Potty Training

As tempting as it can be to entice your child to use the toilet early, don't set both of you up for failure by expecting it too soon. Some children can start being potty trained as early as 18 months, others might wait until they're two or three years old. There's a few signs you can look out for to see if it might be time for your kiddo to adjust from diapers to the porcelain throne:

If most or all of these are yes, you're likely ready to start the transition to using the toilet. Remember, this isn't only about you. This is a massive step for your little one too, imagine trying to re-learn how to use the bathroom, it's not going to be a simple learning experience and you need to incentivize and make it exciting to learn to use the new “big kid potty!”

Set for success

Language

What words are you going to designate with your kiddo about needing to use the bathroom? Ensure the language is either neutral or positive, calling it stinky, icky, gross, or anything else derogatory can have the unintended impact of your child thinking they are doing something wrong which can lead to issues using the bathroom. Verbiage can make or break your child's experience.

Setup

Kiddos are smaller than you and me. You want to make sure they're set up for success in this new adventure! Get a booster stool with their favorite characters, cars, or colors to lift them up on their own big kid seat!

Potty break

It isn't a constant for your child to need to be on the toilet, but you do want to ensure they have designated times to get used to using the bathroom. Every two hours is a good place to start and have them sit without a diaper on the toilet and try to either pee or poop as needed. Whether they do use the bathroom while they're up there or not, ensure adequate praise is being passed onto them. “Great job buddy”, “You're sitting so good!”, “You're doing great!” are all simple ways to get your child to enjoy the process rather than seeing it as sitting on a weird chair in a different room.

Get there now

Recognize the signs your kiddo exhibits when they're needing to use the bathroom. Squirming, grabbing at their crotch, attempting to squat, and isolating themselves can all be signs of attempts at using the bathroom. This is by no means exhaustive and you'll start to recognize your child's tells over time and will make it easier.

Hygenics

Wiping, washing hands, and clean up are all parts of the process as well. Make sure you're explaining what you're doing and why as you go through the process. Kiddos are little sponges and more than happy to soak up all the experience you're willing to share, make sure to make the most of that by explaining the why vs showing them. This prevents issues later on of them being rebellious since no reason was given for why they SHOULD be doing things like wiping or brushing their teeth.

Trading up

Once you're able to have a couple successful weeks of using the bathroom with the diapers on, why not trade up to big kid underwear? If they aren't able to stay dry with big kid underwear you might have to transition back. If your kiddo does have to transition back let them know it's okay. There's nothing wrong with them and it takes a little longer. You don't want shame to be a part of the process. Similarly, ensure you make a big deal of wearing big kid underwear. It's an earned responsibility and your kiddo has worked really hard for a really long time to earn it. Make sure they know what a great big deal this is.

A few points to remember

Accidents will happen - It isn't an if, it's a when. This is a new experience for them and there's no promise they won't have issues wetting themself at night or having an accident here and there during the day. It's a process and odds are they aren't going to do everything perfect. That's okay. This doesn't mean they're problematic, it doesn't mean they aren't trying. Set yourself up for success by getting a quality carpet cleaner, mattress/crib protectors, and a healthy supply of big kid underwear. At minimum you should have two pairs of underwear per child per day.

Always remember any additional questions can be answered by your pediatrician. If you don't have one, we would recommend calling your local clinic or hospital and having them advise you how to get started with one.