Everything You Will Need In Place For Low Stress Potty Training

Let’s go over everything you will need to be prepared for potty-training. I am going to share strategies from the Peaceful Potty-Training Method so you can keep things as low-stress as possible for yourself and your child. You will feel confident with tools, know what to expect and how you can handle certain situations with more ease. 

Read this next:

When To Start Potty Training Your Toddler (so it’s easier for all!)

Potty training can feel overwhelming, frustrating, tiring, redundant, emotionally and mentally draining. I want to help you minimize the overwhelm, equip you with verbiage, and inform you of common challenges and how to approach them, so that you can experience less stress through this process. Here we go… 

First things first. Let’s keep it simple and take it step by step. Let’s start with deciding when to begin. 

1. Decide when your child – and you – are ready to begin.

If your child is showing signs of readiness and you believe that they are capable of being coached through the process, you will then want to make sure that you are able to allot the time needed to focus on helping them build this brand new habit. Potty-Training is teamwork, so making sure that you can designate some days to focus on training, will better set you up for successes.

• Some general signs of readiness are: awareness – when your toddler hides to poop. Interest – when your toddler mimics you using the potty/tries to use it themselves, awakening from nap with a dry diaper, pulls/points/shows you their diaper is soiled. Additionally, if your child can be guided to and through an activity and exhibit understanding, patience and correctly complete the activity, they can do well with the Peaceful Potty-Training Method. 

Once you’ve decided it is time:

• Block 3 days off where you can dedicate the full day to staying home, playing near the potty, guiding to the potty and helping your child with emotions and accidents. With the Peaceful Potty-Training Method, you will rearrange the play area to be near the bathroom you will be using. This will minimize accidents and frustrations, and be a more controlled environment for you to manage.

2. Pre-potty toddler prep.

Give your child a heads up each day, 2-3 days before the act of sitting on the potty begins. Keep it light, playful, and direct. Here are some lines you can use to prepare your child: 

• “Ok honey! In a few days we are going to say bye bye to diapers and you will wear underwear instead! Just like mommy and daddy. Let’s choose the ones you want to wear!”
• “In a few days we are going to try and put all our pee and poop in the potty, ok? Let’s try it! Bye bye diapers! We’re going to sit on the potty throughout the day. Go choose the toys you want to play with while we’re in the bathroom.”
• “You’re getting to be such a big, strong girl! Soon you won’t need your diapers anymore! Bye bye diapers, you can use a potty like mom and dad instead! Let’s try sitting on the potty in a couple of days, ok? Let’s choose some toys to keep in there and what underwear you want to wear!”

3. Mom mindset pre-potty prep.

Guiding them through the motions of potty-training in a focused, yet casual way, while helping them understand and overcome feelings along the way = Peaceful Potty-Training. You are the coach. Your toddler is the player. Together, you are a team and you will get to the goal. And, you will celebrate when you do! 

Potty-Training is a multi-faceted task that takes even more energy, focus and brain power from us parents, especially during the first 3 days. And this is why we block off those 3 days. We have to play it cool but guide them to the goal until it soon becomes a habit. It takes trial and error, and it feels like all the moments in all the day are teaching moments. Whew. Exhausting. 

Let’s get you all set up in a mindset that will help you keep the calm and minimize the stress. We’ll start with what you can expect during potty-training so you understand the challenges that may occur, and get some ideas about how to handle them.

Here is a master list of what you can expect during potty-training. Expect to:

• Have accidents
• Get push back
• Feel like it isn’t working
• Give lots of extra cuddles
• Give extra reassurance, reminders, congratulations and guidance
• Repeatedly explain about the potty, why we use it and what the goal is

To keep this process as low-stress as possible, you’ll want to practice the “4 C’s” of The Peaceful Potty-Training Method, at any given turn: 

• Cuddle. Cuddle them to keep them happy and feeling loved. Giving extra cuddles can only help.
• Comfort. Comfort them when they have fears or worries about the process.
• Cheer. Cheer them on for all their tries, whether they pee, poop or just sit. All are progress.
• Coach. Coach them through the process until they understand their body urges and solidify the habit of using the potty every time. 

Want to have the easiest potty training experience possible? Take my Peaceful Potty Training course! Designed specifically for moms who deal with a lot of big feelings with their toddler, who struggles with power struggles and who would describe their toddler as ‘strong-willed’, uninterested or scared of the potty/pooping.

4. Supplies and setup.

Have the peace of mind knowing that everything is set up and in place before you begin. Here are the supplies you will need for low-stress potty-training:

• Interesting toys to play with near the bathroom and while waiting on the potty.
• Training Underwear.
• An easy to empty and sanitize potty.
• Books that explain the what, why and how of pottying.
• A step stool with safety grip on the steps and on the base, to ensure no slipping.
• Gentle foaming hand soap that doesn’t quickly fall off little hands and that is gentle on skin.
• A peace corner filled with calming toys, soothing games, brain teaser puzzles, and comforting blankets/pillows/teddies, so your toddler has a special safe place to handle their feelings during this process. 
• Gloves for cleaning accidents and handling poop accidents.

5. You time. Self-care.

Decompress and recharge. Taking care of you is what’s going to keep this process more manageable. Remember that this is merely a speck in time; a teeny tiny fraction of the life they will spend with you. Soon it will be in the rearview; a distant memory. 

But, while you’re in these moments, experiencing the struggles and feeling the stresses, be sure to take some necessary time to calm and reset your mental space. Whether it be for a handful of minutes throughout the day while your child does some free play, or after they go to bed, here are some ideas that will allow you to take your mind off of potty-training and dwell in feelings of peace, joy and happiness:

• Look through some old photos you love that make you smile.
• Reminisce a personal achievement you are proud of.
• Spend time doing something you enjoy that fulfills you.
• Watch your favorite show or movie.
• Send a text to your friend or family group chat about old memories or a funny story or joke.
• Write down how you’re feeling on paper.
• Laugh about the madness of potty-training with your partner or friends when you can.
• Take a walk, a run, a bath.
• Stock up on your beverage of choice and have an after hours drink while relaxing.

To ensure complete readiness, check out our Peaceful Potty-Training Starter Kit that includes a toddler potty eBook, a day-by-day how to guide for mom, a supply checklist, an activity idea list, and exact wording for tough situations.

Read this next:

5 Nighttime Potty Training Tips For The First Time Mom

If My Toddler Always Says “No!” Does That Mean They Aren’t Ready

19 Reasons Why You May Be Struggling With Potty Training