The first day of pre-school makes for a very nerve-wracking and emotive milestone, as your little one makes the first steps from mummy's little baby to toddler.

My stomach swirled as I thought of my little one heading off. Eating his lunch on his own (well, with his new friends) and doing all the things he'd usually do with me, without me.

But more importantly, the challenge of him being completely dry, i.e. out of nappies - I'd miserably failed at.

I worried for days if I'd be judged and how my poor little pup would feel with no mummy to sprint to him with his beloved red cars potty, and if the alien inordinate object; the cold seated toilet (complete with trailing paper bog roll) would freak him out.

You may have read our last foray into the world of potty training with the 6 Steps to Potty Success with Huggies READ HERE. We started rather late, as we had lots of wobbles due to constipation and are still tackling that blip. But now comes the huge challenge of confidence around new people.

The challenge, unbeknown to them, now became in the hands of his pre-school teachers. 

Their main objective to give him the confidence to sit on a new potty, around people he barely knew. While I took the role of the co-driver, bellowing out left, right and 'put your darn foot down', armed at the finish line with car stickers whenever he romped home to victory.

Stoic and confident (ish), I sent him off a pair of cotton pants instead of his Huggies® Pull-Ups® *gulps*, knowing it was a case of 'wee or poo roulette'  (i.e. if he managed to wee in a toilet rather than his pants). I am a bit naughty, but if I'm honest the thought did make me chuckle.

Fast forward 6 hours (yes, no messing about in my house), tough love and a FULL first day (none of this half day palaver) and I arrived at 3pm to collect him.

I hid behind the gate waiting nervously, and couldn't see him. Although I could hear 'plane, plane!' in a chirruping manner (his voice, obvs) - good sign, right?

I waited and waited, and spied a blonde, blue eyed cherub in shorts, tee and, well, it wasn't my son...he'd left home in a navy tracksuit?

Turns out it was.

Albie's first day resulted in him being the ONLY child kitted out in a completely different uniform because he, you guessed it, he’d had a ‘number 2’ type accident.

Practise makes perfect

I'd like to think the new surroundings contributed to Albie's little mishap, as consistency, routine and practise are conducive to winning at potty training. Repetition helps your little one feel in control, and as mothers, tantrums, tears and defiance from the offspring leave us feeling everything but. 

So it's working together as a team and making every aspect of potty training fun.

Washing his hands became a routine, as it became exciting standing up on his stool to reach the sink - he soon started to ask me to pull his sleeves up as he remembered the order in which his ablutions happened.

Every time we achieved a poo (which isn't that often yet to be fair) - a car sticker was emblazoned on his t-shirt. If that's not an incentive, I don't know what is!

A couple of weeks in, I started to incorporate a bed time wee, leaving the potty by the bed and a Huggies® Night Time Pull-Up® on for extra safety (with his fave Lightening McQueen on), and explaining how his 'big boy pants' are easily pulled up and down. I never ever referred to the Pull-Up as a nappy, it isn't. There needs to be a clear distinction between pants and nappies - and the Huggies® Pull-Up® is the imperative transitional middle stage to potty training the hell out of life. 

The Huggies® Pull-Ups® Daytime pants feature a unique learning liner which briefly mimics the feeling of real wet underwear - without the mess, so they're the ideal step up from a nappy without going in too brutal, too soon. 

Trust me, a poo squishing out the sides of flimsy pants ain't pretty.

Learning wet from dry

Not scolding, but gently telling and reminding your child that they have wee'd in their Pull-Up, then introducing a fresh, dry one, is great for instilling confidence. 

Accidents are a valuable way of helping your little one to tackle this most difficult stage. It's going to happen - be prepared to deal with it. I won't lie, there are many times I've wanted to scream as my expensive cow hide carpet spent more time wet than it did dry - but perseverance is key.

Three weeks down, I was amazed at how Albie refuses to wee in his Pull-Ups, and shouts for the potty. In fact one evening I heard him shuffling about and turns out he had a poo, confident in his safe environment and pulled them up and down all by himself. So proud and amazed was I!

I am pleased to report a few weeks in and we've had very few accidents - none at school, aside from getting over-zealous with yoghurt.

The children are regularly 'toileted' so the routine at pre-school is certainly having a positive effect.

We've given the poo's he finds so painful and hard to pass fond endearments. 

We have the slithering snake. The circle (said in an American accent, as Albie watches too much Bob train), or the rather fetching rocket. 

I said you had to make this fun, right? 

We're struggling a bit with the night-time routine, I've tried a few evenings Pull-Up free, but found myself a little friend sharing my bed at 3am - and inevitably sharing a warm sensation too....

But next week it'll be full on military fun tackling this stage (Step 4 of the 6 Steps to Potty Success). 

I do wonder what his teachers will make next time he tells them they've got a snake down the loo?

Are you ready to start your journey? If so, have a look here HUGGIES POTTY TRAINING STEPS

Lauren x

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Practising with his Pull-ups