Wouldn’t it be great if we could potty train our toddler in time for the baby to get here? Unfortunately, our toddler's timing does not always match the timing of the sibling coming into the home.
Toddlers have this uncanny sense of when things change, and a little brother or sister can be a big change. Oftentimes, our toddler will begin to revert back to some old behaviors in order to establish familiar patterns. This is not because they are too stressed out or don’t like their sibling. They are just trying to reestablish something familiar. This is very normal (and also frustrating, but we have great news!) because a toddler’s habit-forming tendencies are so strong that we can create this as a family.
The Right Timing to Potty Train Your Toddler
Once we all get used to the transition of welcoming the new baby into our home, we will all find the new familiar together. Your toddler will be ready to embrace the potty training experience when the time is right for the household.
For this reason, trying to potty train three months before your due date or three months after may backfire. There are things that we can do to help provide a secure and comfortable way forward so that you are not stretched in too many directions at once. We know that feeding your new baby every 2 to 3 hours and trying to potty train a toddler every 2 to 3 hours can be a daunting task.
What Should You Do?
Even if your toddler is showing signs of being ready, expecting that fully potty-trained behavior to exist while you’re taking care of a newborn is not recommended. Trying to do that all on your own just to take advantage of a timing issue is often just more than we want to tackle. Save the potty training for after the baby is sleeping through the night. If using Moms on Call, that is usually at about 3 months of age. Therefore, your toddler won’t have to wait for what feels like forever.
We promise you will not miss the potty training window. Remember, toddlers, do not get control over their bladder and bowel habits completely at night until between three and five years of age. Pull-ups are still for nap time and sleep times, even once you get started with potty training. Once you are ready to potty train, our Potty by Design program provides two different methods to choose from based on your family's needs and schedule.
Need Extra Support?
If you are reading this, and that is not the situation in your home. We would love to partner with you. Our Moms on Call Premier Consultants are able to get you from here to there. We can tackle getting that baby to sleep through the night in developmentally appropriate increments.
Recap
No matter what, remember that this season will not be forever. You do not have to do this or figure it out alone. You are free to do what makes the household peaceful. We say this so many times, but your toddler is strong, adaptable, and resilient, and so are you. Waiting to potty train your toddler until after the baby is sleeping through the night at three months of age just makes the process easier. You’ve got this!
