Potty Training with Evvie!

Jack was a perfect baby who grew into a great, great kid. There was a rough patch around four years old, but generally speaking, Jack has been the most even-keeled of them all. Zoe came along and added some spice, flair and a whole lot of sweet to our family of four and has yet to have an unbearable stage. Beau, always the skeptic, was also a calm and loving baby. He entered a “spirited” stage around age four as well, but is really a dynamic child in so many ways. I truly didn’t believe the old “terrible twos” saying was real, but I don’t think I had really experienced it, either. Evvie was a peaceful and incredibly sweet baby, and she’s only gotten more so as she’s grown a bit older. At two years old, I can safely say she is the most vibrant, hilarious and headstrong of our bunch.

We’re heading into the potty training stage with Evvie, and I am slightly concerned it will be our most challenging of all. Jack, Zoe and Beau potty trained the same way; we let them run around and figure out how their bodies work and how to listen to them in time to make it to the potty. Evvie understands the reason for the potty and how to use it, as she was doing it a few months ago, but wasn’t ready to give it her all. Now that she’s nearly two and a half years old, she’s definitely showing more signs of readiness that it’s time to get serious about getting into those undies full time. She’s incredibly aware of her body and has a large vocabulary to express how she feels and what she wants to say. There is one area of independence that will be monumental for her to experience, and that is though potty training. So, we’ve made the promise to ditch the diapers and get started.

With Pull-Ups Training Pants, the experience is easier and more fun, especially with characters on them and easy-to-use fit and structure. They’re more like her big sister and brother’s underwear so she understands that this is a “big kid” milestone, and with these, she can learn how to use the bathroom just like her older siblings.

Little Evvie isn’t keen on doing things our way. Often we have to let her think that it’s her idea if we need her to do something like pick up her toys or eat her vegetables. She won’t even do something she normally enjoys doing – like painting or reading books – if we ask her to do it. She is very much guided by her own inner voice and often cannot be enticed otherwise, unless it involves sweets or the color pink. In this case, she is encouraged by the grown-up styles of Pull-Ups , and eager to wear the pink Sofia patterns. Her Pull-Ups  provide award-winning designs, specifically to help teach potty training skills. And even though Evvie’s independent ways make me a little nervous, she really is excited about potty training, which makes me realize this is a great opportunity for us to work together and bond. I know potty training can sound really daunting, but we found a ton of ways to make it fun and exciting for both me and Evvie from Pull-Ups.com.

So, I’m excited to embark on this milestone journey with Evvie, mostly because I can tell she is ready and it will be a big step for her. Now that it’s #Time2Potty, I look forward to sharing our stories – there are sure to be a few good ones! I encourage you to share your story too with the Let’s Get Ready to Potty Contest – visit parents.com/itstimetopotty  submit how you got your kids (and yourself!) excited to start potty training by making the journey fun. You could win $1,000 and be featured in an upcoming issue of Parents Magazine. Three runners-up will also win a 1-month supply of Pull-Ups Training Pants.