Potty training is a big step for a little person, and it’s important to realise that no two children are the same. Some children may struggle with potty training and others may suss out potty training in a couple of days. It is also worth considering that although a child may get to grips with potty training in the house, a familiar travel potty is essential when it comes to being out in public or starting nursery. Potty training may regress when other factors and an unfamiliar environment come into play.
We know a lot of you are worried about taking the next step with your child so we are proud to bring you some real-life hints and tips! After a lot of talking to a lot of parents and carers from the growing Pottiagogo community, we have put together a list of the best advice out there!
Our aim is to make it no nonsense and as easy and stress free as possible and to get you and your little one out enjoying life regardless of the ‘potty stage’.
There are (3) key phases to building your child's toilet training and learning experience. They work as part of a learning cycle. The phases are (1) Prepare (2) Practice (3) Experience. In this blog we talk about Phase 1 and 2.
In the real world, in real-life, these learning phases often overlap and are not definitive stages. The time it takes varies by child so there is no definitive guide. Our overriding philosophy is to keep positive and celebrate moving forward, expect a few hiccups, and don’t worry about any little accidents.
Phase 1: Prepare for Potty Training
Make a plan so that you can track your child's progress like using a progress chart. By putting it up in a prominent area in your house - for example your fridge - it allows your child to be more involved with their progress. You can also make it fun with various rewards for each milestone achieved.
Tell everyone your plan as you may find it helpful to enlist the help and support from your relatives, nursery staff and any other family carers to ensure a consistent approach with your child toilet training plan.
Ask your nursery if they will help you by using your child’s Pottiagogo in the nursery site and for forest school trips.
Having a personal potty minimises any worries about hygiene through potential potty sharing and microbe transmission and ensures a familiar and consistent ‘sitting’ experience for your child.
Create lots of opportunities to discuss the potty training transition and talk through any worries your child may have. Don’t be fearful, be fun - your child will pick up on how you feel about it so be sure to maintain a positive attitude throughout.
Use a potty training book and look at pictures about potty training.
Your child may find it interesting and helpful to learn from images or cartoons of other kids using a potty too (Top Parents Tip - we have lots of photos of little ones using their Pottiagogo's on our Instagram - flick through them with your child so they can see how normal this stage is). Discuss with your child about how grown up the children using Pottiagogo are, and how much fun they are having getting out and about experiencing new and exciting things.
Plan a special trip as part of your child's preparation to buy big boy or big girl pants and talk about how being nappy free will feel so much more comfortable for your child.
If your child learns best by watching others, why not show your child how you use the toilet, how you flush the loo and how you wash your hands afterwards as part of a great hygiene routine.
Plan for little mistakes, have spare clothes at the ready and smile, don’t sigh!.
Above all, plan to get out and about and do exciting things and don't forget to pack your Pottiagogo!
Phase 2: Practice makes Perfect
You remember that phrase right?
Start in a familiar space at home and as you know your child the best, think about the frequency that your child needs to be reminded to sit on the potty during the day. It may be helpful to plan a few days to focus just on this repeated action. It doesn’t need to be perfect, just a familiar routine.
Start with sitting your child on the potty to ask them if they need to go. This may be as frequently as every 10-20 minutes to start with.
Knowing your child, estimate how long the gaps between reminders to ‘try to go’. You may find it helpful to set an alarm on your phone to remind you - it’s all too easy to get distracted!
So as not to confuse your child, ensure that they understand the reason for sitting on the potty is to try to go to the toilet rather than watch TV or read that book. So it’s preferable to make the time to have a little chat about something rather than immediately give them something that distracts them from the job in hand!
Your positive encouragement is really important here in order to keep the momentum for your child to keep trying. Use lots of praise and smiles and reward stickers (if that works for your kid) with every attempt, hit or miss. Remember every miss is nearly a hit and it’s always worth praise for trying.
Plan fun trips in return for your child's efforts.
Dress your child in clothes that they can easily pull up and down over their bum independently. Loose fitting dresses work well with little girls and loose joggers work well for boys.
This is where practice is essential and do practice this skill at home. You can even make it a game by seeing how fast your child can do it against the clock!
Top Parents Tip is to rehearse taking Pottiagogo out of your bag and flicking it open quickly so get comfortable with the easy opening flick of Pottiagogo with a potty liner bag pre fitted. This can save you vital seconds in a real life scenario which will help you be more relaxed and confident when it comes to the real thing.
Pottiagogo folds down flat so it can be easily stored under your buggy or discreetly in your bag. Why not keep one locked and loaded in the boot of the car - it’s surprising how many times the ‘I want to go now!’ call comes when you’re in a traffic jam! There’s no need to get caught out! https://www.theaa.com/route-planner/traffic-news
Shop our range of travel potties & liners, here.
