Toilet training tips from real parents who have been through it and survived
You’ve heard of those books that tell you how to toilet train your child in three days. I’ve heard about them too. I’ve even read them. And then I used the pages to wipe the poo off the floor after my daughter refused to potty train in the allotted time frame.
Because you can’t rush this kind of thing. But you can get through it. Here are our realistic tips, from real mums, on how to do it.
Know the ten commandments of toilet training.
- Your child will wee at the shops.
- Your child will wee in the car seat.
- Your child will wee all over you.
- Your child will wee on the driveway.
- Your child will wee in the bath.
- Your child will wee outside in the yard.
- Your child will wee in your bed.
- Your child will wee in their own bed.
- Your child will wee on the carpet.
- And, finally, your child will wee right beside the toilet.
Once you know these will happen, it’s a lot easier to prepare for them. And once you can put a check mark by all ten commandments, you’re pretty much ready for anything.
Carry the right materials.
Carry a potty with you. Everywhere. That way, when your little one says it’s time to go, simply pull over on the side of the road and let her wee. And, hey, it prepares them for bush camping too. So – bonus.
Ease them into it.
Many mums will simply go straight to underwear. Then spend the next few weeks washing the poo stains out of them (or simply tossing them into the bin).
Nappy pants are the way to go. I cannot stress this enough. Why? Because they provide a much simpler and stress-free transition period for little ones to learn the difference between wet and dry and to figure out how to make it to the toilet before (rather than after) the urge strikes.
Eco-friendly Naty Nappy Pants have just hit the streets and are making quite the splash with mums and little ones. The leakage barrier is made of 100 per cent GM-free, compostable, corn-based film that is not only watertight but also “breathes” naturally resulting in an airier, drier and more comfortable nappy.
Transform your bathroom into your living room.
Place a cosy area mat on the floor. Bring your children’s entire library in with her. Perhaps even add some special lighting, a few plants to brighten the area and a mini fridge. Why? Because you’re going to be living in there with your child for the next few days.
Might as well make it comfortable.
Get used to the phrase, “Do you need to do a wee?”
Mix it up. Try asking your little one if she has to go to the toilet in Jedi speak: “Wee, you need to do?” Why not teach her a bit of French? “Avez-vous besoin de faire pipi?”
Whatever the case, you can expect to ask this question at least 10 times a day.
Be realistic.
There comes a time in every mum’s life when we need to put the nappies away and make the step into toilet training territory.
It didn’t take three days to potty train my kids. It took months with my son and weeks with my daughter. But, hey, we got there in the end. And you will too!
The next time you’re at Woolworths, check out the brand new Naty Nappy Pants. They come in three sizes (4, 5 and 6) and provide a non-bulky fit, enabling your child to move around freely. Certified by the Swedish Asthma and Allergy Association, Naty Nappy Pants are also $2 off at Woolworths until 15 March.
If you’ve been postponing the inevitable toilet training, then now’s the time to do it.
Wee wish you the best of luck!
(This is a sponsored post for Naty by Nature Babycare)
