Panic-free potty training tips

Okay my friends (with toddlers) — let’s talk potty training! We are now on week three of no nappies (apart from naps and nights), and I thought I’d share with you how it’s going and what I’ve found helpful. I want to be completely transparent and say that we’ve had the huge help of our wonderful nanny during all of this, so this has in no way been a single-handed effort.

I would say the most important thing is to put some real thought and intention into starting your potty training journey, so that it feels as calm and pressure-free as possible. Do it at a time that feels right for YOU and your little one, and don’t rush it if you don’t feel ready. I think a patience and a positive frame of mind is the best thing to be taking into this adventure!

💦 Start when you have as few plans as possible, or are able to clear them and stay at home for at least 3 days.

💦 A month before this, start talking about the toilet/potty and incorporating those discussions into your daily routine. Introducing a kids book about potty training can really help with this – we love No More Nappies by @campbell_books.

💦 A week or so before, stock up your essential potty training supplies – ours were a potty, a toilet seat insert (ours is from @ikeauk), a travel potty (ours is @mycarrypottyuk), some absorbent pads (ours are @pampersuk_ire) for home/car, plenty of kitchen roll and antibacterial wipes for clearing up accidents.

💦 We loosely followed the Oh Crap! method by @jamie.glowacki and found it helpful in getting started in an intentional and focused way. But remember that no one knows your little one better than you, so find an approach that feels like a good fit.

💦 Buy three times as many pants as you think you’ll need and size up.

💦 We decided to bypass pull-ups as we thought they may be too confusing, but we do have a few pairs of @bambinomio training pants for longer car journeys where we’re not able to stop so frequently.

💦 Remember that your little one is sensitive to your emotions – if you can approach potty training calmly and happily, it’s likely that they will too!