The 3 Things You Need to Potty Train

Congratulations! You are beginning the potty training journey with your little one!

You may be wondering: But how on Earth can I make this a smooth experience?! Oh gosh, and what all do I need to get?!

Ah yes, it is indeed an exciting time. Throughout the experience of learning how to potty, you are going to be AMAZED at how much you will learn about, think about, and talk about pee and poop. Woohoo! So, let's dive in...

Before we get too far ahead of ourselves, I first need to emphasize that I am not a pediatrician or potty training specialist. I also cannot comment on any issues that may pertain to medical concerns or special needs. I'm just a regular mom with a child who seems to be fairly typical, developmentally speaking, here to share what we used for potty training and highlight the why. If you need help with the whole story of potty training from beginning to end, please search through our other blog posts that delve into this topic. This post will purely focus on the key products I recommend for success.

THE 3 KEY THINGS YOU'LL NEED IN THE BATHROOM TO POTTY TRAIN: (Please note: the items underlined in BLUE are linked to products I personally used while potty training my child. If you click on those links and decide to make a purchase, I may make a small commission due to being in the Amazon affiliates program. I only recommend things my family has personally used and liked.)

1. A child-friendly potty

2. A windmill (a breath-work tool)

3. An assortment of hand stamps (a positive tool)

Three things. That's it. You only need these three things in the bathroom for potty training, and here is why...

When it comes to any form of potty training, pee or poop, the goal is for you and your child to feel as relaxed as possible. If you put pressure on the subject matter, your stress and anxiety about it will absolutely transfer over, making your child feel pressured, and then they will avoid sitting on the potty, or avoid going altogether and attempt to hold things in as long as possible, leading to discomfort, accidents, or worse. Ask me how I know! HA!!! So the most important thing is to have a calm attitude about it.

You may have read or heard from other blogs and videos out there on the internet that you should "make the potty exciting," or "remodel your bathroom to make it a fantastical children's wonderland" or "make a potty party area" filled with stimulating toys, books, and nearby dance floor so your child will be more likely to stay inside the bathroom near the potty. Well, I am here to say that you do not need to do all those things to successfully potty train your child. In fact, I did just the opposite.

Simplicity is key.

I kept it simple, and I wholeheartedly believe that may have been the cornerstone to my child's success. I wanted my child to realize going to the potty meant doing just that: to get in, do your body business, and get out so we can get back to the fun things like playtime, reading books, or running outside. I did not want to send a mixed message to linger in our one and only bathroom in our home, to be distracted by toys around the potty, or the really terrible thing to teach: to sit on a potty as long as it takes with books until they happen to pee or poop. No. I definitely am against trying to make a restroom a fun zone, and I believe many doctors who have to resolve issues of constipation and hemorrhoid problems later in life would agree: do not encourage sitting on a potty for long lengths of time.

If you happen to have the interest, space, and finances to decorate or remodel a bathroom with exciting and cute, kid-friendly things, then by all means, be the kind of mom you want to be and create the children's bathroom of your dreams! I love to be creative and to decorate so I completely understand that excitement. For our family, we have a small home with only one bathroom. The space felt tight and cramped already with a child's training potty and a step ladder to reach the sink, so I just wanted to keep things as clean and simple as possible. The goal message: this place is to take care of your body and then move along.

A little picture I put together thanks to graphics found in Canva...

1) A CHILD'S POTTY

I feel a child-sized potty that closely resembles a regular toilet, such as the one pictured below and linked, helps to give a child the confidence to use the potty so that they can feel that they are just like Mom! or Dad! or Parents or Grandparents! It is at their level, so they can more easily reach the seat, ideally with their feet able to touch the floor, so they don't have to worry about climbing steps to get on a large potty or have to worry about the scariness of sitting on a big adult seat, trying to balance while focusing on going to the bathroom. Many children are afraid or intimidated to use an adult potty for quite a while until they understand better how to recognize their own body sensations, can handle getting dressed or undressed themselves, and have built up their confidence with lots of successful potty attempts. And, the noise and loudness of an adult toilet can be startling or scary for some little ones! Some people choose to get potties that are in the shapes of fun animals or other things, some are even more simple than the one I've recommended, but I liked that it looked like a real potty and had a flushing handle so they could get used to the sound and feel like they are just like us!

If you are starting your potty training journey while your child is young or they are on the smaller side, I recommend this potty (which I had in our own home): Real Feel 2-in-1 Potty with Wipes Storage, Flushing Sounds & Disposable Liners by Jool Baby. We started potty training with this one in our bathroom because it is a bit lower to the ground, has a smaller seat, and has an upbeat, encouraging voice saying, "Hooray! You did it!" following a flushing sound after flushing the handle.

