Mom Takes Toddler's Potty Training to the Next Level, Covers the Whole House With Puppy Pads
January 16, 2019
Potty training a toddler can be messy, especially if you're trying to get them to use a training toilet. That's why one mom in the U.K. went comically overboard and covered everything surrounding her daughter's pint-size potty with absorbent puppy pads.
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Shona McLoughlin posted the photos from "Day One" of her hilarious potty training attempt to Facebook. The pictures show the floor of her daughter's playroom completely covered by dozens of pads typically used for housebreaking dogs. "Am I doing right? 😂" She asked cheekily. "Sat here waiting for her to pee. Do I just keep sitting her on the potty and hope she gets it? I'VE NO IDEA WHAT I'M DOING."
Other parents were understandably amused at McLoughlin's attempts to protect the floor. "Think you've got this toilet training all mixed up," wrote one commenter. "Erin's supposed to wee in the potty not all over your ENTIRE house!!"
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"This is 'just incase' she misses..." McLoughlin replied humorously. "Or maybe its a plot to get a puppy."
McLoughlin posted another photo of her couch covered in dog potty pads. This one showed a confused looking cat standing on the pads also covering the floor (and probably wondering why mom didn't opt for a litter box)!
In all seriousness, McLoughlin said she planned to "move [the] mini toilet into the bathroom" once her daughter "gets used to it." It's a tactic used by plenty of parents throughout the years, and like most potty training methods, the results are varied.
The reason? Well, experts agree that little ones will make the transition out of diapers when they're ready, and that's different for every child. As Lisa Asta, M.D., a clinical professor of pediatrics at University of California, San Francisco, and spokesperson for the American Academy of Pediatrics, told Parents.com, "Just because you want your child to potty train, that doesn't mean it's going to happen if it's not on your child's developmental or emotional agenda."
"It's a natural process," added Dr. Asta. "You can't force it."
You can, of course, follow your child's lead, reward progress with heaps of praise, and be patient when setbacks and accidents inevitably occur. And when in doubt, talk to your pediatrician about potty training.
"With so much to talk about and so little time at checkups, doctors often let this issue slip by," said Scott J. Goldstein, M.D., a pediatrician at The Northwestern Children's Practice in Chicago. "If your doctor doesn't bring it up by the 2-year visit, ask him whether your child is ready to potty train."
