According to the American Academy of Family Physicians, while some toddlers show signs that they are ready to begin toilet training at around 18 to 24 months of age, other children are not ready until they are two-and-a-half or three years old. Because not all children are ready to start potty training at the same age, the University of Michigan Health System recommends that parents watch their little ones for obvious signs of readiness.
Step 1
Allow your child to become familiar with the potty before you begin toilet training. Put a potty chair in the area where your child normally plays. When you begin actual potty training, keep a potty chair in every bathroom in your home. It’s also a practical idea to carry one in the trunk of your vehicle for travel emergencies.
Step 2
Encourage your child to sit on the potty like she would any chair. Tell her that it’s her very own chair and let her sit down on it with her clothes on. Give her a book or toy if it makes her feel more comfortable. Once she becomes used to the chair, have her sit on it without wearing pants or a diaper. You can then progress to having her sit on the potty each time you take off a used diaper.
Step 3
Keep your child seated on the potty chair for only a few minutes at a time. Let him get up from the potty if he wants to. If he shows resistance, don’t force him. He may not be ready yet for potty training. In the event that you have to postpone potty training for a little while longer, you can empty his poopy diapers into the potty to show him what the potty chair is for.
Step 4
Start putting cloth training pants or underwear on your child once she begins potty training. If you continue to use diapers along with underwear, that can slow the toilet training process. If your child has an accident, don’t scold or shame her. You want her to think of going to the potty as a positive experience.
Step 5
Establish a regular potty routine by gradually increasing the number of times your child sits on the potty throughout the day. Begin by seating him on the potty when he first gets up in the morning. Get into the habit of taking him to the potty about an hour after he drinks fluids and 15 to 30 minutes after he eats a meal.
Look for signs that he needs to use the potty in between these times. Some children make it easier to catch bowel movements as they have one at about the same time every day.
Step 6
Praise your child whenever she attempts to use the potty, whether or not she is successful. Use positive reinforcement and make a big fuss each time she sits on the potty chair so that she knows she is doing a good thing. When she does go in the potty, give her a small reward.
Tips and Warnings
- Before your child can begin potty training, he should have the abilities to say simple words, walk to the potty, pull down his pants, sit on the potty, and then get off it himself. Although it may seem easier to start potty training during the summer months when children wear less clothing, you should not delay the process if your child is ready before then. Put simple clothing on your child while she is potty training. Squatting, grunting and turning red in the face are usually signs that a child is having a bowel movement and needs to make a trip to the potty.
- When parents start potty training before a child is ready, it can take the child longer to train. A new sibling in the household is sometimes the reason when a previously potty trained two- or three-year-old begins to have accidents. Some young children temporarily regress to a previous stage of development when dealing with stress related to a new sibling or a move to a new home. However, you should talk to your child’s pediatrician to rule out possible medical causes.
Things You'll Need
- Potty chair
- Cotton training pants or underwear
