There is no fixed age at which you should start potty training your child, it is simply a case of waiting until your child is ready; although it is easier in summer as the weather is generally warmer and there are fewer clothes to take off.

How do I know when my child is ready?

  • They are aware of having a wet or dirty nappy
  • They know when they are peeing or pooing and may tell you they’re doing it.
  • They know when they need to pee or poo and will tell you in advance

You can start when your child is aware that they are peeing or pooing it will just take longer than if your child is at the the 3rd stage.

How to do it

  • Leave the potty where it is easily accessible to your child this may mean moving it from room to room
  • Explain to your child what the potty is for
  • It is helpful if your child sees you using the toilet and knows what you are doing
  • If your child regularly poos at the same time each day you may want to try and see if they will do it in the potty
  • If you see that your child wants to pee try to see if they will use the potty
  • Give your child plenty of praise when they manage to use the potty

A word of advice don’t shout at your child if they don’t manage to make it to the potty; there will be lots of accidents during the whole process, if you make it into a big deal it may cause alot of problems, such as your child hiding the fact that they have had an accident or regressing.

Here are a list of common problems you may encounter:

  • The child has no interest in using the potty – don’t worry your child isn’t ready try again in a few weeks
  • Make sure that the child doesn’t feel pressured – speak to your health visitor as stopping and starting alot will confuse your child
  • If your child has been dry for a while and then starts wetting again – be understanding the child is not doing it on purpose and will be upset about the lapse

Some health professionals claim that it is possible to complete the process in 3 days if you put your child in pants and don’t go out for those 3 days. However not every child will be able to do this as every child is unique so if your health visitor gives you this advice please don’t get upset if your child doesn’t grasp the idea in those 3 days. My daughter is nearly 2 and we have been trying to potty train her for nearly 2 weeks and although we are making progress she isn’t dry most days yet. The only time I put her in nappies is if we are going out in the car and at night or if she has a nap during the day, please don’t try and get your child to be dry both day and night at the same time only attempt getting them dry at night when they are dry most days . When we go out I get her to go use the potty before we go out then every half hour I take her to the toilet and get her to try I make sure that I have plenty of clean clothes in case of accidents.