10 Things I’d Forgotten about Potty Training

It’s been a while since I had to think about potty training. We were really lucky with Erin’s potty training journey, but I have to admit I was a little nervous about starting with Neve. With her eating challenges and the fact that she still doesn’t sleep particularly well, I was a bit scared that it would take a while to sink in, and therefore left it fairly late before we started taking steps to potty train her. Today has been her first day where she has been in “big girl pants” and we have had no accidents at all, with her taking herself off to the potty whenever she felt the need. I am so proud of her.

Here are 10 things I had forgotten about potty training.

1. There will always be one point during your potty training journey where you find yourself in shock at the size / texture or shape of your child’s poop. From producing one the size and stature that a grown man would probably be proud of, a poop the size of a malteaser, all the way through to a perfectly formed conker brown log that Gillian McKeith would be happy to circle on her chart. Trust me when I say this week I have seen them all.
2. There is no more powerful bribe in the eyes of a 2 year old than a sticker. A sticker can virtually immediately change an unenthusiastic child into an eager beaver at first sight. Want to raise the stakes even further? Make them glittery.
3. During potty training, you will impress yourself with your Oscar winning ability to react excitedly to a few ml of urine. When walking up stairs to empty out the contents you will wonder whether celebrating the production of human waste is officially an all time low.
4. For alternative evening entertainment, to compliment your Love Island viewing of course, simply forget to empty the potty once your child has been for a wee, and observe your partner accidently kick it / stand in it / splash it all over his foot two times in a row. Now that is true love.
5. People say to ‘do something every day that scares you’. Trust me when I say there is no bigger fear than your first trip out when your child is wearing knickers. If someone could see inside my brain during that outing, the resulting words would simply be “please don’t poo, please don’t poo, please don’t poo”.
6. You can guarantee that your child will need a wee at the most inconvenient time or at the furthest geographical point away from the nearest toilets. Ask them when you’re in the toilets…. No they’re fine. Ask them when you’ve just sat down for lunch whilst solo patenting… yes of course, and they’re desperate.
7. You will run the fastest you have run in around 20 years in order to get your child to the toilet without a puddle on the floor, only for you to arrive in a cold sweat and them say “Actually, I don’t need it anymore”
8. Once your child starts to ‘get’ potty training, they will also suddenly find the fact that Mummy wees absolutely fascinating, with a new found appreciation for the effort that goes into those visits to the bathroom. So much so in fact that today Neve burst into the bathroom whilst I was mid wee, and tried to wipe before I’d actually finished. Thanks for the assistance Neve, but I think I’m good – I have a few more years on you!
9. Everyone has an opinion on potty training from “ooh you’ve left it late” to “wow that’s early, I hope they don’t regress”. Ignore the judgement and focus on what works for you and your child. If they’re ready they’re ready and if they’re not – just try again later.
10. Finally, as much as I am excited to see the back of nappies, there is a little part of me that will inevitably feel sad about her growing independence (and the inevitable more frequent toilet stops the next time we drive to Cornwall).

What things had you forgotten about potty training?

If you’re about to potty train for the first time or simply want to hear more about our experience, you can read Erin’s potty training journey here, which we have followed in a fairly similar vein with Neve.