The American Academy of Pediatrics suggests that a parent waits until their daughter is 2 years old or older before beginning potty training. This makes 28 months an ideal age to start. A 2002 study called "Sequential acquisition of toilet-training skills: a descriptive study of sex and age differences in normal children," by T. R. Schum, T. M. Kolb and T. L. McAuliffe, et al., revealed that girls conquered toilet training skills sooner than boys did. Make sure that your daughter is ready to potty train. She will give you cues such as showing an interest, being able to stay dry for two hours and being able to physically control the muscles that enable her to go the bathroom.
Step 1
Prepare your daughter for potty training. Babycenter.com advises letting your daughter watch you use the bathroom and let her flush the toilet. You can change diapers in the bathroom so that she associates going potty with the bathroom. Let her sit on the potty chair to familiarize herself with it, and you can even place it in a play area.
Step 2
Make a routine. Start putting her on the potty fully clothed once a day. Once she gets used to that, place her on the potty without a diaper on. Encourage her to use it whenever she needs to go potty.
Step 3
Switch to training pants or underwear.
Step 4
Know that setbacks happen. She will have accidents; it's a part of learning. Never get angry or punish her. Clean her up and urge her to use the potty next time.
Step 5
Begin nighttime potty training after she has consistently mastered daytime training. It can take months or longer to get nighttime potty training down, so patience is the key.
Step 6
Throw a party once she's conquered potty training. Celebrate and let her donate her leftover diapers to another child.
Tips and Warnings
- Let her play without a diaper on, keeping a potty nearby. Although it might get messy, Babycenter.com suggests that she will learn faster. Never physically restrain or force your daughter to remain on the potty, especially if it scares her. It should be put away for a bit, then tried again a few weeks later.
- If using an adapter seat, make sure it securely fits on the toilet seat. It should also be comfy so that your daughter will be more inclined to use it.
Things You'll Need
- Potty (toilet, potty chair or adapter seat)
- Toilet tissue
- Training pants or underwear
- Stool
- Rewards (games, stickers or candy)
