Are They Ready?

Many children will begin to show “signs” that they are ready to start transitioning into using the toilet. This can look like:

• Asking about or talking about using the toilet or about the bathroom environment in general

• Taking off their diaper or showing discomfort when soiled

• Expressing and showing signs that they need to void

• Participating in pretend play with dolls or toys in which they are using the bathroom

Some barriers to beginning potty training:

• Having difficulty with remaining seated upright without additional supports

• Lack of awareness of needing to use the bathroom

• Lack of awareness that they have voided in diapers

• Fear of the bathroom or toilet

Introduce the Bathroom as a Safe Space to Potty

Potty training can feel like a lot of pressure to parents and children alike and can turn into an anxiety-inducing event for many. When first introducing and transitioning into potty training with your child, following the tips below can help reduce any anxiety around using the potty.

•  Talk about using the potty: an adulting stating when they need to go, modeling with toys (dolls, stuffed animals, see our curated shopping list for more ideas), reading books about potty training together, and transitioning into the bathroom for diaper changes can all make children more comfortable with communicating about needing to go the bathroom and can assist in identifying what it feels like when you need to go to the bathroom.

• Start with one step at a time: sitting on the toilet for small amounts of time, washing their hands after diaper changes, dumping out a used diaper into the toilet before having the child flush the contents down the toilet. These all help to introduce the steps of independently using the toilet in a less pressure situation, without the need to necessarily remember all of the steps and sequencing involved with going to the bathroom on the toilet.

• Practice: once your child starts sitting on the toilet (even if they are not voiding on the toilet) it can help to still complete other steps - such as wiping, redressing, flushing, washing hands - and, most importantly, celebrating all of these steps accomplished as wins!

Practice, practice, practice

Using the toilet, like most other things in life, becomes easier with repetition. While transitioning into using the toilet can feel different and hard for some when starting, here are some tips to ease into the new routine:

• Use a goal tracker and celebrate progress (our TeleTots one can be downloaded here)

• Start small, maybe just sitting on the toilet for 5 minutes every morning after getting up and every night before bathtime. Whenever works best for your family’s routine, just be sure to stick with it!

• Once ready to be consistent, use a potty-training watch (linked in Curated Shopping Lists) or set a timer to begin sitting on the toilet and attempting to go on a consistent basis. The more consistent, the more likely to have a successful void while on the potty!

• Try and stick to your routine even when not at home – this will help with carryover of using the potty outside of home as well!

Most importantly - Make it fun! 

Probably the hardest part for kids starting with potty training is that it doesn’t seem fun, especially when it requires them to take a break from their preferred play if they think they will just be sitting on the toilet until they can return. Luckily, there are some great ways to turn toilet training activities into play to make using the bathroom a lot more fun.

• Introduce an activity while sitting on the toilet: blowing bubbles, or into a cup of water are easy ways to entertain a child who’s sitting on the toilet, while ALSO promoting voiding by relaxing the core & pelvic muscles! Other activities, like creating a potty song to sing while on the toilet or reading a book can be great ways to add variety and keep toilet training more fun.

• Introducing color-changing water, toilet confetti, or targets into the toilet are simple ways to make voiding on the toilet a game in itself.

• Incorporate components of the toileting routine into games and activities outside of the bathroom as well: using toilet paper to wipe shaving cream or peanut butter off of plates or tables. “Pretending” to have dolls use the bathroom or individuals use the bathroom during pretend play.

• Offer rewards (for more than just voiding!). This helps keep track of successes, keep motivation high, and deter away from the pressure and increased anxiety that can be placed when there is disappointment following sitting on the toilet. Rewards look different for everyone, from going to the park, having a favorite snack or even just some dedicated time doing something that’s special to them.