How to Prep the Bathroom for Potty Training

Potty training is an inevitable part of parenting–one that parents often dread.  It’s true that it can be messy, frustrating, and exhausting, but, it can also be wonderful to experience your child learning a new and important skill.  Whether the potty training process goes smoothly or it is a bit of a rough ride, it is important to remember that this phase is temporary and your child will be able to use the toilet correctly one day. Promise.

‘P-Day’ Prep

When you prep to begin potty training, you want to make sure that you have all of your supplies and that the house is ready.  Small potties or potty seats, big kid underwear, and a big bottle of your preferred floor cleaner should be on hand.  Perhaps you will consider rolling up nice rugs or laying some towels over the couch before the big day.

Throughout all of your preparation, however, we don’t want you to forget that most important room in the house–the bathroom.  Here are a few tips to help keep your bathroom in tip top shape and working order while potty training your little one.

1. Don’t flush baby wipes

You probably already knew this after years of diaper changes.  But, when there isn’t a handy diaper pail nearby, it may be tempting to send wipes down the toilet.  Don’t do it.  They can cause serious clogs.  Also, do NOT flush the flushable wipes either. While they may successfully make it down the toilet, they can end up getting caught and causing clogs further along in the plumbing.

2. Teach the correct amount of toilet paper

Potty training is a process, and one part of that process (usually later in the timeline) is teaching your child how to wipe after a successful bathroom visit.  Choosing the right amount of toilet paper may be second nature to you, but remember, it is a totally new skill for your little one.  Your toddler does not know that that tons of TP can cause the toilet to clog and back up. So, model how much toilet paper the should use and make sure to supervise the process for a while to be sure they don’t get curious about unrolling the whole roll.

3. Think again about targets

It’s a fun idea for parents of little boys to place ‘targets,’ such as Cheerios in the toilet bowl as a way to teach little boys how to aim.  As a general rule, we do not advise flushing any food products down the toilet.  Food does not break down as quickly as human waste and toilet paper, and the pipes from the toilet are not designed for food.  Even though a few small cheerios now and then may not cause significant damage, over time it could.  Plus, we don’t want to set an example for kids that anything other than pee, poop, and toilet paper can go in the toilet.

When it is potty training time, be prepared, stay calm, and know when to call a plumber.  For more information about our residential plumbing services, contact us at FLAME Heating, Cooling, Plumbing, and Electrical!