Why We Aren’t Potty Training Yet + The Steps We’re Taking To Prepare!

I’ve been wanting to write this post for a while – partially for all of you mamas out there with potty training on the brain and partially for myself to look back on if we ever have another because I know how quickly we forget this kind of tedious step as other phases come along quickly! I LOVE reading posts by other mom blogs I follow about their tips, favorite toys, etc. so I figured it would be fun to share ours, with a little insight into our current standing with diapers / potties and all that fun stuff!

WHERE WE’RE AT NOW

Hudson is now 27 months old, so 2 years and 3 months old, and his daycare constantly mentions potty training to us, and how they’re beginning to prep the kids for it. For them, prepping means having the kids each sit on the toilet and watch each other, so they can get a feel for sitting and getting excited about the potty. Sometimes he even has his clothes fully on, he just sits on the toilet. They line up the kids each morning and have “potty time” and Hudson actually is excited about the potty because of the fun associations he has connected to it now. It is totally weird, but kids do learn so much from watching each other, and this method has been helpful so far.

Matt and I both decided that for us personally at home, we’d rather wait until we feel Hudson is 100% understanding, with stronger language skills, so we don’t see any regression. We’re thinking we will REALLY try to fully potty train closer to 2.5-3, and that it’s a bit too early now, although I’ve heard stories of kids who are potty trained by 18 months which is amazing, but totally not going to be our situation over here.

For now, we’re happily sticking with our Pampers Pure diapers, which Hudson has grown to love just as much as mommy has. He’ll say “NEW PAMPERS PLEASE!!” when he needs a diaper change, it’s the cutest thing. This is the diaper and wipes collection I’ve used since their launch when Hudson was a few months old – they are made with premium cotton and other thoughtfully selected materials, and in my opinion are the best to prevent night leakage. They’re also made without chlorine bleaching, fragrance, parabens or natural rubber latex which is so nice for peace of mind, especially as he gets older and more verbally particular about what he does and doesn’t want to wear (you mom’s know what I mean! haha) I love how he can sleep all night long without any leakage, and when we’re out during the day, his sensitive skin is safe. The prints are pretty cute too – we love pointing out the animals together! We have the best Target dates going to pick up diapers together, and you know we always leave with 100 other things we don’t need as well. Hudson always gets a cake pop, I get a coffee, and we browse the store. It’s pretty magical.

STEPS WE’RE TAKING TOWARD POTTY TRAINING

In the spirit of preparing Hudson and ourselves in the right direction toward potty training, we’ve taken some steps to bring the subject to top of mind. I wanted to share them all in case your toddler is around Hudson’s age and you’re at a loss for what to do!

1. Fill his shelves with books about the potty and potty training: I was almost expecting Hudson to not be interested in books about potty’s, but he LOVES them. We’ve read them seriously 100 times. Our two favorite books around here are “Potty” which is usually our bedtime book at the moment, and  P is for Potty! which is a bit longer, but has really great flaps that flip up and it’s cute that Elmo is in it, and what kid doesn’t love Elmo!
2. Purchase a potty for the house: This was a big one, because Hudson was SO excited when his potty showed up! This particular one we bought is very affordable, and also has a flusher so it really sounds like he is flushing which he loves. He’s sat on it and went only once, but he loves to sit on it while we sit on the potty, and it’s great practice getting him comfortable with it.
3. Talk about the routine of going to the bathroom: This one is huge at his daycare – they constantly discuss the potty routine of going pee pee, then flushing, then washing hands, just to get the children comfortable with the vocabulary around going to the bathroom. Hudson actually tells me to wash my hands and to flush, because he always knows what is next! It’s great learning so when it comes time for them to do it, they know exactly what to expect!
4. Ask if they want to use the potty: If Hudson is telling us when he needs to use the potty, or if he is going, we’ll give him the option to use his potty. He usually has no interest and we don’t push him, but we’re always excited for the day he’ll say yes! haha!
5. Discuss what is happening when you change diapers: As I am changing Hudson’s diapers, we chat about what is going on. Whether he peed, if it’s wet, etc. He’s learning to understand what’s going on when he is wet!

I really hope that this was helpful to any moms out there in the same boat, and you can shop the Pampers Pure Collection HERE!

Thanks for Pampers Pure Collection for sponsoring this post, as always all opinions are my own.