Our Real-Life Potty-Training Experience (Yes, We Still Lived Life!)
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Potty training feels like one of those monumental parenting moments that can either feel empowering-or completely overwhelming. When we began potty training our eldest, I wasn't totally ready. But he was. He started asking to use the toilet, and I knew it was time to follow his lead.
We decided to loosely follow Potty Training in 3 Days: The Step-by-Step Plan for a Clean Break from Dirty Diapers. While the book has a lot of solid tips and structure (including how to tell if your toddler is even ready), we didn't stay 100% homebound like it suggests. We stuck around the house for part of one day-then brought the process along on our everyday outings. Because the truth is, I didn't want potty training to keep us from living our life.
Balancing Potty Training with Real Life
We made the choice to stay as close to our normal routine as possible, with a few exceptions. For instance, we skipped a professional soccer game we'd planned to attend as a family. My husband went with some friends instead, while I stayed home with our oldest. He had a couple of accidents that night, and I was glad we were home for that. My husband had a great time catching up with friends (and let's be real, he probably wouldn’t have gotten that much if we had attended also).
That night reminded me how important it is to use discernment-just like in every other part of parenting. Say yes to the plans that make sense, but give yourself permission to say no when the cons outweigh the pros. Remember: our kids are part of our life, and bringing them along for the ride (even during the messier phases) is part of raising them. Don't let potty training-or any stage-keep you from living.
Our On-the-Go Potty Routine
When we were out and about, I always had a couple of extra outfits tucked in my bag. And when we flew shortly after beginning potty training, we used a pull-up for the flight. We still made every effort to use the bathroom at every opportunity. Because let's be honest, nothing confuses a freshly potty-trained toddler faster than telling them "just this once, it's okay to go in your pants." Outside of this air travel, we only utilized pull-ups at night. We even call them his “nighttime underwear” to make a point he wasn’t putting a diaper back on.
Potty training is obviously different for boys and girls. With our son, it wasn’t uncommon to make a quick pit stop by a tree when we were in a pinch (hello, nature potty!). That solution doesn’t work quite the same for girls, though. Several of my friends have shared how helpful it’s been to stock up on travel-friendly potty supplies. For them, having an on-the-go potty was a total game changer when bathrooms weren’t easily accessible.
Tools That Helped Us
Here are a few things that really helped us stay consistent:
Sticker Chart
We used this Printable Potty Training Chart from my Etsy shop, and it was a huge hit. Every time our son used the potty, he got to place a sticker on the chart. We let him pick out a small pack of stickers he loved, and the simple act of tracking progress made it exciting (and even fun!) for him.
A Tiny Sweet Incentive
We also offered a small reward at first-M&Ms! One for pee, two for poop. Before long, he was going without any candy for peeing, and soon we phased out the rewards altogether.
Toilet Seats That Work With You
For our first, we used a removable child toilet seat. It was easy to pop on and off, plus cleans easily when needed. But with our second, we installed a built-in child seat and I honestly prefer that. Fun story: a good friend gifted it to me as a baby shower gift for our second. She brought it over saying “a toilet seat, weirdest gift I’ve ever given” and it’s been a great gift received! It grows with your child, even our oldest still uses it comfortably. Whatever you choose, I highly recommend a stool-preferably a separate one so they can use it at the sink too.
We did not use a little potty training toilet separate from our normal toilets. There were a couple of reasons for this. First, we didn’t want him to be scared of the “big potty” or think he wasn’t big enough to use the adult one. Yes, he had some fear/caution of toilets flushing. This was mostly with public toilets and completely understandable, because some of them I even think are excessively loud. Second, I didn’t want to potty train him to be comfortable on his little potty then train him again on the big potty. Seems like double the work and stress. Third, I honestly didn’t want to be constantly cleaning a little potty or have them scattered around the house. Potty training is full of messes and cleaning up those said messes. When he was successful in the potty, it was nice just flushing the toilet rather than cleaning that up also.
Flushable Wipes
Flushable wipes have been a game changer for us—they're so much gentler on a toddler’s bum than regular toilet paper and make it easier to get a thorough clean, especially in the early days of potty training. You can find ones online or a big pack of them at Costco.
That said, a quick word of caution: while they’re labeled “flushable,” many plumbers will tell you otherwise. Even the packaging usually warns to only flush one wipe at a time. Trust me—don’t toss in a handful in and expect your toilet to not get backed up.
We keep our son’s wipes in the same dispenser I used for baby wipes when he was a newborn. It keeps them from drying out and makes it super easy to grab just one at a time (no wrestling with a crinkled plastic pack mid-potty break).
The Real Secret? Consistency.
No surprise here, but consistency was everything. Like most parts of parenting, what you do every day is what makes the difference. We had accidents-especially with number two-and even after "official" potty training was complete, they still happened from time to time. (Spoiler alert: they might keep happening. And that's okay.)
If you're just starting out, give yourself grace. Follow your child's lead, find a rhythm that works for your family, and keep showing up. You don't have to hit pause on life to get it done.
