Parenting|

6 Things People Always Forget To Tell You About Potty Training

by Maria Guido
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There are certain things you prepare yourself for when potty training. Things like timing car trips, making sure you are always near a bathroom, and packing extra clothes “just in case.” But then again, there are a bunch of small details you may not have considered.

The bathroom is no longer just yours.

You thought using the bathroom with a newborn was hard? Try getting a moment of peace in the bathroom when your child starts using it too. Hopefully you have more than one bathroom because there is no bigger bathroom hog than a potty-training toddler.

You have to make the bathroom more fun than a theme park.

Stickers. Charts. Books. Toys. Singing. Stories. Get ready to make potty time more fun than you’ve ever considered it. Pull-Ups is a great resource for parents gearing up to potty train, with lots of simple ways to make the journey fun for you and your kids.

Bartosz Budrewicz / Shutterstock

It’s going to take more than a day.

We all have that one friend who insists it took one day to potty train her toddler. Yeah, right. I’m not going to be your favorite person when I tell you this, but your child isn’t going to magically wake up a potty prodigy. Patience is key — even more reason to find ways to make it fun.

You somehow have to make public bathrooms toddler-friendly.

That public toilet seat you avoid like the plague? Your toddler is going to have to sit on it. Go ahead and wrap your brain around that for a moment. While you’re at it, remember that for small children, those loud self-flushing toilets and really loud hand dryers are the devil. Good luck!

There will be public potty talk.

A funny thing happens when you start potty training a child — they start noticing your bathroom habits more. Don’t be surprised when your child publicly congratulates you for the “great pee-pee” you took this morning…or clapping for your guests when they exit the bathroom.

You’ll have to feign excitement for your toddler’s bathroom habits for months on end.

Good job! You went poop! That’s amazing! Wow, that was fast! Practice these phrases and feigning excitement. You’ll need it.

This post was sponsored by Pull-Ups® Training Pants. We know potty training can sound daunting to parents, but why not make it fun? Visit Pull-Ups.com for tips and tricks to make the journey fun and exciting for both parents and children.