squatty potty 101

I must admit that I felt pretty accomplished as a mother living in Asia when I could take my girls to use a squat toilet without incident. This wasn’t always the case!  The first few times I was forced to take my girls to use a squatty potty, it didn’t go very smoothly.  They would cry and protest, I wouldn’t get their clothes out of the way and they’d go on their clothes, or even on my feet.  Over the past couple years, I’ve learned a few things to make our squatty potty experiences more successful.  If you find yourself with little girls in squatty potty situation, maybe these will help you.1. Get their pants/skirts/etc all the way down to their ankles, then hold them there
2. Have them squat all the way down
3. Bribe them with chocolate if necessary (yes, I actually did this once while we were all still learning!)
4. Learn how to clean up using water so that you don’t get into a bind if you didn’t bring tissue  Now Elise will actually say, “Oh! Squatty toilet!” when we walk into a bathroom and see what kind it is.  And we can even brave bathrooms that look like this one without incident.  Sometimes I actually think squat toilets are more sanitary, because only the bottoms of your shoes come in contact with them.  Other times, there is so much dirty water on the floor it gets a little gross.

Have you used a squat toilet?  Have any tips to share?