Our First Week Potty Training...
Five days into potty training, here's what we've learned. Honest advice, products we actually use, rookie mistakes, and reassurance that accidents are all part of the journey.
Sophie
7/28/20266 min read
We are about five days into potty training and, honestly, the biggest thing we have learned is that it takes a lot of time and attention.
For the first few days, we were basically glued to our toddler, watching for signs, rushing towards the nearest potty and trying to help her understand that wee belongs in the toilet rather than on the floor.
There have been lots of accidents, including a few wees and poos in places we would rather they had not happened, but there have also been some brilliant wins. We have had multiple successful wees and poos in the potty and toilet, and we are seeing a little more understanding every day.
If you are wondering whether potty training is working because your toddler is still having accidents, you are definitely not alone.
Progress is not always accident free
Our toddler has really taken to using her toilet ladder seat and actually prefers the big toilet over the potty. She will happily sit, concentrate and usually do a wee if she is ready.
The biggest challenge is that she does not yet consistently recognise when she needs a wee. She rarely tells us beforehand. It often just happens while she is busy playing.
The encouraging part is that if we take her to the toilet at the right time, she can relax and do a wee successfully.
One thing I have learned is that being able to wee on the toilet and recognising the feeling beforehand are two completely different skills. The first can come before the second.
Accidents do not necessarily mean that a child is not ready. They can simply mean that they are still learning to recognise the signals their body is giving them.
Clear your diary if you can
The first few days have been pretty intense.
You really do end up following them around, watching closely and trying to spot the tiny signs that they may need to go. Sometimes you catch it and sometimes you absolutely do not.
If possible, I would choose a few quiet days when you do not have too much planned. We have spent lots of time at home and in the garden, where accidents feel much easier to manage.
That said, I have thought about giving up nearly every day.
There have been moments when I have questioned whether we started too soon or whether it would be easier to put the nappies back on and try again later. Then we have another successful toilet trip or she starts to understand something new, and it feels worth carrying on.
Potty training does not seem to be a straight line. One morning can feel brilliant and the afternoon can feel like you are back at the beginning.
There is also nothing wrong with stopping and trying again in a few weeks. I think removing that pressure makes the whole experience feel much more manageable.
Start with friends if you can
Something that has been surprisingly helpful was agreeing with a couple of mum friends that we would all try potty training at roughly the same time.
It meant we did not feel as though we were missing out on activities or playdates together while we stayed close to home.
There has also been a lot of solidarity over text. We have been sharing the wins, the accidents, the difficult moments and the times we have all wondered whether to give up.
We have arranged a garden playdate about a week into training too, partly for the children and partly for our own sanity. Everyone understands that there may be accidents, potties will probably be dotted around the garden and nobody needs to feel embarrassed.
Having people going through it at the same time has made the whole thing feel much less isolating.
Have more than one potty option
Having different potty options around the house has made a huge difference for us.
Toilet seat ladder
This has easily been our biggest success. Our toddler prefers using the big toilet with the ladder over her smaller potties.
Toilet style potty
This is useful in another bathroom or downstairs. It also means that if you need to use the toilet, your toddler can sit on their potty at the same time.
Carry potty
Our carry potty follows us everywhere. We use it around the house, in the garden and when we go out.
It is particularly useful when she starts having an accident somewhere that does not have a potty nearby, as we can quickly encourage her to finish on it.
Make it exciting
We let our toddler choose bright and colourful knickers that she is proud to wear.
We have also spent time completely naked indoors, as it makes it easier to spot when she starts weeing and quickly move her towards the potty.
Outside, long dresses have worked well. They give her a little coverage and protect her bottom when she sits down, while still making it easy to use the potty quickly.
We are still using nappies for naps and bedtime. We are focusing on daytime potty training first and are not putting pressure on sleep at the same time.
Celebrate every success
We celebrate every successful wee or poo as though she has won a medal.
Our magnetic reward chart has been a huge hit. After using the toilet successfully, she gets to choose and add a star. She gets incredibly excited and often runs straight over to the chart.
We also use ordinary stickers as a simple reward. The excitement and praise seem to be much more important than the actual sticker.
When an accident happens, we try to keep our response calm and simple.
“Oops, wee goes in the toilet. Let’s get changed.”
We do not want her to feel ashamed or worried about getting it wrong.
Use natural toilet times
We have had more success when we offer the toilet at natural transition points rather than constantly asking whether she needs to go.
Useful times have included after waking, before leaving the house, after meals, before naps and before bedtime.
She may not yet recognise the feeling herself, but taking her at sensible times gives her more opportunities to practise successfully.
Read potty books before starting
We introduced potty training books before we properly started. They have been useful for making the potty feel familiar and helping her understand what is supposed to happen.
Miss Rachel Potty Time: https://amzn.to/4yGc521
Peekapoo: https://amzn.to/3TsmvC6
Our toddler also watches Miss Rachel’s potty training episode endlessly. It has genuinely helped reinforce the language and routine.
https://youtu.be/qXKsou9UmfY?feature=shared
Make handwashing part of the routine
We have step stools in the bathrooms so she can reach the sink and wash her hands afterwards.
She also enjoys flushing the toilet, which has helped make the whole routine feel more exciting and complete.
Keep a clean up kit nearby
My biggest rookie mistake has been reaching the potty in time and then realising I have nothing nearby to clean everything up.
I would recommend keeping wet wipes, antibacterial wipes and tissues or toilet roll close to every potty.
Wet wipes are useful for bottoms and messy hands.
Antibacterial wipes are handy for quickly cleaning the floor if the potty is missed.
Tissues or toilet roll allow your toddler to begin practising wiping too.
It sounds incredibly obvious, but it is easy to forget when you are focused entirely on getting them onto the potty.
Expect accidents
Expect wee on the floor.
Expect poo on the carpet or patio.
It is all part of the process.
One thing that has already earned its place in our house is our BISSELL SpotClean. It takes some of the panic out of carpet accidents and makes cleaning everything up much quicker.
Protect seats when you need to leave the house
We have seat protectors for the car seat, which feel like a must for journeys while potty training.
I have also used one in the pram for very quick trips and occasionally in the highchair to avoid cleaning the entire seat after an accident.
The only downside is that they are quite absorbent, so a child may not immediately notice that they have had an accident. I would not rely on them for long periods, but they are useful for protecting difficult to clean seats.
What has helped us most
The things making the biggest difference have been using the toilet ladder seat she prefers, offering the toilet at natural points during the day, keeping potties close by, staying calm after accidents and massively celebrating every success.
The books, Miss Rachel’s potty episode and the reward chart have also helped keep everything positive.
Most importantly, having mum friends going through it at the same time has made it feel less lonely and stopped us feeling like we are missing out while staying close to home.
Our biggest takeaway
Do not judge potty training success by dry pants alone.
Five days in, we are definitely not accident free. I have considered giving up almost every day and there have been moments when it has felt exhausting.
But we are seeing progress.
There are more successful toilet trips, more confidence and a little more understanding every day.
Sometimes the biggest milestone is not staying dry. It is watching your toddler slowly begin to understand what their body is trying to tell them.
If things are not clicking, there is absolutely nothing wrong with pausing and trying again later. Every child gets there in their own time.
For now, we are staying close to home, celebrating the wins, cleaning up the accidents and leaning heavily on our mum group for moral support.
For us, that is what potty training progress currently looks like.
I will provide an update on how part two goes, if it happens 😉
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