What products, supplies, videos, or books should I use to potty train my child?

In The Comprehensive Guide to Potty Training we promised to take a closer look at the products and supplies that are available to parents. This Comprehensive Guide To Potty Training Supplies includes the items that are designed to make the potty training process easier, more comfortable, fun, engaging, and most importantly successful. Some of the most common products parents should consider are:

• Potty Chairs: These small, child-sized chairs are designed to be a comfortable and secure place for toddlers to sit while using the potty. They come in various designs, colors, and themes and some have removable bowls for easy more convenient cleaning.
• Splash Guards: For boys, splash guards can be added to potty chairs or seats to minimize messes and make the process more comfortable for both parent and child.
• Potty Seats or Reducers: Potty seats are designed to fit on top of regular toilet seats, making it easier for children to transition from a potty chair to using the adult toilet. Some potty seats have built-in handles or features to make them more child- friendly.
• Step Stools: Step stools are useful for helping children reach the toilet or sink independently. They are especially helpful when transitioning to using the adult toilet, as they provide a stable platform for children to step onto.
• Training Pants: Training pants, or pull-up diapers, are designed to be more like underwear while still offering some absorbency. They allow children to pull them up and down easily, facilitating the transition to underwear. They come in both disposable and non disposable styles and can be very helpful during the training process at night time or when venturing out.
• Potty Training Books: There are books that focus on potty training that  can be helpful in introducing the concept to children. They often include colorful illustrations and simple language to make the process more understandable and engaging. Very popular books such as Elmos' "P is For Potty" and "Potty" by Leslie Patracelli have been successful for many parents. There are also a number of books aimed at adults only and provide valuable information for those potty training for the first time. Books such as "The 3 Day Potty Training Method" by Lori Jensen have helped millions of parents new to potty training successfully train their child.
• Reward Charts: Reward charts provide a visual way to track a child's progress in using the potty. Parents can use stickers or markers to mark successful attempts, and children can see their achievements accumulate over time.
• Reward Stickers: These stickers can be used with reward charts or as stand-alone incentives. Children tend to be enamored with stickers at the potty training stage.
• Certificates: Whether it's a print your own D-I-Y template or included as a part of a potty training system with reward charts and stickers, certificates are a great way to encourage , motivate and reinforce future success by providing a visible reminder of the achievement with recognition of their newly earned status as being a big boy or girl that identifies as being potty trained.
•  Interactive Stickers or Pee Stickers: Products like those by Potty Peepz are activated by the warmth of urine, and these ordinary black, round stickers transform into fun, child-friendly characters that excite and motivate children to use the toilet. Potty Peepz also includes a Reward Chart to track each of your child's successes by placing Reward stickers on the Reward Chart as each character is revealed. Interactive stickers use positive reinforcement to motivate and encourage children learning to potty train.
• Potty Training Dolls or Toys: Some parents use dolls or toys that come with their own miniature potty to make the process more fun and relatable for children. These toys can be used to demonstrate how to use the potty.
• Potty Training Watches: Watches may be an added motivation and fun tool to help keep children engaged and excited about potty training. Regular potty breaks are easy to program into the watch and alarm at the preferred time interval and help children get involved with the process and feel important with their new "job" of learning to use the potty.
• Baby Wipes or Flushable Wipes: Although not a necessity, nice-to-have wipes that are flushable or compostable, such as those by ECO by Naty at econatty.com, can be gentler on a child's skin than regular toilet paper. It is always advantageous to be able to keep everything as comfortable and pleasant as possible for children during this stressful period of change. These can be especially useful during the early stages of potty training when children are learning to wipe themselves. Eco by Naty makes  environmentally-friendly flushable and compostable versions. According to its label: "Eco by Naty wipes are made by natural, compostable, and renewable material with 98.4% pure water. Since they are dermatologically and hypoallergenically tested (HRIPT test), Vegan, FSC certified, and totally Chlorine Free, they don’t irritate the skin and are safe for use on sensitive skin."
• Potty Training Apps: There are various apps available that use interactive games and animations to engage children in the potty training process. These apps can be a fun and educational way to reinforce the concepts of using the toilet. Consider apps such as Potty Whiz and Baby Palooza in the App store for iPhone or Google Play for Android. Apps in this category tend to be informational or provide a digital reward chart to track your child's progress as part of an incentive based method or measure your child's progress over time which can be a great way to motivate, encourage and recognize their achievements.

