Potty training
Teaching your child to use the potty and the toilet needn't be hard work. Choosing
the right time to help your child learn is the key to success - try too soon, and you will
be disappointed.
When to start
Being 'trained' is more than being reliably clean and dry most of the day.
Before he can be trained, your toddler needs to be able to:
- Recognise the need to 'go'
- Hang on for a short time until he gets to the potty or the loo
- Pull his clothing up or down - though children will need help with difficult garments
for some time
While a few toddlers are properly trained before the age of two, most children are
rather older than this, particularly if they don't have older siblings to copy. And
even after they are trained it's not at all unusual for a three or four-year-old to
have 'accidents' from time to time.
Yes, you can achieve training before the age of two, but it often means your child has
to be reminded about the toilet several times a day, and the 'hanging on' time
is reduced to a few vital seconds. Leave training that little bit later, and your
child's physical maturity will mean the whole process is easier and quicker - maybe
no more than a few days.
Preparing to potty train
- Around 15 to 18 months introduce your child to the potty. Simply leave it in the
bathroom so he can sit on it - for fun - at bathtime
- Let your child see you using the loo. Better still, if possible, let him watch other
children using the potty, for example at a friend's or mums and tots group
- Explain very simply the connection between what he eats and drinks and what comes out in
the potty
Starting to potty train
- From around two years, sit your child on the potty from time to time, and give lots of
praise if you 'catch' something
- If your child regularly opens his bowels at about the same time each day, choose this
moment to sit him on the potty
- When you are at home take off his nappy and if it's warm enough let him run around
without pants. You will need to remind him regularly to tell you if he needs the potty
- He is bound to have accidents - simply clean up and tell him where the poo or the wee
should go next time
- Occasionally, let him try the loo - some children prefer it. Put a child seat on it and
a step up to it to make it easier. He may still want you to hold him though
- Don't expect him to be able to wipe his own bottom - most children need help with
this delicate skill for some time
Tips for success
- An older or physically confident child can skip the potty stage and use the loo from the
start
- Trainer nappies (disposable nappies that look and feel like pants) are useful for the
in-between stage of being 'almost dry', and ideal for trips away from home
- Dress your child in loose trousers or leggings that can be pulled down easily
- Teach boys to use the potty sitting down at first. They can progress to standing up
later on - ask dad to demonstrate!
- Don't get cross! When accidents happen, stay calm and sympathetic. It's so
easy for a toddler to forget about the potty and the loo. If the accidents are making you
irritable, leave training for a week or two and go back to nappies. It's no big deal
Where to next?
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