Potty Training can seem complicated, whether you’re a newbie or have already trained a child or two. Common questions are:
1. When do I begin?
2. How do I begin?
3. What do I need to begin?
The answers are not that complicated. First, you begin when you feel you and your child are ready. I like to have everything ready for training by the time they are one, so they can get used to seeing the potty chair or Potty Booster (Looster). But when you actually begin and “end” training is up to your child and you. Readiness signs include staying clean for long periods of time and telling you when they’ve pee’d or pooped.
How to begin, other than choosing your tools, is not complicated. Choose a day to start training and take it slow. If your child stays dry after naps, to me that’s a great time to sit them on a potty when they wake up. Why? Because, most probably they’ll have to pee soon, so you are setting them up for success. Modeling is another great way to introduce using the potty. Finally, there are great videos out there, like Potty Time.
(Check out Potty Training Boys Part 1 and Potty Training Boys Part 2 for more in-depth information on … Potty Training Boys.)
Little Looster
Next you need the right products for Potty Training. There is only one no-no that I know of in the product world – that is any potty training seat that has a soft cushion. That’s because eventually liquid will seep in and it will become a haven for bacteria. You can choose a seat with bells and whistles, but I personally don’t think it’s a necessity. There is the Boon Potty Bench that I trained my oldest with, as well as the Bjorn Potty Seat that I trained my youngest on. Both have their pros and cons.
The Boon Potty Bench is like the Cadillac of Potty Benches. It can be used as a step stool, has a cover, a pee shield for boys and it can hold toilet paper on the side. The con is the size, which is HUGE. It takes up so much room in a small bathroom.
The Bjorn Potty Seat is small and travel sized. There is no separate insert, just dump and clean. That also means no crevices for waste to seep into, which is great. The only con is that you have a separate item to wash and dump waste from, when it would be so much easier to just clean a toilet.
BUT, you have to check out this NEW PRODUCT called the Little Looster. I am POSITIVE it will be available at Target, Wal-Mart and Babies R Us soon! But in the meantime you have to order it direct from their site. It is this U-Shaped step stool that lets your child step up and use the big potty – with or without an insert.
Both my boys do not use an insert on the potty. Instead they used to CLIMB up on the big toilet to use it. Although, it was easier for my youngest to just pee standing up in the little Bjorn. So I had a potty chair and toilet to clean. And I hated how my oldest had to actually TOUCH the toilet to climb up onto it, but he liked using the big toilet. Unfortunately, he is just a “wee one” at 37 inches tall and 4 years old, so he needs to climb to get up on it. The same with my 2 year old, who is 36″. He needs to climb onto the toilet to use it. YUCK!
The Little Looster has saved them from touching the toilet, though. And ever since I introduced it, my 2 year old will stand on that to pee in the big potty. And I gave him the choice! With the Little Looster he can be “big” and additional potty seats became obsolete.
So why do I love the Little Looster?
1. It lets my kids get onto the big toilet without touching it over and over.
2. It acts as a stool so my little one can stand on it and pee like a big boy into the toilet.
3. It’s unique design allows it to curve around the toilet, so it doesn’t take that much space – even though it is big enough to support the boys.
4. It’s sturdy and has a skid-resistant design
5. Eliminates the need of a little potty – giving you more space in the bathroom
6. It’s recyclable after use – although you can always donate it to a friend in need
It’s a new product, so currently it’s only available in white, which means you have to wipe it when your kids wear shoes. I would love to see it produced in other colors – Pink, Blue, Green, etc! So let’s keep our fingers crossed! You can purchase it at LittleLooster.com for $39.99.
Only Oregon companies were used in the making of this revolutionary product, from the cad designer, website creator, patent attorneys, injection-mold-makers, plastic injection company and finally the shipping supplies. It doesn’t get more “Made in the USA” than that!
Win a Little Looster – a $39.99 Value!
- FIRST: MANDATORY ENTRY: Share a Potty Training Tip that you’ve used successfully – or plan to use.
SECOND: EXTRA ENTRIES:
To receive these extra opportunities for entries, you must fulfill the first REQUIRED/MANDATORY entry. But for extra entries, you can do the following – leave a comment for each:
- Add theMomBuzz to your Twitter and Tweet the contest. Leave your Tweet Link. (1 tweet per DAY is allowed)
- Follow LoosterMama on Twitter!
- Visit LittleLooster.com and tell me something you learned from the site.
