How to Begin Potty Training Your Toddler

Has your little one started to show some signs of wanting to use the potty? Are you tired of changing diapers and looking to potty train your toddler? We are going to walk you through how to know when your child is ready for potty training and some tips for parents along the way. It may feel like your child will never get out of diapers, but for most kids that’s just not the case.

So, our littlest one decided that she wants to learn to use the potty! She’s just over a year and a half and made the decision that she dislikes diapers. I mean, who doesn’t! Right?!? But what I dislike more than diapers is cleaning up accidents and it’s not like she can wipe her own bottom yet. Silly little girl.

So while potty training early seems like such a great idea, in reality, it can actually be much worse for both the parents and the toddler. Does this mean you should start early? Absolutely not! It just means that you need to wait for your child to show you they are ready to begin. Potty training is one of those times when letting the child lead is so very important.

Life Changes With a Potty Learning Child

So we have set up our bathroom with a stool and a potty seat so that she can easily access the potty. Being so short, she still needs some help to get onto the big potty. We also have a little potty seat so that she is able to use this as she needs. The problem: she thinks it’s just a chair for sitting.

Stand Alone Potty Seat vs Potty Seat Adaptor

When first thinking about potty training your toddler, you will need to decide the type of potty seat you wish to purchase. There are so many choices out there, but we have really found the simpler, the better. Yes, you can absolutely purchase a potty seat with fancy bells and whistles, but this does not guarantee your will want to use it to go potty. In fact, we have found the exact opposite. Potty seats with all the bells and whistles become a toy for our children that they want to use during play not going to the bathroom.

For us, we found the more simple potty seat adaptor for our larger toilet worked wonders. Our children loved getting to use the same toilet that everyone else used. Yes, they watch you use the bathroom and they want to be just like you. In fact, taking interest in the bathroom and following you in is one of the signs of potty training.

The potty seat adaptor is simple to use and doesn’t add much extra clean up. Simply set it onto the toilet seat, be sure it sits firmly in place. Then sit your toddler on the potty. When they are all done, just remove the potty seat and flush the toilet. Just as you clean your toilet, you will need to clean your potty seat, but that’s it! So simple.

Taking off Clothes when Toddlers Start Potty Training

Now, when your little one figures out how to remove their diaper and pants (shorts, skirt, etc), life becomes quite difficult. This is especially true if they haven’t learned to use the potty yet. I find myself chasing her around our home to ensure that she is fully dressed or at least has on her diaper. If she fights that, I find that I’m trying to encourage her to use the potty at every turn to avoid the accident.

Not only does your child figure out how to take off all their clothes, but they also just throw them everywhere. If your toddler is anything like ours, they won’t ask to take off their clothes. Instead, they will just do it whether you want them to or not. Sometimes this even means finding a soiled diaper laying around. Yuck!

This becomes really fun, especially when you or someone in your family is on a video call. So you really need to keep an eye on your toddler to ensure they aren’t just running around naked. Plus, you will want to teach your toddler to put their dirty clothes in the hamper. This will save you so much later on!

Downfalls of Starting Too Early

We all want a child who can use the potty independently. But if you start too early, you spend just as much time cleaning up accidents that aren’t contained to the diaper. So gross! Or battling your little one to go into the bathroom. And it’s not like she can wipe her own bottom yet, so you still have to do that too. So no parent is off the hook when their little one first transitions from diapers to the potty.

So many times, starting potty training too early leads to set backs. Working in an early childhood center, we’ve seen child scared to even go into the bathroom, a child who hides when they need to go potty, children who would rather be wet than tell us they had an accident, and even toddlers who hold it all day. We’ve also spoken with parents who just want to throw their hands up, give up, think their child will never learn, and demand we teach their child now.

Here’s the thing, starting too early almost never works out. It’s best to let your child take the lead with potty training. And know that if you start and your child loses interest, that’s okay! It’s not like they would be wiping their own bottom anyways. Take a few days, weeks, months, whatever you child needs. Talk to your child about how you use the potty. Then, when your child shows interest again, give potty training a try again.

How to Know Your Child Is Ready for Potty Training

I think the most difficult part is knowing when your child is ready. There are many signs you can look for to decide but not all children show all these signs. And they definitely don’t show them all at once, every day. So, trust your gut and give potty training a try. Then, if your little one isn’t really interested, give it a little more time. There is no rush! Plus, your toddler need to keep you on your toes.