Our family also used this CheerTry 2-in-1 Toddler Potty Training Toilet for my child's outside play area so I wouldn't have to worry about rushing him inside while he is focused on playing and learning the sensations of everything. This potty is a different brand; it looks and makes flushing noises almost the same as the other one, but this one has a larger seat and sits a bit taller, so it is a better choice for potty training slightly older or taller toddlers or preschoolers. Since this one was larger and taller, we have been able to keep using this one even as my child grown, just as a backup, emergency use potty for the outdoors.

2) A WINDMILL

I'm sure you're thinking, a windmill? In the bathroom? Huh?!

I totally understand. It took me some time to arrive at this solution for my child. I keep a windmill in our bathroom as a tool for my child to practice relaxing their body and muscles so that poops would be easier and smoother. Practicing slow, long exhales helps to relax and open those muscles key to bowel movements so that you don't get in a bad habit of straining or pushing. Or, at least that's what I've read from pediatricians' advise online.

Other mommy blogs, reels, and articles recommend things such as blowing out candles, umm... fire hazard anyone?, to blowing bubbles, thanks but no thanks for all the opportunities for additional spilling messes and needing to clean sticky soapy bubbles every time there's a bathroom break!

I've read that some pediatricians recommend to have your child practice their best cow sounds, as giving a low, long "moooooo" helps to achieve similar muscle relaxation. But, for my child, blowing a windmill gave them many opportunities to practice breathwork, which helps for poos and relaxation in general. I don't have a special link to purchase one because I happened to find a windmill that worked great for us at our local dollar store. *Whew! Easy breezy!

3) HAND STAMPS

You made it! We're talking about the last item of the 3 key things to keep handy in the bathroom for potty training!

The third and last thing we kept handy in the bathroom for potty training was: Hand stamps. Hand stamps were the tool we used for well, rewards. A little positivity, happiness, something cool for a job well done, or at least, a job well attempted.

If you are worried about doing something like this because maybe it seems like manipulation (no potty, no hand stamp!), then I encourage you to avoid putting that kind of pressure on it. I first came across the idea of using hand stamps because my child happened to take baby/toddler gym classes when they were little, and I noticed how thrilled they were that they would get a new hand stamp design on the back of their little hands at the end of each play session. It was like getting a sticker, just something fun to get. So, I went the hand stamp route. I bought the JOYIN 50 Pcs Assorted Stamps for Kids because I like that there were several designs and colors to choose from, including changing things up for the holidays, and I didn't really have to worry about mess because as they wash their hands, it just fades away during the day.

I didn't use stickers because my child loved to take stickers and put them everywhere else in the house or just tore them up and that made me feel like I had more work to have to go pick up, clean up, and throw away more trash. Some parents out there like to make actual sticker charts, showing all the successful attempts of pee, poop, and hand washing... But I felt then there would be this reminder hanging around with pressure from missing a sticker if they don't do something. Some parents out there prefer to use food or candy as rewards during potty training. For me, that just seemed like a slippery slope that would lead to unhealthy habits and to tantrums demanding treats... If you want to sprinkle positivity into potty training, I recommend the hand stamps for the least clean up and least amount of drama or pressure! To try to keep hand stamps as a more relaxed thing, sometimes I'd offer them just for walking into the bathroom with me, or if I noticed that they sat on the potty, up to eventually them trying and successfully going. My child is fully potty trained and although we rarely need or use the hand stamps anymore, I still have them around and offer them once in a while, just because!

Woohoo! You made it! Just three things to keep in your bathroom!

Again, if you want to have more decorations or toys or books, well you can. I do not believe you actually need it to successfully potty train your child.

THE THING YOU NEED FOR POTTY TRAINING OUTSIDE THE BATHROOM...

Books! How could I forget to mention reading to my child about using the potty? Oh yes, we read tons of books, absolutely. Reading books to your child is such a great tool for fun, relaxation, and learning. I made sure, however, to do any reading OUTSIDE the bathroom and not in connection to sitting still on the toilet, so they don't create bad habits and hurt their body from sitting too long on the potty. And there are some books I would LOVE to share with you that my child loved to read, which I feel were integral to their success.

If you'd like to know the children's books I recommend the most for potty training, fill out this form here or click the button below to get a FREE printable list straight to your inbox. You'll get my top recommendations and find out the best sellers in an easy-to-read, downloadable, printable list showcasing the best children's potty training books to read for kids!

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