Potty Training: Part Two!
*Plus bonus children’s book recommendations
I initially did not plan for a part two of this topic, but potty and toddlers have been on my mind lately both with my work and my almost two year old at home. I am hearing a lot of the same things from different families so I thought it could be helpful to address a few more common concerns here. Many of these come under the category- is something wrong with my kid or my parenting? The good news is, no! If you are having a hard time with a particular aspect of potty training or even just having questions- it is likely a common occurrence and you are far from alone.
Day vs. Night
Many parents have questions about when their child should be staying dry through the night. It is very common for children to be 100% trained while awake but still need a diaper at night until around age 7.
When should you ditch the night diapers? It depends on your child. If they are still peeing in their sleep and not noticing or waking up, they could still use a diaper. If they are staying dry during the nights or staying dry all night and just peeing in the diaper right when they wake up, it is time to be done with diapers.
If they are taking off wet diapers on their own, or protesting wearing one at night- give them a chance and see how it goes! Definitely add a potty time right before sleep and right after wakeup if it isn’t already part of your family’s routine. You can also take your half asleep kiddo to the potty before you go to sleep, but it isn’t worth waking up extra times throughout the night to take them.
Pee vs. Poop
Another common occurrence is for a kid to be entirely trained with pee or poop, but not both. My older kiddo stopped pooping in her diaper once she figured out she could go in the potty and my little one only poops in the potty but it took a few days (maybe weeks?) after stopping daytime diapers. They both took a bit longer before not having pee accidents (the little one still does- but it is starting to get easier for him). With many families, it is the other way around- the kid always pees in the potty, but saves poop for a diaper or a quiet corner.
So it is definitely normal! But, what do you do about it? In most cases, just continue encouraging good bathroom habits, keep calm consistent expectations, and acknowledge successes and it will work itself out with (not too much!) time.
Car and Stroller
Most families (understandably!) don’t want to deal with pee all over the car or the stroller. If your kid is already in underwear all day, keep that consistency. Many families find that postpartum pads or puppy training pads (those big square pads that are absorbent on one side and waterproof on the other side) are good for lining a car seat or stroller. They make clean up much easier and don’t give your child the feeling of wearing a diaper.
Some families also like bringing a small portable potty with them when they go out- especially if their child is not yet comfortable with a big toilet or a toilet somewhere other than their home.
Parenting decisions and toddler transitions bring up a lot of questions for everyone. The truth is, if something is hard there is probably a way to make it easier- however- even when using the most effective strategies, there is not always a quick fix.
Bottom line-
If you are dealing with it, you are probably not the only one!
Help is always available if you want it.
Bonus: Potty Books for Babies and Toddlers!
There are so many potty books available right now! How do you know what to choose for your child? While children may love a book that has sound effects or a favorite character- if you do get something like this I would recommend having it be exclusively for when your child is actually sitting on the potty. My favorite books that I love reading anytime are described below.
Going to the Potty by Fred Rogers
This one is great because it uses real photos which are always engaging- and who doesn’t love Mr. Rogers?! There is a lot of text so younger children may prefer more of a summary rather than reading word for word.
Tiny Potty by Andrea Olson
I love this one because it goes through the whole potty process from feeling like you have to pee to going back to play and everything in between. This is also the only potty book I have found that doesn’t mention diapers- which is useful when you have (or plan to) made the transition to underwear. This one is great for all ages.
Potty by Leslie Patricelli
This one is cute, funny, short, and easy to follow. There is a dog and a cat and lots of fun underwear at the end. It is appealing to all ages.
Once Upon a Potty by Alona Frankel
This is a story that both my children have loved. It has very cute pictures and some silly parts. When you are reading this to your child, you may want to substitute anatomically correct words for the nicknames the author uses for body parts.
Everyone Poops by Tarō Gomi
This is not really a potty training book- but it is fun to have on hand for potty time (or anytime!). It is both humorous and informative with many fantastic illustrations. Great for all ages!
