Ah, potty training. The stage of parenting nobody warns you about until youâre in the thick of itâarmed with Clorox wipes in one hand and a crying toddler in the other. If youâre lucky, your kid will nail it in three days flat. If youâre like the rest of us, itâs a marathon full of bribery, accidents, and âMommy, I donât like this toilet, itâs looking at me!â
But fear not. Iâve rounded up the ultimate list of potty training must-haves that kept me (mostly) sane and helped my toddler graduate from diapers to big kid underwear without too many tearsâmine or theirs. Consider this your survival kit.
1. Frida Travel Toilet Seat (It Folds!)
Public restrooms are basically a hazmat zone when youâve got a toddler. Enter this genius folding toilet seat. Itâs lightweight, folds flat, and fits into your diaper bag without taking up precious space. Plus, it makes those giant public toilets less terrifying for tiny bottoms. Think of it as toddler armor against germs. Grab it here on Amazon.
2. Hovering Toilet Seat + Step Stool Combo
This is the MVP of at-home potty training. Itâs a toilet seat that hovers AND a step stool in one. Translation: your child can get on and off the potty by themselves, which means less backbreaking âhelicopter liftingâ for you. Bonus: they feel like a big kid, which is half the potty training battle. They also can convert it to a step stool for quick handwashing and good habits! (Bonus: it comes in all different colors!) Find it here.
3. At-Home Toilet Seat (No Stand Needed)
Sometimes you donât want all the bells and whistlesâjust a simple toilet seat insert that makes the adult potty less intimidating. No wobbling, no complicated setup, just a smaller seat that says, âHey buddy, youâve got this.â Perfect for home or grandmaâs house. Get it here.
4. Mini Toilet for the Bathroom
This tiny toilet looks just like the real deal, complete with a little flusher. Kids LOVE it because it feels like theirs. Parents love it because it keeps accidents contained to the bathroom (instead of behind the couch, on the rug, or in that one corner of the playroom). If your child is stubborn, sometimes giving them âtheir ownâ potty is the game-changer. Check it out here.
5. Stand-Alone Step Stool
Youâd think a step stool is just for reaching the potty or sink, but noâthis becomes the toddler version of a ladder. Theyâll use it for everything. Washing hands? Yes. Climbing to reach the cookies on the counter? Also yes. Potty training aside, youâll get years of use out of it. Grab one here.
6. Car Toilet + Scented Bags
Picture this: youâre 12 minutes into a road trip, no rest stop in sight, and your child screams, âI HAVE TO GO POTTY NOW!â Enter the car toilet. Itâs portable, easy to set up, and saves your sanity. Pair it with these compatible liner bags for disposal, because no one wants Eau de Roadtrip Accident lingering in the trunk. (Bonus tip: you can put an old diaper in the bottom for absorption purposes.) Get the car potty here.
7. Hanes Absorbent Underwear
These look like real underwear but have built-in absorbency, which is basically code for âless laundry for mom.â Theyâre the perfect in-between stage between diapers and undies. Available in boys and girls styles, they save your furniture and your nerves while still making your kid feel like a big kid. Because nothing crushes potty training confidence like being back in a diaper.
8. Reward Jar with Poop & Pee Emojis
Bribery works, donât fight me on this. Some kids want candy, others want stickers, but a jar full of silly poop and pee emojis? GOLD. Youâd be shocked how motivated a toddler becomes when they know theyâll get a tiny plastic pee drop for a successful bathroom trip. Snag it here.
9. Potty Training Sticker Chart
The classic. Stickers for them, sanity for you. Toddlers thrive on visual progress, and nothing beats the sheer joy of slapping a dinosaur sticker on a chart after a successful potty run. Plus, it gives you a chance to say âWow, look at all those stickers! Youâre crushing it!â about 500 times a day. See it here.
10. Rope Caddy with Handles
Youâre going to need wipes, extra underwear, flushable wipes, and probably a stress snack for yourselfâall in one place. A rope caddy keeps everything organized and portable, so youâre not sprinting through the house yelling âWHERE ARE THE UNDERWEAR?!â for the third time that morning. Cute, functional, and one less thing to stress about. Grab a caddy here.
Final Thoughts
Hereâs the truth: potty training is messy, unpredictable, and occasionally hilarious. One day youâll cry when they have their tenth accident in an hour, and the next day youâll cheer like you just won the lottery when they pee in the potty all by themselves. The key? The right gear, lots of patience, and a sense of humor.
So stock up, deep breath, and rememberâno kid goes to college in diapers (though some of us might still keep a stash of emergency wine in the bathroom during training season). Youâve got this, mama.
PS: This post contains affiliate links. That means if you grab something from Amazon using my links, I may earn a small commissionâat no extra cost to you. Thanks for supporting coffee-fueled mom survival guides on MommaReviewed.com!





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