Before you start to potty train your child, you must first consider a few things that will help you decide if your child is ready for the potty.

1) Are they able to dress themselves with relative ease? This is an important step in potty training as without being able to dress themselves, they will be incapable of pulling up and down their underwear.

2) Are they able to recognize when they have wet their diapers? If they are unable to tell when they have gone, they won’t know when they need to go.

3) Are they showing curiosity about the toilet and the bathroom? While this isn’t a necessity, it is definitely helpful. Appeasing a child’s curiosity is much more simple if there’s curiosity there to begin with.

Now, to start the potty training: If your child has a favorite cartoon character such as Woody, Cinderella, Tinkerbell, or Simba, then print out a picture of the character and paste it onto a large poster board. Place the poster board in a conspicuous place in the bathroom, however, if your child is a bit of a trouble maker, you may want to place it out of his/her reach.

Next, a trip to the dollar store is in order. Purchase a stack of stickers that will be used when your child successfully uses the potty without having an accident. Next, purchase a few simple toys that your child will enjoy. Balls, Barbies, glow sticks, and other items make great incentive toys. Make sure the child is not with you as this will end up in the child running the trip and you will probably end up purchasing more than you would have thought, and where’s the surprise in the child knowing?

Now, with the child you will want to go to a clothing store where you are able to purchase underwear. Allow the child to pick out a pack of underwear he/she chooses. You can have him/her pick out all of them, or just a pack as you choose the rest. A larger amount is always encouraged. 

When you arrive home, find a small container for the toys and stickers. Tell your child as you place the toys into the container that these are rewards for successfully going potty in the toilet without an accident. Explain to them that when they get a specific amount of stickers that they will receive a toy for their good work. Place the container out of the child’s reach, but still in the bathroom where they are able to see it.

Now, pick out the underwear that your child has chosen. Explain that these are big boy/girl underwear and that they are going to be in place of the child’s diaper now. Have the child sit on the potty as you throw the child’s diaper away. It’s possible that the child will not go, and that’s fine. Make sure to encourage the child and praise him/her for sitting on the potty. Now, place the child in the underwear and pants.  As you two begin your regular routine, remind him/her to tell you when they have to go potty or tell them “we’re going to go sit on the potty now.”

When they successfully go in the potty, praise them and congratulate them continuously. Make a big deal out of it. Your child will want the comfort of knowing that they did well. Let them put their sticker on their poster and if they ask for a toy, which they undoubtedly will, remind them that in a certain amount of stickers that they will earn a toy.

A few reminders:

1) Your child will have accidents. Do not react dramatically or like you’re disappointed. Do not jump up and drag them/carry them to the bathroom. Have them walk as you tell them, “It’s alright. We can try again next time.” sit them on the potty afterwards. Most likely, nothing will come out, but it will help them understand that if they sit on the potty, they can avoid having an accident.

2) If you’re out, do not give in and put a diaper on your child, this will only confuse them and make them unsure as to when they’re supposed to use the potty, and when they aren’t. Take plenty of extra underwear and pants with you when you go out and keep to the same routine. Make sure you pay them back the stickers they earned if they went potty while out.

3) Make sure that all caretakers for your child know about this new rule change and that diapers will NOT be used. Again, this will only confuse a child.

4) Under no circumstance should you force your child to remain on the potty after they have said they are done, whether or not they have gone. This will make them feel trapped and eventually fear the potty.

Diapers may still be used at night as children don’t usually wake up when they have to go. Make sure they are not put on, however, until they are laying in bed.

Suggestions to make things more interesting:

For girls:Put food coloring in! Blue works great because you can show them the change of color when they go. Also keeping their favorite books or stuffed animal in the bathroom will make them feel excited to go potty.

For boys: Drop fruit loops into the toilet and ask them to aim for the fruit loops. Food coloring also works well.

Happy Potty Training!