Potty training takes a lot of planning, and part of that planning involves taking a trip to the store for supplies (or, if you’re like me, to your favorite store’s website). Besides the character underwear, books and incentives, you’ll need to figure out what type of throne your prince or princess would prefer. Although there are tons to choose from, there are generally two categories: potty chairs and toilet training seats. For the purpose of this article, let’s assume that potty chairs are the plastic all-in-one seats that are custom-made for toddlers. Toilet training seats are the seats that you attach to your toilet, which make the toilet more comfortable for small bodies. I’d recommend choosing one or the other based on your preferences, and then letting your toddler help narrow the choices down, just to give them a little control over the situation and get them excited about it. There are pros and cons of each. Let’s take a look.
Pros of Toilet Training Seats
- Since toddlers have to sit on the actual toilet, they are more likely to quickly acclimate to toilets in general. That means they won’t be so intimidated by other people’s toilets when you’re not with them.
- You don’t have anything to dump out and clean several times per day like you would have to do with a potty chair.
Cons of Toilet Training Seats
- The height of the toilet can be intimidating for some toddlers. Therefore, they may prefer a smaller potty chair. However, some kids are totally fine with the toilet. If friends or families have kids that are potty training, it may help to let toddlers check out their seats and see how they react.
- Experts at the Mayo Clinic say that children’s feet should be resting on a flat surface when using the toilet. That means that in addition to the training seat, you may also have to purchase a separate stool so that your child can reach the seat.
- You have to remember to take the seat off after your toddler uses it, and you have to have a place to put it while at the same time keeping it clean. However, there are some toilet training seats for toddlers that attach to the actual adult seat, so you simply need to flip it up and down when the child uses it.
Pros of Potty Chairs
- Potty chairs small size may make them more user-friendly for toddlers.
- They come in so many different colors and with different characters that make it less intimidating than a full-sized toilet.
- Children can quickly sit on it when they have to go, as opposed to having to grab a step stool so they can reach a toilet seat.
Cons of Potty Chairs
- Quite possibly the biggest inconvenience of a potty chair is the fact that you have to dump it out into the toilet each time your child uses it, and you have to clean it regularly.
- It takes up extra space in the bathroom.
