Hey everyone, welcome to our ‘Potty Talk’ series. We at Pottiagogo are thrilled to say that this monthly blog series has brought about plenty of open conversations with real parents about the highs and lows of potty training. We hope it will break down the taboo of potty training and allow parents to start feeling more comfortable when talking about their child’s potty training journey.
Without further ado, we would like to introduce Katie to our ‘Potty Talk’ series. Katie set up her blog called ‘Five from The Swich’ to share her experiences of family life, and she has kindly agreed to share her potty training experiences with the Pottiagogo community.
Let’s find out more about Katie and her potty training journey…
1. How many children do you have?
My partner, Rob and I have four children. Noah, who is 13, Saffi who is 9, Jake who is 3 and Cameron who is 11 months old. It is safe to say that I have plenty of experience with potty training!
2. What region of the country do you live in?
We are based in Suffolk. Ipswich to be more precise, which explains our blog’s name ‘Five from The Swich’.
3. What baby/toddler presents would you recommend that helped their developmental milestones?
For all my children, both wooden building blocks and a baby walker were so important. The baby walker our youngest is using at the moment is a lovely little wooden one which also doubles up as a little kitchen. Its wheels are adjustable, so that it can be tightened or loosened depending on how confident your child is on their feet when pushing it, which is clever.
4. How old were your children when you first started potty training and how did you know they were ready?
My eldest, Noah, was nearly 3 when we started potty training him. As he was our first, we found it a bit more challenging as we weren’t sure what to expect. When he started realising when he had done a wet or dirty nappy was when we then started his potty training by sitting him on a potty.
Our second born, Saffi, actually skipped the potty stage and went straight to the toilet and was potty trained by 2. I just used to sit her on the toilet after I went and she picked it up really quickly.
Jake was potty trained at about 2 and a half, similar to Noah, he knew when he needed to go and started wanting a new nappy after he had done a wet nappy, so we knew it was time for potty training.
Before we know it, it will be potty training time for Cameron too!
5. What were your biggest potty training challenges?
For us, the biggest struggles were teaching the boys and going in public toilets or at other people's houses.
6. Do you have any funny/embarrassing potty training stories?
It’s hard to believe, but not yet! I imagine we will at some stage.
7. Why do you love your Pottiagogo?
As our Pottiagogo can be folded up, it makes it so easy to store and portable when we’re on the go. It is just like a real toilet seat as well so it’s comfortable for the children and helps to prepare them for the toilet.
8. How often do you take your Pottiagogo on your travels?
As we spent most of last year in lockdown, we didn’t get to travel quite so much, but we do take our Pottiagogo on long walks as Jake isn't keen on going to the toilet outdoors all by himself. We have also used it in public toilets during the covid pandemic instead of the actual toilets, as the Pottiagogo is more hygienic.
9. What are your top potty training tips to advise other parents?
If possible and if you have boys, encourage them to go with your male partner as only they know how it's done.
- When accidents happen, keep calm and explain next time to try to do it in the potty/toilet.
- If they're not ready, leave it a couple of weeks and then try again.
- Give your little ones lots of praise and perhaps a couple of treats! Chocolate and sweeties were a winner for us.
Keep an eye out for more ‘Potty Talk’ blogs in the series.
We hope you have enjoyed the first part of our ‘Potty Talk’ series. Come back next month to hear more potty training stories and tips from real parents!
If you’re ready to take the plunge with potty training, browse our Pottiagogo Potty Range.
Featured image from @fivefromtheswich
