Potty Training… Third Time’s the Charm!

We’ve recently embarked on potty training adventures with our third and final and were pleasantly surprised how quickly she has picked up the concept.  The old rule of thumb that they’re ready once they’re able to stay dry during naps was generally true for us, however, we found the best indicator was her interest in trying.  That, and the obvious facial contortions that she made just before “going Number Two”.  After a few days of making lightening-quick dashes to the potty so she could make her…. ahem…. deposit there instead of in her diaper, and we were well on our way.

A few things that we’ve learned, now that we’ve been through this with three children:

1. Use cloth diapers for training pants.  We were primarily using disposable diapers on Number Three so the switch to cloth diapers was a big deal and exciting to her.  We just leave the snaps or velcro done up and slip them on and off like Big Girl Underoos.  We’ve come to appreciate the extra absorbency that these offer on more than once occasion and it’s a great way to extend the use of cloth diapers!

2. Keep a potty in the car.  Maybe you’ve seen us in the Ikea parking lot?  Yeah, that was us standing in front of the open hatch while our two-year-old had her undies around her ankles, having one last pee before entering the fray.   We love our own version of the port-a-potty!  It makes running errands a bit more streamlined, without having to run around looking for a public washroom.  Chances are it’s cleaner too… we just keep a squeeze bottle of water, vinegar and Castile in the car, along with some TP and we’re good to go!

3. Keep a sense of humour.  Potty training requires an extra level of patience, right at the time that our toddlers really begin to express their opinions (which in our house tend to be “NO!” more than anything else!)  We’ve done a lot of hopping to the bathroom like frogs, crawling to the bathroom like cats and when all else fails, offering a stamp on a hand, foot, belly button or knee for a job well done.

And despite our personal aversion to licensed merchandise, we are so proud of our little girl who uses the toilet like a big girl that we caved and bought her some Cinderella panties.  Because the third time around we’ve also learned that one has to be a bit flexible with one’s ideals now and then.  We’d like to invite you to celebrate Number Three’s success with us and enjoy 25% off of all cloth diapers and potties in stock!  Simply enter coupon code pottyparty between now and December 31, 2011 to redeem.

We’d love to hear what works (and what doesn’t!) for you and your kids so please drop us a line and let us know what you’ve learned along the way!