This post is sponsored by Pampers. All opinions are our own.
By the time I had my fourth baby, I realized something pretty important: potty training never really gets any easier. I genuinely thought that I would have my youngest daughter potty trained super early (12 months? Too soon?) since she was my fourth child. I mean, I’ve done this before, right? No problem.
Well, fast forward three years and we are just starting the potty training process. And I officially stand corrected.
But really, can I just admit to you that I kind of sort of loathe potty training? It feels likes one giant mystery. Will my kid be one of those kids who takes to training easily? Or will she be the kid carting overnight diapers to sleepovers? Will today be the day my toddler announces he has to poop in the middle of the frozen food aisle that’s also the furthest point in the store from the bathroom? (Spoiler alert on that last one: it’s always a yes.)
Potty training is hard, because every child is different and every family is different, but fortunately, there are a few ways you can get help to make the process a little easier. And no, I’m not talking about your secret ice cream stash after the kids go to bed, helpful as that may be. Instead, as you transition your little one out of diapers, try out these tips instead:
- Stop potty training
Sounds counterproductive, right? But hear me out: if you frame potty training in a new way, it may be more approachable for your little one. I don’t know what it is, but there is something about using the words “potty training” around some kids that just backfires on you. For example, my daughter was totally scared of the toilet for the longest time and flat-out refused to use it. Or maybe it’s just that your kids can sense how badly you want this happen.
Whatever it is, try a different approach to potty training by focusing on transitioning into underwear instead of just using the potty. Make picking out a new pack of Pampers Easy Ups Training Underwear with fun designs like Thomas the Train or Hello Kitty images on them a special treat or let your child choose which color training underwear they want to wear that day. Focusing on fun designs and cool “underwear” is a lot more interesting than using the potty for some kids, so just go with that!
- Embrace the transition
As I approached moving into using the potty with my daughter, I made the mistake of thinking it would be best to go cold-turkey. We were done with diapers! I vowed. We would push through some hard (wet) days and then it would all be over!
I’ll give you a few guesses as to how well that turned out for us. Long story short, it did not go well and going cold turkey into real underwear right away actually really discouraged my daughter. She genuinely wanted to be a “big girl” and use the potty, but her little body just wasn’t quite ready to jump into full-fledged underwear just yet. So, she was heartbroken when she felt like she was really trying, but kept having accidents in her big girl undies.
Making the switch to training underwear as we transitioned into having her use the potty helped her feel proud of her efforts and kept her motivated. She felt like a big girl who was out of diapers because the Pampers Easy Ups Training Underwear have the same look and feel of cotton underwear, but didn’t get discouraged in the same way as she did wearing underwear right away when she had the occasional accident.
- Go with the flow
Another confession: after four kids, I was really, really tired of buying diapers. We’ve been a Pampers family since my first child was a baby and I had a gifted package of diapers that was a different brand and she had a blow-out every.single.time she wore them. I’ve tried other brands of diapers and have consistently found that Pampers are the best for our family.
That being said, however, as much as I love Pampers, after ten straight years of them, I thought I could get away with buying a few off-brand training underwear here and there so I could save a little cash for my nightly indulgence. You probably know where this is going, but again, my veering away from my beloved Pampers was a mistake I would soon come to regret. While my daughter was doing great transitioning into using the potty, night time was an entirely different ball game and one night in the cheap training underwear was a complete disaster.
So, it was happily back to the Pampers Easy Ups Training Underwear for us. Because she potty trained so quickly during the day (all in all, it took about a week before she really got the hang of it),thanks to her transition training underwear, I was able to still save money and purchase the Pampers Easy Ups Training Underwear, which last all night too. Only Pampers has Extra Absorb Channels™, which provide outstanding protection against leaks during the day AND night. Moral of the story? I learned that skimping doesn’t save and that going with the flow if your toddler needs a little extra protection at night is always a good idea.
After potty training four kids, I am happy to report that although I now realize that I will never be a potty training pro, because every child is different, there are exactly two things that will help make the process a whole lot easier: Pampers Easy Ups Training Underwear, because they take the guesswork out of everything for you, and that emergency stash of ice cream. One of those secrets is safe with me, but as for the other one? Pass it along, because us hapless parents can use all the help we can get!
Have you started transitioning your toddler into underwear yet?