As you begin to forge your battle of the bladder, there are all sort of items that’ll help you find success. Yet the most important things can’t be found in stores or purchased online. Patience, compassion, understanding – these elements are instrumental in helping your child triumph over the toilet. They can mean the difference between a losing campaign and victory of the bowel.
Other basics add a boost too, of course. In fact, one of the secrets to successful potty training is to have supplies before you begin – making it up as you go along translates to your child making doodie on the bedroom floor. Preparation, on the other hand, encourages your child to get curious about the potty….and it assures you’re ready for anything that comes your way.
So, stock up on these best potty training tools and supplies on the market:
Potty Chairs
Potty chairs are stand-alone potties made especially for children. They come in different colors and often feature Disney, Marvel, or other characters. Some make noises or light up as well. They can be moved from room to room (or even taken on road trips) and they’re far less intimidating to children than the big, bad, actual toilet.
Here are some potty chairs we recommend:
Potty Seats
Potty seats sit on top of regular toilets, turning the toilet seats into miniature versions (i.e., ones your child won’t fall through). They’re cheaper and simpler than potty chairs and may help children adapt quicker to normal-sized plumbing. But they come with other challenges. Some kids are intimidated by the height of sitting on a grownup potty and some parents unintentionally sit on the child’s potty seat when using the bathroom (even though most are easily taken on or off).
Here are some potty seats we recommend:
Stepping Stools
A stepping stool serves a few different purposes in toilet training. If you’re using a potty seat (as mentioned above), a stool is essential in helping your child get on and off the toilet. They can also use it when on the toilet too, resting their feet, positioning themselves correctly, and finding stability. Afterwards, the stool helps them reach the sink so they can wash their hands. Toilet training should never come with a side of e-coli.
Here are some stepping stools we recommend:
Flushable Wipes
Toilet paper is useful in potty training (when people aren’t panic buying and you can actually find it inside grocery stores). Flushable wipes, on the other hand, are a little better. Softer and gentler – they’re like toilet paper mixed with a cloud. They also make cleanup faster and they’re easier on the plumbing system.
Here are some flushable wipes we recommend:
Kid-Friendly Hand Soap
Thanks to the global pandemic, washing your hands has never been more fashionable. But even without a deadly virus, hygiene matters; instill it early so it’ll stay with your child as they grow. Kid-friendly hand soap is more fun than boring bars or lame liquid; it’s foamy, with plenty of bubbles. Your child will want to wash their hands. And that’s a parenting win.
Here are some kid-friendly hand soaps we recommend:
Faucet Extenders
A faucet extender is designed for kids who aren’t yet tall enough to reach the water’s flow. It extends the faucet so that it juts out towards your child, making the water accessible. This helps assure your child washes their hands rather than just pretending to.
Here are some faucet extenders we recommend:
Potty Training Underwear
Chances are, your underwear doesn’t have any cool characters on it (but, hey, no judgement if it does). Kids, on the other hand, benefit from wearing underwear they like. If it has characters, colors, shapes, patterns, or other fun things, they’ll be less likely to mess. Make sure you let them pick out a few pairs – this acts as motivation.
Here are some potty training underwear we recommend:
Overnight Pull-ups
Put your child in pull-ups that are designed for nights; they feel different than regular diapers and encourages your kid to refrain from wetting. It’s also important that you refer to these nighttime pull-ups as “sleeping underwear” – you want your child to hear the difference between these and regular diapers. If your kiddo understands that they’re underwear, they’ll try harder not to leave them soiled. This decreases the odds of you having to clean up poop before you even have your morning coffee.
Here are some overnight pull-ups we recommend:
Potty Doll
Potty dolls are dolls designed to help your child understand the concept of urination – they “wet” themselves after drinking liquid. Children can use them to explore their curiosity about the bathroom, even showing the doll how to use the toilet. Don’t worry if you, as a parent, are worried about waking up in the middle of the night to find the potty doll watching you sleep. That hardly ever happens.
Here are some potty dolls we recommend:
Treats and Rewards
Ah, treats and rewards! The golden ticket to successful potty training, these are used to encourage productive bathroom trips. Your child uses the potty, they get a prize, repeat. Fortunately, most children don’t have expensive tastes – reward them with small items (like stickers or kid-safe snacks).
Here are some treats and rewards we recommend:
See-Through Jars
Complementing the above, see-through jars are used to show your kiddo what’s in store if they manage not to pee on the kitchen floor. You can keep treats and rewards in opaque jars, but those that are transparent (and placed somewhere highly visible) act as motivators by dangling the proverbial carrots in front of your child’s face.
Here are some see-through jars we recommend:
Waterproof Pads
Waterproof pads protect everything from mattresses to carpet, from sofas to interiors of cars. They’re designed to make sure potty training doesn’t translate into you needing to completely redecorate. Urine-chic isn’t a thing.
Here are some water-proof pads we recommend:
Cleaning Supplies
Naturally, no potty training adventure is complete without plenty of disinfectants. No matter how quickly your child learns, accidents can – and will – happen. If your pantry is stocked with cleaning supplies, you’ll be ready when they do.
Here are some cleaning supplies we recommend:
Potty training isn’t easy, but it doesn’t have to be overly challenging, either. The above potty training products are must-haves to make sure your kiddo’s transition from diapers to toilets is as smooth, and stain-free, as possible.
Related Posts:
Best Travel Potty Seats & Chairs – Pros & Cons Review
Best Potty Chairs (For Boys & Girls) – Pros & Cons Review
Best Potty Training Seats – Pros & Cons Review
Best Toddler Step Stools – Pros & Cons Review
