5 Potty Training Essentials For Success + Free Printable Chart

There are many potty-training methods. Some parents go for short and quick, locking themselves in the house with their toddler for a few days boot-camp style, while others take many months to transition from diapers to a clean routine. Then there are parents like me who are somewhere in the middle. Regardless of your potty-training style, there are certain essentials every potty-training parent needs to have on hand – like a free printable potty training chart!

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The day when I need to tackle the inevitable task is approaching, so its time for mom to start stocking up on essentials. With visions of panties, potty training charts and no more diapers are already floating around in my head I headed off to Target to do a little shopping and take advantage of some deals on my favorite essentials. 

 

5 Potty Training Essentials For Success

Big Girl/Boy Panties – Do not underestimate the power of your child’s favorite licensed characters on a pair of cotton panties. My big girl’s biggest obstacle in beginning potty training was that she was afraid of the potty. Really, afraid. How did she get over her fear? Pink princess panties. She wanted pink princess panties like her friends. She didn’t get them right away, but they were a huge motivating factor that got the process moving along. Since baby girl wants everything her sister has, I plan to use panties to my advantage.

Flushable Wipes – Let’s face it, potty training is messy business. (Pun intended.) There’s no getting around the mess, but what you can do is equip your bathroom with tools for easy clean up. Just as you have come to rely on baby wipes for cleaning sticky fingers, table tops and your babe’s bum, flushable wipes are just as handy. The new upright dispensers from Cottonelle keep Cottonelle Fresh Care wipes at your finger tips. Perfect for dribbles on the seat (or floor) and your babe’s bum, I never understood the true value of flushable wipes until potty training. 

A Potty Seat – If you have ever fallen into the potty in the middle of the night because someone left the seat up, you know it’s not fun. A comfy potty seat is a must. And I think it is important to keep little ones involved in the process, so take them with you to the store to pick out a potty seat. Here again licensed characters can go a long way toward motivating toddlers!

A Potty Stool – Don’t leave those little legs dangling. A small stool can help tiny toddlers get up to the potty and sit comfortably. There are a lot of potty stools out there, but my favorite is the Little Looster. It is super sturdy because it wraps around the toilet in a semicircle. Plus because of its design, adults can use the potty without having to move the stool each time. They sell it everywhere, Google it. 

A Potty Training Chart – Potty training success = bribery. You may not like it, but most kids need a little incentive to get going. I am a firm believer in charts, kids (and parents) like to see success. My kids have always been sticker crazy, which makes potty charts even more valuable. The reward of a getting to put a new sticker on a potty chart after each success is highly motivating. Of course, once the novelty wore off adding the M&M system (1 for pee-pee and 2 for poop) to the sticker chart was the key to success with my oldest. 

Because I think Potty Training Charts are so important, I have created a free printable one. Click on one of the images below to download the Potty Training Chart that is right for your big kid.

I originally made it in primary colors, but knowing how my girls think everything is better in pink/purple I made a second version. 

Bonus idea – make your own tear off pad of Potty Training Charts by printing out a small stack of charts. Use a couple of binder clips to hold your pages in place, and then run a thin line of rubber cement along the edge. When it dries, you will be able to tear off the top sheet as your big kid completes the chart. 

Good luck!

These printables are intended for personal use. Please do not reproduce these items for sale. If you want to link to them from your site, please link to this page directly – do not make them downloadable from your site. Thank you.