If you are searching for potty training toddler tips, let me set the scene. In fact, I need you to really picture this.
September 1st. I texted both my family group chat AND my friend group chat the same message: we are starting potty training today. I was ready, Storm was going to be potty trained, and I had the cute Mickey Mouse underwear, a solid plan, and the energy to match.
September 2nd. I sent a follow-up text to the family group chat: potty training is postponed until further notice. He had peed on the floor four times, each time shortly after I sat him on the potty for five minutes. We had no clean underwear left. Additionally, the update that sent the family group chat into a frenzy: he also peed on the trampoline.
I wish I was making that up.
The Original Game Plan (RIP)
For starters, my initial approach was underwear all day and Pull-Ups at night. I got Storm the most adorable Disney Mickey Mouse potty training underwear, Mickey, Goofy, the whole crew. In addition, I grabbed the Pull-Ups Boys’ Skin Essentials with Buzz Lightyear on them for nighttime because obviously.
I also grabbed some reward stickers because every potty training guide on the internet told me stickers were the move. The plan was simple: have him sit on the potty every 30 minutes. Foolproof. What could go wrong?
Everything. As it turns out, everything could go wrong.
The Great Potty Location Tour
Here is a partial list of places I moved Storm’s potty trying to find the magic spot. In total, I think we cycled through every room in the apartment.
The living room. We were in an apartment at the time and the living room was his headquarters. I figured proximity was key. However, it was not.
The bathroom. Classic location. Still not much success, but at least it was where a potty was supposed to live.
Then we went out of town, which honestly was a welcome break from the stress. I packed the Sesame Street folding travel potty seat, similar to his little Elmo potty at home. Lo and behold, he actually peed at the hotel and at a couple of restaurants on the trip. Progress! Vacation energy hits different apparently.
We came home and then immediately moved into a house. New house, new energy, new potty location strategy. His room seemed logical since he had easy access and it was his space.
Then one day I walked in and found that he had taken the pee out of his potty and poured it into his Bluey Pool Playset. I cannot explain to you the look on my face.
Back to the bathroom. Issues. The hallway right outside his room. More issues. Back to his room. In summary, we were going in circles.
The HomePod Mini That Changed Everything (For Pee, At Least)
This is where things got creative. I set up an automation on his Apple HomePod mini to play the potty song from Gracie’s Corner every single hour. Best of all, it actually worked.
This child LOVED it. He would sing along, drop whatever he was doing, and take off running from anywhere in the house the second that song came on. We had cracked the code. For pee. Only for pee.
The Poop Problem
Storm decided that poop was simply not going to happen in the potty. Full stop. Non-negotiable. This boy had made up his mind, and therefore, nothing I tried was going to change it.
I tried everything:
- Sitting him on the potty for 15 minutes after every meal (he would sit patiently, get up, and poop in his Pull-Up exactly two minutes later like clockwork)
- Posting on Threads asking for advice
- Posting on Reddit asking for advice
- Bribing him with cake
- Bribing him with cookies
- Bribing him with his absolute favorite thing in the world: banana pudding
This child looked at banana pudding, BANANA PUDDING, and still chose to poop in his Pull-Up. The audacity.
The Method That Finally Worked
Out of desperation, I tried the method I had been hearing about but resisting: letting him go full Winnie the Pooh around the house. No Pull-Up, no underwear, just freedom and accountability. Although I was nervous about it, I had officially run out of other ideas.
Day one: he did not poop at all. I don’t know where it went. I chose not to ask questions.
Day two: he peed in the potty (win!), but pooped on the floor.
Day three: he pooped in the potty. As a result, before I could even celebrate, this 2.5-year-old looked me dead in the eyes and said he wanted banana pudding. We drove 30 minutes to the restaurant that has the banana pudding he loves. He earned it. Honestly, I earned it too.
Life After Potty Training
In summary, we made it, and I am so happy and relieved that this journey is behind us. He has been going in the potty ever since. Occasionally he still asks for banana pudding after a poop, which is frankly a reasonable request and I respect the consistency.
I have had countless Threads posts documenting how stressful this whole journey was. Not only did I get advice from the internet, but I also had a full conversation with an Uber driver who was a mom to a toddler Storm’s age. She was going through the exact same thing. We bonded at a red light over poop problems like two soldiers who had seen things.
Every kid is different. What worked for us might not work for yours, and what didn’t work for us might be exactly what your child needs. However, if you’re in the thick of it right now and wondering if this will ever end, it will. I promise it will.
And if all else fails, find out what your kid’s banana pudding is.
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