Lessons In Potty Training The Second Time Around

Disclosure: I participated in a campaign on behalf of Mom Central Consulting (#MC) for Pull-Ups®. I received product samples to facilitate my review and a promotional item as a thank you for participating.

It's been two months since we embarked on this potty journey with JJ.  As stated in my first post, this is not my first round or rodeo when it comes to potty training.  I was able to get Moo potty trained fairly quickly.  It was a bit of a challenge, but once we got into the groove and she knew I meant business things smoothed out.  This time around, things have been different to say the least.

For starters, I'm potty training a boy now and not a girl.  That brought up questions like do I teach him to pee standing up or sitting down?  If I decided to go the standing up route, is there some proper holding technique that I need to learn?  My husband couldn't remember how or who potty trained him, but thankfully, I had you other moms out there with boys to give me advice and suggestions.

Also, having the access the Big Kid Academy via the Pull-Ups® website was a huge help as well.  The Rewards Wheel has become one of my favorite tools on there now because you want to switch up your celebration routine to keep kids motivated to make progress.  The Rewards Wheel takes the guessing out of choosing that activity.  If you want you can enter your own rewards in addition to the ones already listed like arts & crafts, sing a song, parent's choice, etc and then you give it a spin and the Rewards Wheel selects a choice for you!  We're still using the Big Kid App, too.

So, what have learned in round 2 of potty training?  I've learned to:

Have Realistic Expectations

I went into this potty training journey initially thinking that I had everything in the bag since I had done this before.  In my mind, I just knew we'd be fully potty trained in two months or less.  Wrong!  I've come to senses and realized that those exceptions weren't very realistic.  For starters, I wasn't potty training a girl again, but a boy and I knew absolutely nothing about that.

Also, I hadn't taken into account that Moo and JJ have two different personalities.  JJ definitely has Moo beat in the stubbornness department.  He wanted nothing to do with potty training.  So, my advice to parents would be expect nothing and you won't have to worry about being disappointed or feeling like a complete failure when all your techniques from round 1 don't work.  Keep an open mind and remember that every child is different.

Be Patient

I really had to work on my patience because at first JJ was terrified of sitting on the potty seat that fits on the toilet.  It freaked him out that his feet did not touch the floor.  This was weird because he sits on tons of other things where his feet don't touch the floor like the bed and the couches.  He also wasn't a fan a the training seat.

Potty Sear

Potty Training System

And speaking of training seats, they are not all equal.  Some work better for girls.  And some kids prefer an actual potty training system aka potty.  Pull-Ups® has partnered with The First Years, a maker of potty training seats and systems, and will be offering a FREE sample of Pull-Ups® training pants with each purchase of a specialty potty training system.

Learn Your Child's Potty Language

With Moo, she was good at letting me know when she had to go.  Often times, she waited until she could just barely hold it to tell me, but she told me nevertheless.  As you all know, JJ is a special needs child.  He has delayed speech and sensory overload.  So, with him I have to look for clues.  Like for example, when he's about to poop, he gets really still.  That's easy to notice because he stays on the go nonstop.  

Therefore, if he's ever quiet for more than two minutes, he's either into something he shouldn't be or he's pooping.  He's getting better though at trying to come to me when he does feel like he has to go but sometimes he's already in the process and you may or may not want to attempt to put your toddler on the potty while they are mid-poop unless you don't mind possibly having extra cleaning up to do.

In addition, try to refrain from referring to your child's training pants as a diaper.  We actually call JJ's training pants underwear because in a sense that's they are.  They're just more absorbent.  I actually did an experiment to see if it made a difference and it did.  I put JJ on a regular diaper and he didn't think twice about going to the bathroom in it.  I put him on a pair of his 'special underwear' and he definitely minded getting those wet.

So, learning your child's potty language isn't just about reading their body language but also verbally using the right words that will trigger good potty training behavior and habits in them.

Dress Your Child in Potty Training Friendly Clothing

Ok, so I know I was just asking about where I could find oneies that snap at the bottom for toddlers in sizes over 2T, but he will only be wearing those at bedtime.  I've found that the extra two seconds it takes you to undo them can be two seconds too long and your child might end up wetting themselves.  Also, as much as I love seeing JJ in a cute pair of jeans, I've gone out and purchased him pants without snaps, just elastic waists.

Not only does it make getting his pants and training pants down faster for me, but it makes it faster for him as well.  Isn't that why we're potty training to start with?  To make our children more independent?  You don't want your child to have to wrestle with getting their clothes off when they really have to go.

Ask For Help/Research Tips

I wish I had asked for help and researched potty training boys long before we were ready to start potty training.  I think that would have helped us out a lot in the beginning.  I also, wish that I had talked to other moms with special needs kids and asked about some of the issues they had to overcome.  Maybe, if I had, I would have know that he might or might not freak out because his feet didn't touch the floor and we could have worked on that.

I definitely would have just gotten him a potty system from the start instead of getting him a potty seat.  So, don't be afraid to reach out.  If you have access to friends and family who you trust and who have been down this road, ask questions so that you can be informed.  And of course, I mentioned this before but check out the Big Kid Academy!  Also, try connecting with and seeing what other parents are saying on the Pull-Up® Facebook wall and Twitter account.

Reward Accomplishments

You already know what your motivation for potty training your child is, but what is your child's motivation for potty training?  Rewarding accomplishments can be a great motivator and incentive.  JJ is definitely more likely to do something that he's unsure or could care less about if he has a reason to other than the fact that I want him to do it.  And the rewards don't have be anything huge.

Use the reward wheel for ideas.  And if you download the Big Kid App, it comes with rewards like songs and videos that you can your little one can rock out to in celebration of an accomplishment.  At the end of the day, just as we enjoy it when we are praised by our spouses, children and bosses; our children are the same.

Well, I hope that by sharing what I've learned that this helps if you if you're a mom who's potty training or thinking about starting.  Good luck and I will continue to share updates until we are completely potty trained and accident free!