Potty training can be very rewarding when your child is successful, but it can feel daunting to start. Preparing yourself and your child is important and can include the following steps.
Looking for Signs of Readiness
- Physical Signs: Does your child have regular, well-formed bowel movements at relatively predictable times? Does your child have “dry” periods of at least two hours or during naps that indicate their bladder muscles are developed enough to hold urine? If so, your child is likely physically ready for potty training.
- Cognitive Signs: Does your child understand the physical signals of going potty? Do they tell you before it happens or hold it until they get to a “potty spot”? Does your child follow simple instructions, such as “go get the toy”? Do they understand the value of putting things where they belong? If so, your child is likely cognitively ready for potty training.
- Behavioral Signs: Can your child sit down in one position for 2–5 minutes? Is your child tolerant of sitting on the toilet? Does your child dislike the feeling of wearing a wet or dirty diaper? Does your child show interest in others’ bathroom habits, such as wanting to watch others go to the bathroom or wanting to wear underwear too? Does your child give a physical or verbal sign when having a bowel movement such as grunting, squatting, telling you, or going to one corner of the room? (Each child may show different signs.) Does your child demonstrate a desire for independence and take pride in accomplishments? If so, your child is likely behaviorally ready for potty training.
Reviewing Potty Habits/Dry Checks
- It’s helpful to know your child’s current habits to plan successful potty training. Record and review how many times your child is voiding in the diaper and/or having accidents before starting the process of potty training. Use a simple tracking sheet to record the time your child voids or every time there is a diaper change/accident. It can also be helpful to track when child eats and drinks to find a pattern. For example, one child may urinate 20 minutes after having juice; another may have a bowel movement 30 minutes after lunch.
- Dry checks are another way of collecting data. This is a process where you check your child’s diaper every “x” number of minutes to see if your child is dry. This number is based on your child’s current habits and can vary from child to child. How long your child stays dry will help determine how often you take your child to the bathroom to sit on the toilet. If your child can stay dry for an hour, then he should sit on the potty every 45–50 minutes.
Identifying Rewards
- A reward is any toy/food/activity that motivates your child to complete the task again. It is important that the potty reward is ONLY used for potty training, so that the reward stays highly motivating. Examples include small candies, books, iPad/tablet, or reinforcer boxes with small toys.
- It is best to keep the reward out of your child’s reach in the bathroom and then give the reward to your child immediately when they void on the toilet. Consistency of receiving the reward ensures their motivation of voiding on the toilet.
- You may also consider a smaller reward for sitting on the potty if your child needs motivation for sitting. Examples of smaller rewards include singing songs or reading a book while sitting on the potty.
Implementing the Potty Plan
- Bring your child to the bathroom every 30–60 minutes (the time will vary based on how often your child is urinating). Start with smaller time increments than your child’s current potty habit so he/she is less likely to have an accident. Have unlimited access to liquids and encourage drinking. Demonstrate requesting for the potty and help your child request for the potty.
- Did your child go potty? If yes, praise and reward. If no, say, “You must not have needed to go,” and/or “Nice job trying.” The reward shouldn’t be given at this time.
Other Tips
- The right time: Choosing the right time to potty train your child is important to ensure you and your child is ready and set up for success. Oftentimes parents choose to potty train when the weather is warmer (less clothes to remove) and there is a break in school (potty training in one location first is easier and more consistent). Also, be ready to pause potty training, especially if your child is showing signs of frustration. Potty training can be reintroduced when you and your child are ready again, after at least one month’s break.
- Consistency: Keep the bathroom routine consistent no matter which bathrooms in the household is used. Have the rewards ready in all bathrooms.
- Positivity: Ensure your child is comfortable going into the bathroom. You can play with your child in the bathroom to begin, so your child is happy to go into the bathroom and it doesn’t feel like a scary environment (e.g. blow bubbles or play with shaving cream in the bathtub or water in the sink). Some children do not like the sound of the toilet flushing. It’s okay to flush after your child leaves the bathroom.
- Generalization: Start potty training at the house that your child is most familiar with and then implement potty routines outside of the home.
Being prepared for toilet training will increase the likelihood of success. Sometimes a child is not ready; you can stop potty training and try again in a few months. There is no need to rush potty training if your child is feeling uncomfortable. Achieving small gradual steps will make potty training a more positive experience for you and your child.