- Tweet: #Win a Little Looster Potty Booster from @themombuzz & @LoosterMama – Visit http://tinyurl.com/2eor7ld
Contest ends 7.23.10. This is open to the USA. Please refer to complete contest rules. The entries listed above are the ONLY entries for this contest. Winners will be notified by e-mail (if supplied in the entry or on profile page), as well as on the Winner’s Wall.
we do the potty dance mverno@roadrunner.com
Plan to use the positive reinforcement reward system and try not to get upset when accidents happen.
tvollowitz at aol dot com
I may sound horrible right now, but the ONLY thing that worked around here was bribery! We used stickers, candy, toys, anything you can think of! My daughter was fully trained in 2 weeks with bribery! haha! Hopefully the next round will be just as easy!
I learned that the little looster was invented by a woman! very cool!
We will be starting training soon but I hope a good tip is that you praise and encourage each time they go.
I follow and tweeted. http://twitter.com/susanlanai/status/17474342265
I follow LoosterMama on Twitter!
At LittleLooster.com I learned that it was conceived and designed by Monica Mylet, a mother of 3. Plus I learned about all the companies in Oregon that were used.
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Reward charts work for us.
Thanks for the chance.
mogrill@comcast.net
Everytime my daughter would sit on the toilet I would give her just one raisinette. She loved that reward and soon was going potty on her own which then she would get two of them.
The best tip for training my daughter was to use cloth training pants. They worked much better than disposables. She didn’t like the wet feeling, and it made her get potty trained faster.
This is something that I have noticed since the pull-up diapers came into use. It seems that many children are somewhat slower in being potty trained than they used to be, and I really think that is because the pull-ups are not as uncomfortable for them when they have an accident as the old training pants were. So my suggestion is to get them into some regular training pants, at least when they are at home and can be changed rapidly if there is a mishap. I suspect that many younger mothers especially wouldn’t think of that, but as a great-grandmother, I have seen a lot of kids go through the process!
I plan on bring the potty into every room until she goes for the first time and then I will put her up there often until she understands a little what its for
tbarrettno1 at gmail dot com
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tbarrettno1 at gmail dot com
I learn that it helps promote confidence & designed by a mom of 3
tbarrettno1 at gmail dot com
my tip is to be fully stocked with matchbox cars for treats!
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and I learned: The Looster itself was conceived and designed by Monica Mylet, a mother of 3
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we received the fisher price “cheer for me” potty for Jakodi’s 1st birthday and were ecstatic, especially when the potty-training began without a hitch…. Now, nearly 3 months later, potty-training has taken a hiatus, but we plan on moving back in on it soon. One thing that seemed to work was offering Jakodi a treat he never would normally get, namely mini-marshmallows. For each time he went on the potty and it cheered, Mommy & Daddy would cheer as well and he would get about 3-5 mini’s. Good luck to all other parents out there taking on this task. I would love to win the little looster for the future when Jakodi’s got the potty-thing down and can move up to the big-boy potty!
Tweet:
damac1078 #Win a Little Looster Potty Booster from @themombuzz & @LoosterMama – Visit http://tinyurl.com/2eor7ld
less than 5 seconds ago via web
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With my daughter we used panties during the day and “night time panties” at night (pull ups). We also gave her a jelly bean or m&m when she went potty. I plan to use the same technique with my son, however he ONLY wants to use the BIG potty like my daughter. But he is too small.
follow & tweeted http://twitter.com/BabeeLove/status/18573879658
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I learned it will give them confidence: No scary feeling of “falling in.” Kids legs do all the work.
We have not started potty training but I do plan on using a chart for my two and rewarding with stickers.
member (dot) thao (at) gmail.com
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I follow in twitter
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My biggest tip is not too rush, let them learn from you, and give lots and lots of praise. Also, always remember each child is different and what works for your first probably won’t work for the second
following you and tweeted the contest http://twitter.com/kendrabowling/status/18733130103
following @loostermama
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We just started potty training and use stickers as a reward. They only work some of the time. I think consistency is the best advice–even if I don’t always follow it
jtmagmom73(at)gmail(dot)com
I learned that it was designed to not impede adults from using the toilet.
jtmagmom73(at)gmail(dot)com
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daily tweet! http://twitter.com/kendrabowling/status/18963870101
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What pleading and positive reinforcement will do in 6 months, bribery will do in 2! Hah!
Thanks so much for the chance to win!
I follow LoosterMama on Twitter @amandapersists Thanks again!
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