It’s kind of sad, but I was aware of most of these potty training mistakes beforehand…and I made them all anyway.
It seems like a lifetime ago I embarked on the seemingly impossible task that was potty training my daughter.
Here we are, ELEVEN MONTHS LATER. With three days accident free, dare I say, I think we got it.
So, as I join the club of seasoned potty training mothers, I’ll attempt to give you the same advice they all once gave me.
5 Potty Training Mistakes I Made
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I tried to start too early
If you take a quick look at every mom blog on the internet, you’ll almost always find this mistake at the top of every list.
I tried to start potty training my daughter when she was 15 months old and both of us were definitely not ready.
With moving, renovating our new home, and planning a wedding, I had too much going on to give this endeavor the full attention it needed to succeed.
Plus, my daughter just wasn’t ready. She was showing some of the signs, but not all of them.
Some just isn’t enough. Wait until both you and your child are ready before you begin.
I forced it
Probably the saddest mistake of them all. Even when I saw that she wasn’t ready, I still pushed it.
I have a very strong-willed stubborn daughter. I’m learning very quickly that forcing anything on her will get me nowhere.
She was not having fun, I was not having fun, and we were getting nowhere.
I tried to skip the child size potty
I had no interest in cleaning a tiny toilet so I figured I would skip that and put her right on the big one.
So I got her this seat…but it turns out a tiny 15 month old child doesn’t like having her feet off the ground, sitting on a hollow seat filled with water underneath her while mommy’s begging her to do something she doesn’t understand.
Who new?
Once I got this one, our potty training effort really started to take off.
I didn’t protect my house
If you’re even thinking about beginning potty training with your child go out and get 100 rolls of plastic wrap and just cover you entire how with it now.
No, but in all seriousness, your child is going to pee all over your house. This includes those hard to wash places like beds and couches.
I have scrubbed, stripped, washed, dried and stretched my couch covers back on their cushions more than any person should have to in one lifetime.
Every time it happened, I was convinced it was the last time. But it never was.
I should have gotten these for my couches and these for mattresses.
I wasn’t consistent
When potty training wasn’t going well from the get go, I got burnt out fast.
I became very lackadaisical with my approach on days when she was really resisting and I just didn’t have it in me to argue.
When you start potty training your child you need to be consistent. Pick a long weekend to stay home and bring your toddler to the potty every 20 to 30 minutes.
5 Potty Training Tips To Remember
- Only start when you and your child are ready
- Make it fun and don’t force it
- Consider getting a child size potty to start
- Protect your home with water proof pads
- Be consistent or you will lose progress
Are you ready to start potty training your child? Have you made any potty training mistakes in the past? We want to know in the comments below!
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