Potty Training Readiness

This post is sponsored by Pull-Ups^® Training Pants

There comes a time in every parent’s life (usually after you have changed a particularly messy, probably very gross diaper) when you say to yourself, “I’m ready for potty training! I can’t deal with this anymore. Let’s do this.”

That’s when you exuberantly ditch the diapers and buy a box of Pull-Ups^® Training Pants. Because honestly, are you going to be taking a diaper on and off all day so your kid can use the potty?! Definitely not. As a parent, once I switched to Pull-Ups Training Pants, I felt like I had really started the potty training journey and wasn’t giving up until my son was trained. 

Plus, Pull-Ups Training Pants are like underwear and the sides are stretchy so toddlers can slide them on and off themselves (giving them lots of independence!).

Transitioning to Pull-Ups Training Pants makes a child feel proud. They are a big kid now! (They can’t go to college yet. I checked.)

And there are three different Pull-Ups Training Pants! There are Pull-Ups^® Learning Designs^® (the design fades when wet so your child can see the difference between wet and dry), the Pull-Ups^® Cool & Learn^® Training Pants (provides a brief cooling sensation when wet so kids learn the signs of when they need to go). Finally, Pull-Ups^® Night*Time Training Pants have extra absorbency so you can stay consistent with potty training at night.

I really liked all three of these options. But my favorite is the Pull-Ups Cool & Learn Training Pants because the cool feature helps kids learn when it’s time to go potty.

Here’s a quick video from Pull-Ups partner and child development expert Dr. Wittenberg on why Pull-Ups Training Pants let your kid be in charge (and isn’t that every toddler’s dream?!)

Okay, so you’re on board and you’ve stocked up on Pull-Ups Training Pants. Now the big question is – is your kid ready?

There are definite signs.

• Hiding to pee or poop.
• Pulling at a wet or dirty diaper.
• Interested when others use the potty and/or copying their behavior.
• Having a dry diaper longer than usual.
• Waking up from a nap with a dry diaper.
• Telling you they are about to go, going or have just gone in their diaper.

I looked at this checklist and started to realize that my 3 year old son was perhaps ready because he is fascinated with everything going on in the bathroom. In fact, when I run into a public bathroom to pee, he insists on yelling at the top of his lungs, “MOMMY NEEDS TO POOP?! MOMMY NEEDS TO POOP?!”

“No, I’m just peeing. Lower your voice!” (Why are toddlers so loud anyway?)

Plus my son is obsessed with flushing. I know because he’s flushed rolls of toilet paper, a truck and a mini Barbie doll puppy down there. (Our plumber really likes us.)

And he definitely disappears and is very quiet when he needs to poop. So that means he’s in possession of a permanent marker and doesn’t want to be caught or he’s going to the bathroom in his diaper.

This all sounded promising. But to really make sure my son was ready, I took the Potty Training Readiness Quiz. It’s a quick, easy quiz and within seconds, it was confirmed…

My son was ready for potty training!

But here’s the tricky thing about potty training a boy. Do they learn standing up or sitting down? (Yeah, these are things you seriously don’t think about until you become a mom!)  Bring on the advice, please! Here’s another helpful video from Dr. Heather Wittenberg on whether my or your little guy should be standing while peeing….

Next week, we will be discussing the The Pull-Ups^® Potty Partnership which is a whole new way to potty train. Wish me and my 3 year old son lots of luck. We are a team and we are going to rock this.

You don’t want to face potty training without Pull-Ups® Training Pants. They are specifically designed to teach potty training skills. And you can easily find them at your local retailer. And if you’re looking for some help on this potty training mission (and who isn’t?!), visit Pull-Ups.com to learn more about the Pull-Ups Potty Partnership. You’ll discover your kid’s potty personality and lots of fantastic ways to get your child using the potty!