“Toilet Training Products That Can Make Potty Training Harder” is a video by Emma Hubbard that highlights the unnecessary products in the market that can hinder the process of toilet training. Emma personally shares her regrets of purchasing and using some of these products, hoping to help others avoid the same mistakes. She emphasizes that there are only a few essential items needed for toilet training, and anything else is simply a waste of money or even detrimental to the training process. In the video, Emma reveals the common items to avoid and explains the reasons behind each of them, aiming to guide parents in toilet training their toddlers as smoothly as possible.
One surprising product that Emma advises against is the plastic potty chair. While the idea behind it is to make it easier for toddlers to use, the lightweight and plastic nature of the chair often leads to tipping, discouraging children from using it. Emma suggests using a family-style toilet seat with a footrest instead, as it provides a comfortable and familiar alternative that alleviates any fears toddlers may have. By avoiding unnecessary products and focusing on essential items, parents can make the toilet training process significantly easier for both themselves and their little ones.
Plastic Potties
Plastic potties may seem like a convenient option for toilet training, but they can actually make the process more difficult for your child. While the idea behind a potty chair is to make it easier for toddlers to use than a standard toilet seat, the lightweight and plastic nature of plastic potties can cause them to easily tip over when your child is getting on or off. This can be a deterrent for your little one, making them less likely to want to use the potty in the first place.
Additionally, the small size of plastic potties is thought to make them less intimidating for children than a traditional toilet. However, if your child has only ever observed you using a standard toilet and has had positive experiences with it, there is no reason for them to feel fearful or intimidated by using it themselves. In fact, many children have a strong desire to mimic adults and be just like them, so they may be motivated to learn how to use a toilet to be just like you.
One common fear that children may have when it comes to using a standard toilet seat is the fear of falling in because the seat is too big and their feet can’t touch the ground. However, this fear can easily be overcome by using a family style toilet seat, which provides a more appropriate size seat for your child. Adding a footrest to the family style toilet seat can also alleviate their fears and provide a comfortable and easy-to-use solution.
So, while plastic potties may seem like a good idea, it’s important to consider the drawbacks. They can easily tip over, deterring your child from using them. The small size may be less intimidating, but children are often not intimidated by a standard toilet if they have positive associations with it. Ultimately, a family style toilet seat with a footrest can provide a more practical and comfortable solution for your child’s toilet training needs.
Moving the Potty Around
The ability to move the potty from room to room may seem convenient, but it can actually hinder your child’s learning process when it comes to toileting. Toilet training is about teaching your child all the necessary steps involved in using the bathroom, including recognizing the signs that they need to go, getting to the bathroom in time, removing their clothing, using the toilet, wiping, pulling up their clothing, flushing the toilet, and washing their hands.
When you move the potty into different rooms, such as the living room where your child can sit and watch TV while using the potty, they miss out on learning all of these important steps. They don’t learn that they need to go to the bathroom to do a poo or a wee, how to properly wash their hands, or become familiar with the sounds and smells of the bathroom. These experiences can be initially scary for children, but they are important for their overall understanding of toileting.
It is recommended to use the potty in the bathroom itself rather than taking it into another space. This way, your child can learn and become comfortable with all the necessary steps of toileting. By consistently using the bathroom for potty training, you are setting your child up for success when it comes to transitioning to using a standard toilet.
Transition from Potty to Toilet
Transitioning from using a potty to using a standard toilet can sometimes be a difficult process for children. If they are used to only using a potty, they may become resistant to using a standard toilet seat when they are outside of their usual environment. This can lead to accidents and setbacks in their toilet training progress.
Using a potty first and then moving to a toilet can essentially be like starting toilet training all over again for some children. They need to familiarize themselves with using a new and different toilet seat, which can be a challenge for them.
To avoid this potential difficulty, it is recommended to start toilet training directly on a standard toilet seat. By doing so, your child will learn to associate toileting with the appropriate environment right from the start, making the transition easier and smoother.
Toilet Seat Reducers
Toilet seat reducers are another commonly used tool during toilet training, but they may not be the best option for your child. These items sit on top of a traditional toilet seat and reduce it to a child-friendly size. While they may seem convenient, there are some drawbacks to using them.
Firstly, toilet seat reducers can potentially pinch your child’s bottom, leading to fear and discomfort associated with using the toilet. This can result in your child refusing to sit on the toilet altogether.
Secondly, toilet seat reducers can move around when a child first sits on them, tilting to the side or wiggling. This instability can make your child feel unsafe and further discourage them from using the toilet.
Lastly, constantly putting on and taking off the reducer can be an inconvenience, especially if you only have one toilet in your household. In contrast, using a family style toilet seat provides a more practical solution. Your child will need to use a child-size toilet seat for years to come, so opting for a family style seat can make cleaning and usage much easier.
Pull Ups
While pull ups may seem like a helpful step between a nappy and underwear during toilet training, they are not the most effective option. Pull ups are designed to be as absorbent as nappies, meaning that they can easily absorb any accidents. While this may seem convenient, it actually hinders your child’s ability to recognize wetness and discomfort.
For successful toilet training, children need to be able to differentiate between wet, dry, and dirty. Nappies and pull ups are too good at absorbing away the wetness, making it difficult for your child to feel wet or uncomfortable. This removes an essential aspect of the learning process.
Instead of relying on pull ups, it is recommended to transition directly to underwear. This way, your child will have a better understanding of their bodily sensations and be more motivated to use the toilet.
In conclusion, when it comes to toilet training, it is important to avoid unnecessary products that can hinder the process. Plastic potties can easily tip over and may discourage children from using them. Moving the potty to different rooms can hinder their learning of crucial steps in toileting. Transitioning from a potty to a toilet can be a difficult process and may require starting toilet training from scratch. Toilet seat reducers can be unstable and inconvenient, while pull ups can prevent children from recognizing wetness. By avoiding these products and focusing on using family-style toilet seats and transitioning directly to underwear, you can make the toilet training process easier and more successful for your child.