My big kids are back at school. Not one to stay idle, I’ve been distracting myself by attempting to get Baby N potty trained. We’ve been at it for a few months now, sort of lackadaisically, but now it’s time to get serious. No more diapers or pull-ups, with the exception of nap and bedtimes because I like sleeping and don’t have a desire to add to my already immense laundry mountain.
It amazes me that every time I’ve tried to help N with something new like eating solids, learning shapes/colors, potty training, my mom brain completely forgets what I did with my other kids. You’d think by now I’d have this potty training thing down, having done it twice before, but I got nothing. While I can’t give you my tried and true, fool-proof potty training tips, because I have none, I can share with you what not to do.
My Potty Training Must NOT Dos
1. DO NOT let your child sit on the couch without laying down several towels. Urine-scented couches are not classy! If you have plastic coverings for your furniture, this is the time to break it out.
2. DO NOT leave the house without a dozen pairs of clean underwear or you’ll find yourself wrapping your child up in a old 5T t-shirt, turned makeshift diaper.
3. DO NOT give your child a large bottle full of water before you get in the car for a 45 minute drive. Oh, that’s common sense, you say? Well, I don’t think I asked for your opinion!
4. DO NOT leave your potty training child alone in their room with the door closed. There is a chance they will need to poop. If they need to poop, they won’t be able to open their door, and, when they can’t open their door, they will use that giant plastic school bus full of legos as a toilet. (“Wow, Erin,” you’re thinking, “that’s pretty specific.” Nope, this is a completely hypothetical situation, of course. Yep, uh-huh.)
5. DO NOT give your child chocolate as a reward for pooping in the potty. You will have to guess which smudges are chocolate and which are poop, and you will most likely be wrong.
If you can avoid my, uh, I mean, these potty training pitfalls, you’ll be fine! Despite my mistakes, Baby N will be potty-trained soon, or at least by the time she starts kindergarten!
🙂 Erin