Potty-Training Tips You Need To Know

Fisher-Price Ducky Fun 3-in-1 Potty, 

$39.99, toysrus.ca

Last weekend a friend asked me for some toilet-training tips, which inspired me to create this post. Here are the "tools" I used to help me get started:

• A functional toddler potty. In my opinion, you need to have a floor-level toddler potty. Using only a portable potty seat is less messy, but when a kid says she's gotta go, she's gotta go NOW. You may not have time to place the potty seat on the toilet and seat your kid's butt down! So what I loved about the Fisher-Price Ducky Fun 3-in-1 Potty is that my daughter could reach it at floor level; you can remove the potty seat, AND it also acts as a stepping stool. 

• Extra toilet seats. To help with toilet training outside the house, I used my Huggies points to get a portable potty seat. Then I spent Canadian Tire money to purchase a potty seat that my daughter would love (Dora never fails!). 

• A potty for the car, too! To prevent on-the-road accidents, I purchased the LILLA Children's Potty from Ikea for $3.99. I kept it in the car and when my daughter needed it, I put a plastic bag over the potty for easy clean-up. 

FYI: In case you're wondering, my daughter was 2-and-a-half when she started using the potty on her own. What worked for me was the when-you're-ready method -- let your toddler use the potty when she's comfortable. I know other parents have used different methods though, so definitely go with what's working for you.