A Potty Training Journey Through 2015 with HUGGIES® Pull-Ups®

2015 has been the year of potty training for LM and it's been something of an adventure. We've been HUGGIES® Pull-Ups® ambassadors this year which has helped us terrifically in her potty training journey. It has been, for the most part, successful. She is definitely potty trained in the daytime but night time is still ongoing. It has been a surprising and rewarding experience with LM, far different to that with her big brother. As our time as HUGGIES® Pull-Ups® ambassadors comes to an end I thought I would look back over the past few months and share a few of the tactics that worked well for us.



1. Using HUGGIES® Pull-Ups®

As ambassadors we've, obviously, used HUGGIES® Pull-Ups® as an essential part of our potty training journey. When we became ambassadors LM was very resistant to potty training and wouldn't entertain the idea of wearing knickers at all. We switched immediately to the pull up pants and straight away there was a difference in her. She loved that she could pull them up and down and could have a wee on the potty or toilet if she wanted to, but had the security of the absorbent learning liner in the Pull-Ups® in case she couldn't hold on or had an accident. Having the Disney® graphics on the pull up pants was great and LM loved choosing between Minnie and Cinderella.

Having disposable potty training pants available to use was much needed as we had Little E newly born at the time LM started potty training. I didn't want to add any further laundry into the mix so not having to deal with wet clothes from LM when she was taking those first tentative steps into potty training was perfect.

As I mentioned earlier, LM is not dry at night and isn't really showing any signs of readiness for bedtime potty training. She is wet every morning but we will continue to use the night time HUGGIES® Pull-Ups® as she's accustomed to them now and finds them comfortable and easy to wear. If she does need a wee during the night she can go to the toilet and pull her Pull Up down before going back to bed.


2. Try the Toilet if the Potty is Refused

LM would not entertain the potty at home so we got a toddler seat for our toilet and she went on that instead. I found this really handy as I didn't have to train her to use the potty and then the toilet, going straight to the toilet meant we cut out that interim step. She did use our My Carry Potty when out and about if she needed to but was also happy to use public toilets if we could reach one in time.

3. Staying Calm and Relaxed

The most stressful part of parenting I have experienced so far was when I potty trained Bud. It was a long and drawn out process and I found that I was continuously stressed out about accidents and the length of time it took. On reflection, I didn't wait until he was showing any of the 8 Signs of Readiness, I decided when he would train rather than deciding together, This led to potty training taking around six months to complete and included several bouts of tears, mine as well as Bud's. With LM I waited until she was ready, yes, it would have been lovely to have had her potty trained before Little E arrived, but it was much easier when she was ready.


4. Go For It

Don't be afraid to incorporate potty training into normal life. I know so many people who try to stay at home with children who are finding their feet with going to the toilet. We have had days out, shopping trips and various times away from home in LM's early days of potty training. If it's convenient it is very handy to have a portable potty ( I can wholeheartedly recommend My Carry Potty), She understood that our My Carry Potty was for if she needed it when we were out and she loved carrying her cute ladybird around. Now she's been trained for a couple of months we no longer need to take the My Carry Potty around with us but it was invaluable in the early weeks. Obviously the benefit of using HUGGIES® Pull-Ups® is that you don't have the endless wet clothing of the early days of potty training, when LM moved on to wearing underwear from the pull ups we had got past the time of frequent accidents.

It's been so helpful to work with HUGGIES® over the past months and they have helped us terrifically with advice and reassurance on LM's journey from nappies to daytime dryness. I think night time dryness is some way away for LM but I'm so happy to continue using the HUGGIES® Pull-Ups® Night Time until she starts to show that she is ready to go without them.

As our time working with HUGGIES® comes to an end, LM is about to set out on a brand new and big adventure. She starts nursery for five mornings each week from next week. It will be time for her to learn and play and spend time away from me and her little brother. Having her potty trained before starting nursery was a big hurdle to cross and I'm so pleased she is there. I'm so looking forward to seeing what my funny, strong willed, clever little girl makes of the next stage of her journey.


If you're looking for help with potty training then please check out pottytraining.co,uk, it's packed with expert help and advice and you can request a free sample of HUGGIES® Pull-Ups® to try them out with your little ones. In around two years, when potty training starts again for me, with Little E, it will be my first port of call.