We Survived Potty Training!

Can I make a confession? When I was pregnant with my first I was not afraid of morning sickness, hemorrhoids or unmedicated birth. I was afraid of potty training the child. Insane, right? The very concept has always struck fear deep in my heart. Luckily, my first son basically taught himself a little before three. My second? Not so much. I started him using the potty at about two and a half without a lot of luck. It was not until last month that he showed some interest and made any progress. Before I knew it he was full trained! I can now say (bittersweetly...) that we are a diaper-free house! Now that I have emerged victorious from the potty training (or potty learning if you prefer) gauntlet I wanted to share some thoughts and product recommendations. I am not going to pretend as though I am the potty training guru because, well, I am not. First, cloth training pants. Let's face it, disposable training pants are expensive and sort of gross. Cloth training pants, on the other hand, are reusable and adorable. There are several different brands and styles on the market but the Blueberry Trainer has been very popular among staff and customers alike. They are made to feel like real underwear and are good at catching daytime accidents. The inner lining is made with a super soft cotton velour and a hidden layer of microterry and PUL that make these trainers great for small accidents. I would not recommend these for overnight as they are not designed to hold much pee. Added bonus? The prints are cute! I told you! My son did not have any problems pulling them up and down like some other trainers we had tried out. I liked how nicely they washed up. Word to the wise though, they shrink a good deal so order a size up if your child's weight is in between two sizes! Another great potty training item to keep handy is the My Carry Potty. This potty is great for use at home or on the go and does not require the use of disposable bags. Bonus feature? It seals shut to keep its contents inside until you can get to a bathroom. I bought it knowing how much my kids hate the self-flushing toilets that are now in most public restrooms- it freaks them out. We took this bad boy to a local amusement park and avoided long bathroom lines and stayed accident free all day! Once my littlest gets over his fear of the flushing surprises in public restrooms we will keep this in the car for roadside potty emergencies. We have a great variety of potty training supplies in the store and online- from trainers to books to a success chart. Check it out!