Potty Training Aids

In most homes with young children the very thought of potty training can bring on a cold sweat. It brings up images of poop smeared bathrooms and pee soaked couches, but like it or not it has to be done and everyone will be happier when it has been completed successfully. There are many products on the market to help children as they go through the potty training process but which ones really make the job easier? Potty training is a learning experience and if it is made too easy for the child to fail then the process will be drawn out for longer than it needs to be. A helpful potty training aid will encourage the child to use the potty and develop the skills they need to be successful on their own.

Pull Ups: I have mixed feelings on these. They do keep accidents contained which I will not ignore the fact that this can be a very positive thing, but there will be a lot more accidents. The problem with these depends on the child they are used on. It is very tempting for kids to view these as big boy/girl diapers. They want to grow up. They want to feel big and important. Switching to pull ups can make kids feel more grown up. Some children will be satisfied at this point and not progress much further in their quest to use the petrifying potty. When they know that any accidents will not be followed by wet pants they are not as motivated to use the potty. I find that these work best for children that are just learning to control their bodily functions and use the bathroom on command rather than children who are practicing staying dry for extended periods of time. I prefer to use padded training pants with a plastic cover so that children can feel the true consequences of their actions and be motivated to succeed. I do, however, like these for the first few trips away from home without a diaper. If these are called underwear and treated as though they were underwear then they can be used to make trips outside the home easier and to prevent accidents caused by distractions or fear of public restrooms.