I’ll be honest; I did everything I could to avoid the inevitable task of potty training. It wasn’t just my reluctance—my memories of growing up with younger brothers loomed large. I can still picture those chaotic days spent in a shared bathroom with sticky floors and the joy of encountering a toilet seat that felt less than pristine. The thought of repeating those experiences with my own child was daunting, to say the least.
But as time passed, my social media feeds overflowed with proud parents celebrating their kids’ potty training accomplishments. I get it—congratulations to little Max on his second day of successful toilet usage! But I couldn’t help but remain skeptical. After all, who really trusts the curated lives displayed on Facebook?
I was certain there had to be more than one hidden mess behind those cheerful status updates. I procrastinated until one day, my son’s preschool teacher asked me to send him in underwear because he was doing “so well” during potty time at school. I felt the color drain from my face, but she was convinced of his success.
“Oh, don’t worry!” she assured me. “Just toss a Cheerio in the toilet. He’ll sink it like a game!”
Just like a game? Why didn’t that phrase echo in my mind as a warning? Surprisingly, the suggestion to use cereal as a target for my toddler’s aim wasn’t the worst advice I’d receive throughout this process.
“Sink a Cheerio! It’ll be fun!”
You know that carnival game where you spray a water gun at targets, hoping to win a stuffed prize? That’s precisely what this advice felt like, only with a 3-year-old brandishing a toy for aim. Spoiler alert: no one wins the prize, and all that’s left is a mom scrubbing the floors. My advice? Keep the cereal in a bowl—preferably not in the bathroom.
“Keep Skittles handy for bribery!”
This might work for the well-behaved kids, you know, the ones who don’t try to climb the slide backwards. But my child quickly realized he could stretch his trips to the potty into multiple rounds, significantly increasing his candy haul. After one too many sugar-fueled meltdowns, we ditched the candy rewards. The new deal? Not sitting in wet pants is reward enough. Trust me, a few hours without soggy britches is way better than a handful of candy.
“Buy that adorable singing potty!”
Initially, I thought this was a win. A cute, congratulatory song and fake flushing sounds seemed like a great idea. But wait until you wake up in the middle of the night to the eerie sounds of a small child singing in your bathroom—while your child is nowhere near it. You’ll find yourself pulling the covers over your head, wishing you’d never bought the cursed thing. Take my word for it: unless you want to call an exorcist, steer clear of the singing toilet.
“Tell your child that poop feeds fish!”
Now, I’ll admit, this advice is both terrible and hilarious. Watching the shock on your child’s face when you explain that “Dory and Nemo need a snack from your potty” is priceless. But as for motivation? Not so much. Still, if you like a good laugh, it’s worth a shot.
Despite receiving a plethora of awful advice, we eventually found our way through potty training. Like many aspects of parenting, it was about discovering what worked best for our family and adapting as we went along. I now count myself among those proud parents sharing my child’s toilet triumphs on social media. Believe it or not, I’ve even become a bit of an expert on the subject.
And yes, the sinking Cheerio game? It’s actually quite effective!
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Summary
Potty training can be a daunting task, and not all advice is created equal. From dubious reward systems to gimmicky products, many tips can lead to frustration. Ultimately, finding what works for your family is key to a successful potty training journey.