*I received Airwick products in order to complete this review. As always, all opinions are my own*
Toilet training…one of the few phrases to strike fear into the hearts of parent across the world. It gives you a new level of appreciation for what your parents went through. I learned a few things along the way both from my own experience and the experience of others. Here are my tips to help toilet training go a little more smoothly. 
Make sure your child is absolutely ready before starting.
This tip is save everyone’s sanity. The first childcare that Mr 6 went to started pushing us to try toilet training from when he turned 2. It was one of the reasons I moved him to another centre. He just wasn’t ready and I didn’t want to push him.
Prepare your child for toilet training before you actually start.
We put Mr 6 in jocks whenever he was outside. He had lots of accidents of course, but it got him used to wearing underwear. We also talked about going to the toilet instead of using nappies. In the week leading up to us giving toilet training a go, I read a book about toilet training to him. It even had a toilet flush noise, he loved it!
It’s so much easier to train in the summer.
Toilet training a child who is still learning about their body cues is so much easier when they don’t have to contend with extra layers of clothing. It’s also easier to get them to sit on a potty when the seat isn’t going to freeze their little bums.
Have easy access to the potty and be prepared to spend a few days at home.
Show your child where the potty is and how to use it. Some people put the potty in the lounge room or their child’s room so that they remember to use it. I put Mr 6’s in the bathroom, and made sure to remind him to use it. It frustrated him at first, but it worked in the end. We also started training over the weekend so that if I needed anything Paul would be here to grab it.
Buy lots of undies.
At first I got character undies because they were cute. That was a dumb idea. There is going to be lots of accidents. Sometimes those accidents are just too much to clean and it’s easier to throw them in the bin. This is a lot easier to deal with when the undies don’t cost $15 for a pack of 3.
Be prepared for the wee. So much wee in strange places.
Having a boy, this one doesn’t really go away when they are toilet trained. If you have a boy, bear in mind that any bad toileting habits their father has…they will most likely pick up too. Remind them that hands must be on their appendages at all times during a wee trip. I have even found wee on the wall above the toilet!
All of that wee can make for a smelly toilet. A weekly clean doesn’t seem to get rid of that underlying smell. I was sick of it and had started to use an automatic spray in the bathroom but it was a little over powering in the small room. A friend suggested a Reed Diffuser so when Air Wick contacted me to try out their products it came at the perfect time!
At the moment I have the Air Wick Life Scents Reed Paradise Retreat in the bathroom above the toilet. It’s a nice subtle smell that makes the room feel fresh without feeling overpowering. I can be sensitive to some air fresheners but have found that the Life Scents range from Air Wick has just the right amount of fragrance. The little bottle looks super cute on the window sill too! 
The best part? I have 3 Reed Diffusers to giveaway to one lucky reader! All you have to do is answer this simple question:
What is your favourite scent? Why?
Terms and Conditions
- The competition opens on Wednesday the 29th of July 2015 and closes on Monday the 10th of August 2015 at 6pm.
- This competition is a game of skill and entrants must answer ‘What is your favourite scent? Why?’ in order to have a valid entry.
- Competition is open to Australian Residents only.
- One (1) winner will win three (3) Air Wick Reed Diffusers. Scents are picked at random and maybe different to those mentioned in the above post.
- All decisions are final and a discussion will not be entered.
- The winner will be notified via email, so ensure that you provide a valid email address when entering.
My favourite scent is coconut. It reminds me of tropical holidays. It’s quite a subtle scent and not overly sweet.
(Great toilet training tips.)
I love the scent of rain and fresh mowed grass. So pure and cleansing!
I love Vanilla.
Gotta agree that there is no point starting to train ’em up before they are ready…that idea should be called parent training. All that ‘do you need to go?’ nonsense. And I refused to give up on the night nappies for a long time cos I was just too lazy about getting up and changing sheets in the middle of the night.
My favourite scent is vanilla, because it reminds me of my grandmother who always used to wear it. She used to tell me how in the depression they would use vanilla essence dabbed behind their ears because perfume was hard to get.
I love the smell of Lavender, it reminds me of my Mum. My kids all hate the Lavender smell though, they prefer the Orange and Mango ( I think it is) that we have in their bathroom at the moment. I don’t think bathrooms should smell like food, flowers is a much better choice in my opinion!
Citrus! It’s so fresh and cleansing, especially when it comes to small rooms like toilets and bathrooms! And for us, the laundry, because of the nappy bucket (pew!). Great tips, too. I’ve got a 2.5 year old that seems to be showing a little interest in the potty, and although I’ve got a 4 year old, she seemed to take to toilet training quite easily. Mr 2 doesn’t seem to show the same interest – he just thinks the potty and the toilet are great because the he can flush the toilet and watch the water!!!
I adore anything with a vanilla scent. I know many people think it’s boring – but I absolutely love it. PS: Those are great toilet training tips. Very useful.
Fresh bread- love it!
Some excellent tips thank-you. I have two daughters aged 5 and 7 who were ready and easily toilet trained at their daycare which luckily made things simple. But now we’re trying to toilet train my 3 year old son so he’ll be ready for kinder next year, might have to wait for the weather to warm up a bit though I think. A toilet-training themed book is definitely a great idea too, will have to keep a look out for one.
My favourite scents are sweet and fruity. Especially love watermelon, green apple, cotton candy, peach and berry fragrances (I’m too indecisive to choose just one). I think it’s probably because my sweet tooth has coerced my nose! 😀