Natalie is - for the most part - potty trained. Just shy of her third birthday. We've been working at this milestone for the better part of the last year. I'd love to tell you what worked for us ... and I am going to start with the equipment :)
Around 18 months, we started with one of those stand-alone potty seats with the lid that lifts up and the "collection" reservoir beneath. You know the kind that requires emptying into the toilet and then flushing. It's gross, and I often wonder, who's idea was this? For the most, NHV just sat on that potty with the lid down and treated it like her own little chair. I guess it was good for getting her use to the idea of sitting to do her business. We left it in the living room for a while and then moved it to the bathroom where she could sit while mommy was "in there." Side note: I do believe modeling is a part of the learning process.
Next, for her second birthday, we bought one of those cushioned, cartoon-character-clad, rings that you set on the actual toilet. Hers had Sesame Street characters on it, and I must say she did get pretty excited to sit on it. And it was a major step in the right direction ... at least now we had cut out the "middle man" - no more emptying and then flushing. However, I was still fairly disgusted by the idea of constantly moving the ring ... and figuring out where to put that darn thing when it wasn't being used ... but keep it handy enough that it be ready at a moment's notice, which is often the case with a potty training toddler. I especially hated having a "ring" in the powder room downstairs, our most utilized potty by those who live in our house and those who happen to visit.
And then, I used the bathroom at a friend's house and had a little potty epiphany ... before I even sat down! Allow me to introduce to you ... the integrated potty seat:
This lid replaces the existing one on your toilet. The toddler-sized ring is integrated into the lid. When you close the lid, a magnet automatically engages the smaller ring. You do have to pull the smaller ring down to use it. NHV loves this seat because it looks just like the one mommy and daddy use. She is very interested in doing things "like a big girl" and this seat fits the bill. I love it because it's easy to keep clean. I don't have to store it somewhere. Its appearance is not kid-like. I feel like we've streamlined our potty needs.
This particular potty seat was purchased at our local home improvement store for just under $30. It comes in both oblong and round; I didn't even know which we had until I got both of them home! I think it is well-worth the price considering that NHV can use this until her bottom is big enough not to fall through the regular opening and someday our second will be using it, too.
4 comments:
We've started this process with Ollie, and to tell you what MEAN parents we are...no special seats in our house! You should see him climb up (serious acrobatics here folks!) and sit all straddled to do his business! We started without the little ring, and he actually hates his sit alone. HOWEVER, I can see where when we get serious about training this summer, we'll need a seat that doesn't require Cirque De Soilei moves to get up and balanced (takes him 30-45 seconds!), especially if he's in a hurry and really has to go! Love the seat-Lowes? Home Depot?
PS-I still want to know what Rainbow Rice is....No pressure. Yet.
PPS-I have the BEST project in mind for that fabric you sent. Just wait....
We are using the Bjorn stand alone seat so there is no lid for him to sit on, but for a long time he just sat on it without wanting his pants or diaper off. Sheesh. I know so many people who think these are gross, but I must confess that it's nice that he can just sit on it without needing to do a lot of gymnastics or my help to climb up on a bigger toilet.
Anyway, finally moved past the using the toilet as a seat problem, but now he does want to use the "big toilet" like we do, so I'm delighted to see that you were able to get one like this for less than I see it in the catalogs! I think we'll be following your example in the next few months. Thanks!
I am so glad I read this! We have one of those character seats for the toilet because Amelia was NOT interested in the stand alone one. I didn't realize there was even such a product as the convertible toilet seat. We are picking one up very soon!
I plan to keep the bjorn one we have in the car for emergencies. :)
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