to prompt him this day.
However, during the second half of the day, when his father got home from work, things changed. He decided he didn’t want to leave playing with his dad to use the potty and kept having accidents.
I questioned whether the process was failing, felt very stressed, and wanted to give up. I had witnessed him all morning going on his own without any prompts and wondered what was happening.
Although I had lost all my motivation and energy by this day, I decided we had come a long way to just give up. I knew we had to keep going.
Day 5
Day 5 was another struggle for us. We continued potty training outside with light pants on only. However, my son was using the potty half the time and having accidents the other half.
This day, he was also refusing to sit on the potty when I prompted him to do so (even if he had to go). I knew at this point he was starting to feel pressured. I had to find a way to make him relax.
Since I was not using any reward system (the book suggests not to), I started to bribe him with something he likes before taking him to the potty.
For instance, he loves trail mix. I would hold him without mentioning the potty at all and tell him we’re going to get a little bit of trail mix that he was in love with.
He would leave whatever he was doing excitedly and come with me. I would give him a little bit of the mix and while he was focused on eating them, I would sit him on the potty.
When he would find himself on the potty, I would ask him if he had to go pee, and if he did, he would go immediately. We would say “bye-bye” to the pee-pee and I would have him flush it down.
I had finally found a solution to get him to the potty without him refusing. Even though it has been a month since my son’s been potty trained, I still use this method if he’s fully engaged in an activity that he doesn’t want to leave.
This method was not suggested in the book but it has worked for us and made a big difference in how easily I can take him to the potty without him refusing.
Day 6 & 7
Day 6 & 7 went fairly smooth. My son was using the potty 90% of the time and had very few accidents (maybe 1-2 during the entire day). During these two days, he started telling me when he had to go before releasing anything in his pants.
I was still prompting him every few hours or when I knew he had a lot to drink. However, I was also making sure that I was letting him know I trust him to let me know when he has to go. This is important to mention because, at one point in the process, you have to be able to pass the responsibility on to them and trust them. You’ll be surprised how much more confident they will feel and how much more they will progress.
On day 7 specifically, we left the house for a couple of hours for our first errand to The Home Depot. Since I felt like he was doing very well, I put underwear on him while we were out.
He did very well during the outing and while wearing underwear. He used the public bathroom when I took him in and enjoyed washing and drying his hands after (he thought it was fun!)
One Month Update
I considered my son fully potty trained after day 7. This is because I had felt a lot more comfortable with his progress and because he started telling me on his own when he had to go.
We also started leaving the house for short trips and he was doing great. After day 7, he started wearing underwear as well.
It has been exactly one month since he’s been potty trained. He has only had one accident during the entire month (while playing).
Now, he tells me he has to go for pee and poop every single time. He always will stop what he’s doing (even watching TV) to tell me he has to go and will run and wait for me by the toilet. I also no longer have to prompt him and trust him fully. We have also gone out on all day trips such as to the Zoo and he has done amazing!
Nap and Night Time Training
During the entire potty training process, I kept a diaper on my son during nap time and bedtime. I didn’t think I was ready to potty train for the night as well as the day.
To my surprise, by day 3, he was waking up from both his nap and in the morning completely dry. He had night trained himself. I couldn’t believe it so I kept a diaper on him for a week after he was day trained and he never had an accident. He’s been sleeping without a diaper for a few weeks now for both his nap and bedtime and has never had an accident.
I honestly didn’t do anything to train him at night and it just happened to click for him because of the day training. This doesn’t always happen to toddlers (I know, I’m lucky), but the author of the book has a whole chapter on night training itself.
My only advice for this section, since I can’t offer much, is to limit liquids a couple of hours before bedtime. Now that he doesn’t wear a diaper or pull-up to sleep, only underwear, we don’t let him have liquids past a certain time each night.
Conclusion
It took us 7 full days completely dedicated to potty training to get here. During this week, I felt very stressed, anxious, and overly exhausted. I doubted myself and my son and thought about giving up and trying when he’s older several times.
But I am glad I didn’t. Although it looked like he was doing well one day and not so well the other, he was still processing all the information. Every accident he had was one step closer to him getting it right. Accidents during this process were nothing more than a learning tool.
I am glad I was patient and dedicated an entire week to teach him this skill. He loves using the potty now and as an expecting mom, I am glad I won’t have two in diapers in a short few months!
I hope your potty training days go as smooth as possible for both you and your little ones.
Good luck!