Mummy Matters readers will know that for the past year, Jelly Bean and I have been proud to be Huggies Pull-Up Pants Ambassadors. We were hoping that during this time, we might be able to nail potty training a little earlier than we had with Little Bean and Beanie Boy, BUT Jelly Bean had different ideas with his bowel issues. That’s not to say that we haven’t had some successes; we are most definitely heading in the right direction, and that is largely due to the helpful tips, advice and support from Huggies.
Let’s have a little Potty Training recap, shall we:
Acquaint yourself with the 8 Signs of Readiness
Start talking about Potty Training to your little one
You can’t just make the decision one day to Potty Train your child and expect them to follow your instruction. You need to prepare them for what’s going to happen over the following weeks/months. Prepare your child for the journey ahead; talk about them becoming a ‘big boy’ or ‘big girl’ and wearing ‘big boy pants’ or ‘big girl pants’. Talk to them about how they will be doing their wees and poos on the potty soon. The more you talk about it, the less frightening it will be for them. There are also some great storybooks out there that you could use to start a dialogue with your child.
Have a potty in the bathroom
Before you begin Potty Training, make a special trip out with your little one to choose a new potty together so they really feel like they are part of the decision-making process. A really good potty is the My Carry Potty because you will be able to take that with you wherever you go, so Potty Training is easy on the go, too. At home, leave the Potty in the bathroom; before bathtime each night, strip them down and have them sit on it whilst they are waiting for the bathwater to be ready, While they are waiting, why not read a special Potty Training storybook to reinforce the idea? It doesn’t matter if they don’t do anything on the potty, it will come in time but if they do give them heaps of praise!
Use Pull Up Pants
Nope, I’m not just saying that because we are Ambassadors. We used Huggies Pull-Up Pants with Curly, Little Bean and Beanie Boy throughout potty training. Being able to pull their pants up and down by themselves will give them a boost of confidence and increase their independence. Huggies Pull Up Pants feature a special Learning Liner which gives little ones the briefest sensation of wetness before drawing moisture away. Without a doubt, this has been the one noticeable improvement with Jelly Bean as he now tells me when he is doing a wee in his pants. Also, the Huggies Pull-Up Pants feature Disney Characters: Cars for the boys and Cinderella and Minnie Mouse for the girls. This is a big hit for Jelly Bean since he is a big Cars fan.
Praise, Praise, Praise!!!
When they get it right, sing, dance, jump about, give them a sticker on a chart (or be naughty like me and give them a chocolate button!) you get the message, just heap on the praise so that they get the message they are doing it right and they will want to do it again.
Expect accidents
Accidents will happen, but the trick is to stay calm, clean up any mess and carry on with the day. Don’t make a big deal about them, don’t make your little one feel bad for it. Just move on. They will soon be a thing of the past.
Now it’s your turn. I’m offering one lucky reader the chance to win a Potty Training Survival Kit that includes 2 Style on the Go Wipes, 3 packs of Pure, and 2 packs of Pull-Ups day and night.