Potty Training Doesn’t Have to Be a Nightmare

Jul 01, 2025

Hey there! If you’re new here because the title of this post sucked you in, hi! I’m Kallie (mom of four kids in six years) and sharer of practical, realistic tips to help you simplify the chaos of life. Today we’re diving into a topic that gets a lot of hype in the parenting world: potty training.

Let’s just start with this:

Potty training doesn’t need to be something we avoid like the plague.

In my opinion, it’s been hyped up to be one of those Worst Parenting Tasks Ever™—right up there with childbirth, the newborn phase, the terrible twos, and losing your identity and alone time forever (which, spoiler alert: also overhyped).

Certainly, there are aspects of parenting that are more challenging than others. But the truth? Potty training (and the other above-mentioned) doesn’t have to be THAT bad. If you approach it with the right mindset, clear expectations, and a plan—you can totally handle this.

Here’s the thing most people don’t tell you: potty training is just as much about you being ready as it is about your kid.

If you go into it convinced it’s going to be horrible, it probably will be. But if you approach it with realistic expectations, a calm mindset, and a loose grip on your need for control… the whole thing goes so much smoother.

So….let’s talk about how to do that.

Ground Rules Before You Begin

🗓 1. Pick a Date. Write it Down. Commit.

Mark off your calendar and clear the week as much as you can. I know life is busy, but giving your child a full week without pressure is a gift. Stock the freezer with easy meals. Grab some snacks, maybe wine. Settle in. You don’t have to stay glued to the house all week, but don’t plan anything rigid or stressful either. Flexibility in the schedule is key so you don’t have any hard and fast things

🚽 2. Pick a Method—And Stick With It.

There will 100% be a moment where you want to throw in the towel and slap that diaper back on. DON’T. That moment is usually right before it all clicks. Consistency is KEY with potty training. Stick with it. Think of it this way: would you rather have one hard week or four months of wishy-washy “kind of trying”?

Yeah. Exactly.

🧻 3. No One is a Potty Prodigy

Ignore the stories about kids who “potty trained in one day!” Chances are that’s not exactly how it went. Your kid will probably resist at first in their own way. They might refuse to poop. They might only pee while holding a stuffed duck and humming row row row your boat. They may insist on peeing while sitting on the potty backwards. It’s all NORMAL. Toddlers are weird. Stay calm and expect weird.

🫣 4. Accidents Are Not a Setback

You’re going to have accidents. Expect them. Accept them. They don’t erase your progress. They’re part of the process. Don’t hover or obsess. Let your child live their life and learn through it. That means… yes, even go to the park. Risk the accident. It’s OK.

Your Job? Be Chill.

However chill you think you're being—be even chiller.

I think potty training should be no big deal. I don’t do special charts, we don’t get gold stickers, there aren’t M&M’s for going potty, there isn’t a special toy when they finally do it.

This is for a few reasons:

1. Going to the bathroom in the potty should be a normal thing. As normal as leanring to use a fork or go down a slide (but when we teach our kids to use forks or go down a slide we don’t treat it like some big circus.)

2. I find if we build it up too much the kids resist it more because HOLY COW WAY TOO MUCH PRESSURE.

When my kids go potty on the potty this is what i do: Oh look at that you went pee on the potty. Great! Do you feel better? Nice, would you like to flush the potty?

I keep it chill. Maybe a “awesome job!” or a little high five, but I do not make a really big huge show of it. Because I don’t want to stress them out about it.

What About Daycare?

I’ve potty trained kids who were home with me and others who were in daycare. There are pros and cons to both. So, don’t get hung up thinking it’d be easier if you had one over the other.

Daycare can help because kids see their peers do it. Home can help because it’s more consistent and calm. Both work. Don’t stress about which is “better.” Just make what you’ve got work.

If your child is in daycare, I highly suggest potty training over a long weekend or holiday break so you get a solid few days to establish a routine. And—important—talk to your daycare in advance. Ask about their method, share yours, and get on the same page.

Final Thoughts

Potty training doesn’t have to be dramatic. Or stressful. Or something you dread.

Approach it with confidence, calm, and a dash of humor. Your kid will learn this. And you’ll survive it.

You’ve got this.

—
If you enjoyed this post and want more real-life parenting strategies, subscribe below to get them in your inbox!