Interest

The biggest sign I’ve always looked for is when my little one shows an interest in the potty. My little ones always started following other members of their family to the potty: mom, dad, big sister or brothers. Sometimes even guests when they popped over. Isn’t that just a surprise for your family and friends?!?

They would play with the toilet paper, sometimes leaving big messes all over the bathroom and house. The toilet would magically flush when we thought no one was in the bathroom (but it would just be my little one and sometimes she would be accompanied by a sibling). We would find the bathroom door mystically locked and no one inside. Bathroom cabinets and drawers would be left open or items found around the house.

Another great sign is that they start noticing when they need to potty or have just potty. Ever have a toddler demand that you change their diaper immediately? It may be that they take off the dirty diaper, bring you a diaper, or even come over a cry to let you know they want to be changed.

You might even notice that they know when they are a going to potty. I’ve seen my little ones sneak off to corners or behind furniture, squat down while playing or watching TV, get up from a snuggle and move away from us, or even look down like they are watching themselves potty. If you are lucky, your child will tell you that they need to potty or has a wet diaper. Not all of us are so lucky!

Physical and Cognitive Skills for Potty Training

Now interest isn’t enough. They need to have the physical skills too. As a parent, you can help them with many of these things but until they have the physical skills, they will not be independent. They need to know how to pull down their own pants and then pull them back on again (or as my littles do, put them back on because they need to take them completely off to potty).

They also need to be able to get on the potty, sit down and get off the potty on their own. Are they tall enough, coordinated enough, and have the balance, especially if using a stool? You wouldn’t think it, but using a stool can be especially tricky for young toddlers.

They should have some cognitive skills too. Using the potty in the beginning takes some time. Is your child able to wait for a few minutes? Waiting can be so hard! We spent much time just sitting on the potty waiting for their body to relax enough to allow the process to occur. It’s not enough just to climb on the potty and sit.

For us, this meant books, bubbles, songs, and even some Disney Jr shows on the iPad. In the beginning, this waiting time should be fun for your child. Since waiting is not something enjoyable for your child, you will want to help them by planning things to do while they wait. If not, your child may learn to dislike the potty, setting your further back with potty training.

Bodily Control

Finally, your child should demonstrate some bodily control. Children who wet their diapers frequently may not be ready yet. You want to look for diapers that stay dry for 2 or more hours. This shows that your little one can wait to use the potty and go all at once instead of using the potty all the time. It may mean waking up from nap or bed time dry. On the hand it could be soaking the diaper while they sleep since they try not to potty while awake.

When our toddlers first start using the potty, my little ones have always needed to make multiple trips to finish going to the bathroom during the first few days. This means spending lots of time running to and from the potty in an hour. Then they go a few hours before repeating the process. Be sure to not only make the bathroom an enjoyable place for your toddler, but add some things in for you too!

It may also mean waking up wet, being dry throughout the morning with no need to use the bathroom, and then going in their diaper during nap time. Or even wishing to wear underwear during the day and demanding a diaper when they need to go potty. Each child is so different and you will need to embrace their differences. We find that allowing our children to lead makes the potty training process so much easier.

What If My Child Is Ready But Wants a Diaper

This just may happen! My children have shown interest, even used the potty a time or two. Then they suddenly refuse to use the potty, have accidents, or want diapers. Children will try a new skill, decide they aren’t ready yet and come back to it at another time. This is part of growing up.

Just like when your little one learned to roll over, sit up, or even pull to standing. One day, they just roll over. You see it, you celebrate it, but then it doesn’t happen for a few days or weeks. The same might happen with learning to use the potty. They may use the potty a time or two and then take a break from the potty.

I know, you’ve already celebrated your little ones success, mentally crossed diapers off the shopping list, and maybe even spent some of your diaper money. It’s so hard to hold your desires and wishes, but you just have to go with your child (unless you want to clean up many accidents). When they are ready, they will try again and maybe this time it will stay.

Do you currently have a child learning to use the potty? Successfully helped a child learn to use the potty? Leave us a comment below to let us know what worked for you. We’d love to learn more tips and tricks too! Continue with our potty training journey in Potty Training Chronicles 2.

Hi, I’m Nicole.

Here at Creatingbutterflies we provide families with practical solutions to real life problems for everything parenting, scouting, dual language, and enjoying time outdoors. We are a family of 6 with 4 wonderful becoming bilingual children who loves scouting, camping, and hiking with their family. Mom is an educator and dad is a firefighter/paramedic.