What is a potty training set or system?

Potty Training Sets are offered by some companies and can include any combination of the above products such as: potty, liners, reward chart, stickers and certificate. These sets often include an app, e-book or even a physical book and provide tips and instructions of how to use the system ie: using the reward chart and stickers with certificate, for successful potty training. 

How does positive reinforcement work with potty training?

Positive reinforcement is a very effective method of potty training that often involves using stickers on reward charts to track potty training progress. Upon completion of a preset goal or goals an incentive is earned so that the child has positive associations with using the toilet and increases the probability of future success. Incentives can be anything from a snack, candy, toy, stickers, money, certificate or simply recognition. The choice of incentive is often controversial among parents since different people have different philosophies of child rearing and the use of and type of rewards for children. Some parents oppose incentives and believe that offering them is coercive and in effect a bribe. Others have a problem with the types of incentives used such as food, unhealthy snacks or money to name a few types of incentives parents often strongly oppose. It comes down to each parent and their beliefs concerning snacks, candy, toys and money for children and whether they believe it is a positive tool to encourage and motivate or an unnecessary tool that is apt to spoil and will be a detriment for children.

 What is the difference between a child potty and a potty chair?

A child potty is a stand alone child size toilet that is available in different colors and  child-friendly themes such as cartoons and movies. A potty chair, potty seat or seat reducer are all used to convert the larger size adult toilet openings to the smaller size necessary for a child to sit on safely without falling into the opening of the adult toilet. Any of the above options can be great motivators for a child when they are involved in selecting their own or having one in a favorite color or character they adore. Potty liners can be a god-send for parents and the sake of hygiene and convenience, especially when traveling.

What are some helpful potty training books?

Some of the most popular child-rearing and potty training books that provide information and encouragement for parents are:

• "The 3 Day Potty Training Method" by Lora Jensen: One of the most popular and successful books and methods that many parents have been successful using in recent years. This is an excellent book that is worth considering as it is very thorough and has helped millions of parents navigate the potty training challenge over the years.
• "Baby and Child Care" by Dr. Benjamin Spock: A classic child-rearing book from one of the founding fathers of child rearing in the US.
• "Infant and Mothers" by Dr. Terry Brazelton: Another famous pediatrician who contributed greatly to the American family with his philosophy on child rearing.

• "Oh Crap...." by Jamie Glowackie: This potty training book and video have many proponents of its method of potty training children.

What are some good potty training books written for children learning to use the potty?

• "P is for Potty" the Elmo Potty Training Book has been helpful to millions of children over the years.
• "Potty" by Leslie Particelli has parents raving about how much their children enjoyed the book.

What products or books do parents report helped their potty training efforts?

According to a 1200 person survey by madeformums.com in 2013, the following items were reported by parents as helping their potty training efforts:

• 58% Toddler toilet seat
• 52% Mattress protector
• 50% Toilet step
• 50% Diaper training pants
• 49% Night diapers
• 41% Portable potty
• 37% More than 1 potty
• 18% Nightlight for bedtime potty/toilet visits
• 12% Seat liner

When choosing potty training supplies, books, videos, or apps, consider your child's preferences and needs. Every child is different, so it may be helpful to experiment with different producs to find what works best for your family. Remember to be patient, positive and flexible at all times during this most challenging stage of potty training. If your child is struggling consider implementing one of the supplies above to get you over the hurdle. Good luck!