Magic Bubbles - supporting potty training

Getting started on potty training can be a challenge, but having some tricks up your sleeve to make it a little easier can really help.

Click for more potty training tips - https://www.raisingateam.com/post/potty-training-a-guide-to-getting-started

Many years ago my mum explained that when teaching children to use a toilet, encouraging them to blow out of their mouth relaxes their stomachs and greatly helps everything flow!

This has always worked really well for my own children and ones I’ve worked with. My mum had suggested bubbles as a great tool for this. Children love bubbles and are then distracted by what is happening which all helps their body to relax. Bubbles are a great idea, however, I am not that organised!!!

While I had put bubbles by our toilets at home, I hadn’t thought to put them in our bag to go out, or when I had, I would take the boys to the toilet without the bag! So we started using my magic bubbles and I’ve used them with children I’ve worked with since!

Magic bubbles, work just the same as real ones - except they are purely based on imagination! I hold one hand in a loose fist and use a finger from the other hand as the dipper! I dip the finger into the pot a little way, hold my finger out then blow the bubbles. Now of course, we know there are no bubbles, but here is where you can support your child’s developing imagination. The first time I used this with my youngest, I pretended to blow the shape of something we had seen together that day – a tractor! I ‘blew the bubble’ and explained I’d made a tractor! I pointed in the air at the wheels, the cab and exhaust. Then I popped the bubble as you would a real one saying ‘pop!’ so he knew it had gone. I made two or three others of things he especially enjoys, each time describing it before asking if he’d like a turn – he then used his finger as the dipper and began to make his own – I’d encourage him to make long slow blows for bigger magic bubbles as I found he’d try to do little blows, after a short time his tummy relaxed and he was doing the poo’s or wee’s as needed, in a relaxed way.  

Potty training can be a challenge for some, but using this little tip can help you and your child to relax and create a calming environment which will support their learning.

If you are finding toileting difficult take a look at the ERIC website – https://eric.org.uk/ they have lots of great advice and a helpline where you can get information tailored to your child’s needs. I can't recommend them highly enough!

In case you are organised enough to keep a pack of things nearby, and to mix it up a little, take a look at these afflilate links of recommended products to take a look at, just make sure to supervise any little ones with them...

Bubbles

Harmonica

Party blowers