My absence from content creation has been to assist my daughter with her latest milestone. At the tender age of 16 months old we ditched the diapers and now at 17 months old, we are potty trained! I will share more about the technique I used and how I managed to do this in about a week in a future post. But for now, I want to share the tools that I used to get started and continue to use as she becomes more and more confident.
As a mom, who has had prior experience with potty training in the home and in a child care setting, I wanted tools that would help us continue to be successful at home and on the go.
- Pottette travel potty – This was one of the top items on my baby registry when I was pregnant! During a cheer practice, where we were outside with no bathrooms with twelve 4-6 year olds, one of my cheer parents pulled this out of her car, and I was floored. This is a travel potty that not only serves as a potty chair BUT can be used as a seat reducer (potty seat) too. The one we have has a reusable silicone liner, but it also came with the disposable liners. You can use the reusable liner, the disposable liners, a grocery bag, or simply place this over grass. Our Pottette lives primarily in my car, but it travels well in a diaper bag. I bring this with us in the bottom of our stroller during walks, trips to the park, or when we are out and about in DC. It is compact enough that she can actually sit on it in the stroller. I don’t use this in public bathrooms but it does come with us when we visit family and friends. This little travel potty has kept us consistent with using the potty on the go and takes the stress away of potentially not finding the bathroom.
- Jool baby folding potty seat – When I went to walmart about 2 weeks ago I found this on clearance for $7 so I went ahead and grabbed it. This is a seat reducer that suctions on to the toilet seat and folds up neatly to fit in any diaper bag or purse. It is very sturdy, it doesn’t move, and it is super easy to clean. The pottette as a seat reducer puts my baby more in the middle of the toilet and this keeps her more towards the font. Since this lives in our diaper bag (can I call it that now?), this is what I use when we are out and about. I have used this in a public bathroom and it was perfect. When using it in a public bathroom, I always sanitize the toilet seat with a sanitizing wipe, place it on then use a paper seat protector on top of it. But in the event that there are no paper seat covers, this seat reducer saves the day. I sanitize it with a clorox wipe and lysol spray before putting it back into our bag. Girl parents, you need this! It comes in different colors and has its own carrying case (I put it inside of a ziplock bag).
- Wet/Dry Bag – My commitment to my child’s success with potty training is why she is diaper free at 17 months old. Accidents happen and I am fully prepared for accidents of any kind with my wet/dry bag. I have used wet/dry bags for her entire life to carry her spare clothes in. I love that if she has an accident, we can clean up and move forward. Plus, when we get home I can toss everything, the bag included, into the washing machine. Even after baby and toddlerhood, wet/dry bags are perfect for storing bathing suits and dirty clothes when traveling. I recommend that everyone get a few no matter their age as they are useful at all stages in life. What I like about this brand in particular is that there is a pocket on the outside where you can put your dry clothes.
- Paper soap – Hear me out, everyone needs to have this. How many times have you been to a public bathroom and there’s no soap? It happens. Having paper soap on hand is a brilliant idea because it works like a listerine strip but you just add water. This fits compactly in any diaper bag, purse, car, or backpack. Get the paper soap and thank me later.
- Cloth training underwear – I potty trained 50+ kids before this one, so believe me when I say that pull-ups are glorified diapers and you do not need to buy pull ups to get someone used to underwear. I think they are great for children with special needs who still need protection and something age appropriate. But, your toddler can skip these all together, invest in cloth trainers. As a mom who cloth diapered part time, cloth trainers were a no-brainer. These are perfect for outings where you want some kind of protection on your child to protect any surfaces. These are also great at night for when you are night training. Get some of these and ditch the pull-ups. You can skip the flimsy Gerber ones. The ones I linked are more like the ones they used to make in the 90’s.
- Regular underwear – Regular underwear in fun prints and colors make the process more fun! Yes, we all hate the clean up that comes with accidents in underwear….but…you eventually have to wear them, so why not get the kids actual underwear. If you are going straight from diapers to underwear I recommend getting solid colors that make wetness easy to see (purple, red, blue,). Here is a version for boys.
- Seat reducers for at home – After getting a really good deal on the Ingenuity Potty, my daughter decided that she would rather sit on the big toilet. She thoroughly enjoys taking it apart and it sits in her playroom at this point in time. This potty comes with a removable seat reducer that fits on most standard toilets. Well, at our house all 3 toilets are elongated so the seat reducer that came with this potty does not fit well. When I was pregnant I snagged two of the Super Potty Trainers at Walmart and I am so glad that I did. These seat reducers go directly under the toilet seat and can be adjusted to fit the child. There was a bit of a learning curve on my part and my daughters. Either I would have the reducer too far back or too close to the front. Then she would either be reclined or about to fall in. I would say that getting this just right took a few days. But now that she is pretty much potty independent, I recommend these. They are light weight, small, and easy to clean. You could travel with these! This is also at a price point, where if you wanted to have something on hand for young children visiting your home, this would be ideal. We have not had any issues with pinched fingers or it moving out of place.
- Cloth diaper inserts or thick burp cloths – Since I cloth diapered and had a spitter, I had tons of these on hand. As a CPST I know that the piddle pad is a wonderful invention but it is better suited for use with strollers, bouncers, highchairs, and any other place but a car seat. You should only use accessories that come with your seat or are made by the manufacturer as they are crash tested, after market products are not. This is what I use in the car seat, strollers, and high chairs, to protect the surfaces from any accidents. You can use these to clean up any messes and to cover your child after an accident. I love when I can use something beyond its intended lifespan. If you still have your burp cloths (muslin or pre-fold inserts) keep them for potty training.
These are the tools that I use to maintain continuity and consistency with my newly potty trained toddler. As always, do what works best for you and your family.
**This post contains affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission if you make a purchase through these links—at no extra cost to you. I only recommend products I truly love and use (or have used) in my own motherhood journey. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Please note that this post is for informational purposes only and is not intended to replace professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult your pediatrician or healthcare provider regarding any questions or concerns about your child’s health or development**