Potty Training: A Dirty Tale

Disclaimer: Please note that some of the links below are affiliate links and I will earn a commission if you purchase through those links. I use all of the products listed below and recommend them because they are products that I use & love.

Liev is potty trained! Can you hear the angels singing? I can! Every time he uses the potty I hear them singing the Hallelujah Chorus. No more dirty diapers, no more explosions up his back, and no more worrying that he would out-grow size 7 diapers and need to wear Depends. You’re reading the ramblings of one happy mama.

I’ll admit, it was NOT easy. I thought it would be a pretty simple process…boy was I wrong.

In true “Jillian Form” I read every potty training book I could get my hands on and narrowed down a list of signs that would indicate he was ready to start the process:

READY SIGNS:

– Can follow simple instructions (seemed like a good first step)

– Stays dry for at least 2 hours at a time

– Makes #2s around the same time everyday

– Wakes up dry from naps

– Stops whatever he’s doing to go potty (hides to make a #2—a popular one)

– Is curious and wants to imitate parents going potty

– Has name(s) for going potty

We got an early start. At his 1-year appointment the doctor told us that we could start as early as 18-months. I thought it was a little early for him, so we actually waited until he was two and showing more signs of readiness.

I was TOTALLY prepared. He had new big-boy undies, a bear we were going to use to demonstrate the process and my notebook ready for note taking. I wanted to focus my complete attention to his training, so I had super easy lunches planned and meals pre-prepared in the freezer so dinner preparation wouldn’t take long.

I started on a Friday with the expectation that he would be potty trained by Sunday. I actually laughed typing that out…talk about “head in the clouds”. After breakfast I sat him down and explained “The Plan”. I used the bear as the visual component (I’m surprised I didn’t put together a Power Point), had M&M rewards ready, and then removed his diaper to leave his bottom uncovered (everyone said bare bottom was a sure-way to speed up the process.

My notes from Day 1:

9:30 a.m. Explained process using bear & removed diaper
10:22 a.m. PeePee accident
11:05 a.m. PeePee accident
11:30 a.m. PeePee accident – put undies on
12:55 p.m. Partial PeePee accident – finished in potty chair
3:00 – 5:30 p.m. Naptime with Pull Up – woke up with VERY wet Pull Up
6:13 p.m. PeePee accident – Gave Up

Horrible start to potty training. Feeling defeated and needing help I reached out to a friend of mine who had a son a few years older than Liev to see how she had handled it. She told me that she bought a super nice toy and told him that as soon as he learned to go potty like a big boy he could have the toy. That didn’t seem like a good plan—seemed kinda harsh so I went back to the original plan. Another two days VERY similar to “Day 1” and I completely threw in the towel.

Fast forward almost eleven months: Liev is almost three, we’re looking at switching to Depends because he’s outgrown ALL diapers, and I’m totally embarrassed because he’s the only kid in his gymnastics class still in diapers. Desperate, we order a 5-inch transforming Jett toy (he was obsessed with the show Super Wings at the time) and told him that if he started going potty in the big boy toilet, Jett was his. He was completely potty trained in two days!

*Takes deep breath* Dear reader, if you’re about to or currently struggling to potty train your little one, DON’T GIVE UP! Take it one day at a time. Don’t be too hard on yourself or your little one. Don’t force it…some kids master it earlier than others. DON’T LET MOM GUILT GET THE BEST OF YOU!!! My whole “embarrassed because Liev was the only one at Gymnastics in a diaper” was stupid! Screw dirty looks from other parents because they think your kid is too old to be in diapers!! They’re just bitter because your kid’s cuter than theirs! Haha just kidding…that was just mean spirited. We’re doing the best we can and that’s all we can do!

Oh and…Dear Shideh (my friend with the son), you were right! You’re always right! At some point in my life I’ll realize that you always have the answers and have had them since I was eleven! Thank you!

Recommended Tools:

Potty Chair
1. There are a LOT of different potty chairs out there. A pretty major decision you’ll need to make is whether you want your little one to go potty in a stand-alone potty chair that you’ll need to clean out each time or a potty chair that attaches to your toilet for easy cleaning. We decided to go with one that attaches to our toilet and we LOVE this chair chair with the step stool ladder. Great option!
Baby Wipes
1. I suggest having a box of baby wipes near your little one’s seat. This going potty business can get messy and sometimes drips or smears happen and need to be cleaned up by something a little more heavy duty than toilet paper.
Step Stool at Sink
1. You’ll want to make sure your little one learns how to thoroughly wash his hands after going potty and making it as easy as possible will ensure that happens. We bought this one one from Ikea and it works perfectly.
Bathroom Books
1. Getting Liev to relax long enough to make a #2 was tough. We learned that if he had a small stack of books nearby, he had no issues going. I do suggest using sturdy board books (something you can wipe down with a Clorox wipe) or cheap dollar store books that can be replaced every so often.
Rewards
1. Whether or not you choose to go the “big toy” reward route or not is up to you, but there should be a reward(s) for the first few successful goes. It’s quite an accomplishment and they should be very proud of their success.

Recommended On-The Go Tools:

The one thing I didn’t think about when we started potty training was how Liev would now use public restrooms when out and about. I learned (the hard way) to keep these essentials in the diaper bag:

Toilet seat covers
Hand sanitizer
Extra undies & change of clothes
Plastic bags for dirty items, clothes, etc.

Funny Story: We’ve had one epic “potty fail” so far. We were leaving soccer and heading to lunch one Saturday and we forgot to take a potty break before we left. Halfway to the restaurant Liev starts PANICING because he has to go potty NOW. We find a safe place to pull over and have him pee on the side of the road. For DAYS after, he’s so happy because he got to go potty outside like Sam. The high point of my son’s life? Peeing on a bush outside like the dog! Awesome!