🧻 Potty Training Essentials

🧺 Overview

Having the right tools can make potty training smoother, less stressful, and even fun. While no product guarantees success, the right setup can help your child feel safe, confident, and in control.

It’s not about fancy gear — it’s about making the process comfortable and consistent.

đźš˝ Types of Potties

1. Standalone Potty Chair

  • Small, portable, and child-sized
  • Great for early training and toddlers who feel intimidated by big toilets
  • Easy to place in playrooms or bedrooms for convenience

2. Toilet Seat Insert

  • Fits inside a regular toilet seat to make it toddler-sized
  • Helps transition to the “big toilet”
  • Must be paired with a step stool for safety and stability

3. Travel Potty

  • Compact and easy to bring on outings
  • Great for car trips, parks, or places without easy toilet access
  • Some double as a potty chair and seat insert in one

🧼 Cleaning & Hygiene Tools

  • Disinfectant wipes or spray for quick cleanups
  • Flushable (or trash-safe) wipes for gentle cleanup
  • Potty liners (disposable or washable) for easier cleanup on the go
  • A waterproof mat under standalone potty chairs (optional)

🩲 Underwear, Training Pants, and Diapers

🧽 Training Pants (Pull-Ups)

  • Useful during transition periods
  • Easy to pull up/down but still absorbent
  • Be careful — too absorbent and they feel like diapers

🧼 Cloth Training Pants

  • Allow child to feel wetness, which helps learning
  • Often reusable and eco-friendly

🩲 “Big Kid” Underwear

  • Great motivator for some children
  • Start when accidents are fewer and child can communicate need to go
  • Choose fun colors, characters, or prints your child likes

🧩 Other Helpful Tools

  • Step stool for handwashing or toilet access
  • Books and storytime on the potty to encourage sitting
  • Potty charts or sticker rewards (optional — only if they’re motivating for your child)
  • Timers or visual reminders to help prompt bathroom breaks
  • Portable changing pad or cleanup kit for accidents outside the home

đź‘• Clothing Tips

  • Avoid overalls, tight buttons, or complicated layers
  • Choose elastic waistbands for quick and easy access
  • Keep a few backup outfits handy, especially in early weeks

đź“š Sources

  1. American Academy of Pediatrics. “Gear for Toilet Training”
  2. Zero to Three. “Toilet Training: What You'll Need”
  3. HealthyChildren.org. “Potty Training Tools and Tips”