This shop is part of a social shopper marketing insight campaign with Pollinate Media Group™ and Cottonelle but all my opinions are my own. #pmedia #CtnlCareRoutine http://cmp.ly/3/8vNxcO.
So as many of you might recall, we’ve been working on potty training with Layah for quite a few months, now. We took a laid-back approach with our first child even though we started really early. It worked beautifully, as she was out of diapers by the time she was 20 months old.
Layah is now 21 months old, and is still in diapers. I noticed that we seem to have more success with her when we really make the potty experience special. We no longer have a winter wonderland in our bathroom (though it was there for 6 weeks, so trust me, it had its run!). But perhaps I could think of something else that would be fun?
Ladies and gentlemen, let me introduce you to the 7 things that are working for us right now.
2. Have the right tools. Layah has always loved wipes for some reason. They just make the kid happy. Even when she is in the regular bathroom and I reach for a roll of Cottonelle, she calls the toilet paper “wipeys.” Cottonelle actually has an entire Clean Care system to help keep bums clean (little ones AND big ones!) and I have found the Cottonelle Cleansing Cloths to be extra useful during potty training. As Layah practices wiping herself, the wipes are fun for her to use, and can help her be more aware of how much contact she has actually made with her body. I personally have found that she does a better job with this product than with toilet paper alone.
3. Sticker charts rock. Kids love to see the progress they have made, so be sure to get a pack of stickers, as well as some sort of potty training chart.
4. Reward your child’s efforts. I’m not big on bribing, but let me tell you, putting out some chocolate in plain view and informing your child that she can have a piece once they successfully potty WORKS. Layah was thrilled with the promise of an M&M, and didn’t leave her seat until she earned one! 🙂
6. Provide some reading material. Yep, even little ones like to do some reading while they do their business! Layah has a heightened interest in potty training books while sitting on her throne, so I recommend that you have at least one book of this type in your assortment. My top picks are Uh Oh! Gotta Go! and Potty.
7. Decorate to motivate. Layah absolutely loved seeing big girl underwear decorating her potty palace. I reminded her about how she would get to wear them once she started using the potty regularly. She was so thrilled to hear it!
All the special elements in the potty palace are making Layah feel very excited about potty training. And the Cottonelle Clean Care routine is helping to ensure confidence and true cleanliness! But this routine isn’t just for little ones making the transition to using the toilet. It’s a great routine for anyone!
Book Recommendation
Finally, I want to share a resource for the parents! If you are working hard on potty training right now and need some help figuring out how to wrap it all up and be done, I highly recommend Potty Train in a Weekend by fellow blogger Becky Mansfield. It’s a great affordable resource that you can download as soon as you purchase it. It gets rave reviews from parents everywhere who aren’t sure how to keep potty training from going on and on forever!
So what about you? Have you tried the Cottonelle Clean Care Routine, and started using Cleansing Cloths in the bathroom? If you are potty training (or soon to be potty training) do you think adding them to your process would help your child feel more comfortable and confident? Any other potty training tips out there for other parents in the trenches???
Potty training my then 3 1/2 year old was awful! I had been trying since he was 2, and it seemed like nothing worked – stickers, candy, my tears…. Then one day, I bought him some Superhero underwear (I think there were 7 in a pack), and showed it to him. Of course, he wanted them, and thought they were awesome. I set the unopened pack right up on our fireplace mantle, and told him that everytime he used the toilet, he’d get a new pair of underwear. (In this case, it was just for pooping, because he had already been going pee with the potty, just refused to poop on it). The next day, he did it, and earned all of his new underwear in a week. He’s doing a great job now, and always uses the toilet, except he does still require a pullup at bedtime.
I thought I was so alone in the ‘poopy in the potty’ my bub will use the potty to pee but refuses to poppy, I’m praying this works for him as well! Thank you thank you thank you
Potty training is so tricky! I’m going to be diving in with my second child in about six months and I’m dreading it. I’ll take all the advice I can get because different things work with different kids. Thanks so much for the post!