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When to start potty training
Every child is unique and there's no right or wrong age to start potty training. It's important to remember not to compare your child to others!
Potty training will be more effective if your child is ready. Usually that's when they reach 2-3 years old, but some children show signs of readiness earlier or later.
Answer these questions and we'll tell you if you're ready to start potty training:
- Is your child hiding whilst having a wee or poo in their nappy?
- Is your child verbally telling you they're having a wee or poo?
- Is your child dry for 1-2 hours at a time?
- Can your child follow simple instructions?
- Can your child pull their pants up and down?
- Is your child interested in the toilet or potty?
- Is your child asking to wear 'big underwear'?
If you answered yes to most of these questions: sounds like your little one is ready and you can start thinking and talking to them about potty training!
If you answered no to most of these questions: hold off for a few weeks, sounds like your little one needs a bit more time. If you're desperate to get them potty trained, you can still succeed at this stage but it will probably take longer and they'll have more accidents.
Now you've decided if your little one is ready... are you ready too?
Do you have the time and patience to potty train right now? If there's a lot going on in your life right now, like a new house, new sibling, starting nursery etc it's best to hold off until everything settles.
Patience is the key to success. There's about to be a lot of accidents and it's crucial to offer continued, non-judgemental support and encouragement to your little one. Frustration from you can discourage and upset your child, causing regression and refusal to potty train.
If warmer weather is just around the corner, you might want to wait as there's less washing and cleaning to do once the weather warms up!
If you've decided that you and your little one are ready to tackle potty training, prepare well before you start by stocking up on underwear, potties and PeapodMats to protect your home!
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How To Start Potty Training
Potty Training Essentials
Whether you're potty training a boy or a girl, your shopping list will look the same:
Underwear - this one is self-explanatory! Our top tip with underwear is: If your little one has a favourite cartoon character, getting underwear with them on will encourage the switch from nappies. Plus, your little one won't want to wee on their hero!
Potty - keep the potty in the living room so your child can always see it and quickly make it in time. It helps to have multiple potties around the house so you're never too far away from one. If you have carpets, remember to protect them by placing a washable pad underneath the potty.
Toilet seat insert - some children prefer to use the big toilet straight away! Toilet seat inserts will give your little one confidence that they won't fall in.
Waterproof bed pads - PeapodMats are the most convenient option. They stay in place without straps and absorb liquid fast. Perfect for covering chairs, sofas, beds and carpets (especially around the potty).
Easy on/off clothing - trousers with buttons or zips are a no-go, at least for now, as they take too long to pull down.
Once you've completed your shopping, you can start talking to your child about potty training. Showing them the potty and reading books about potty training is a great way to get them excited about the idea. Let them decorate their potty with stickers for an even more exciting build up!
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Create a Potty Training Routine
Day 1
Be realistic. Accidents will happen. But even one wee caught in the potty is a success worth celebrating!
Start the day by removing the night time nappy and encourage your little one to sit on the potty. Hopefully they will have managed a wee, but try not to stress if they don't. You can then let them pick the underwear they want to wear for the day, explaining that today we're starting using a potty! Make it exciting!
Encourage your child to sit on the potty after breakfast, and after every other meal or snack. Try to get them to use the potty every hour. If an accident happens, quietly tidy them up and remind them that wee and poo go in the potty, and continue the day as normal. Making a big deal or punishing a child for an accident will only discourage and upset them. Remember to praise your child profusely when they make it to the potty! Children love stickers so a reward chart might provide extra motivation.
Keep an eye out for any clues your child needs the potty. Some children start to wriggle or touch their crotch. If you notice any signs, take them immediately to the potty/toilet. You don't need to ask them if they need the toilet as children are usually too busy to go.
If your child feels too busy to stay on the potty, try distracting them. Reading a book usually does the trick!
Remember to wash your hands. Doing it together is a great opportunity to talk about germs and hygiene.
Day 2 & Beyond
The first few days are best spent at home until your child starts getting the hang of things. Some parents prefer to pop a pull up on for a trip to the shop, etc. If you choose to do this, remember to explain to your child that inside (home, nursery) we don't wear a nappy but only to the shop, or for longer trips. Remember to remove the nappy when you return home. Otherwise your little one may get confused.
If there are older siblings in the house, they can help with potty training by demonstrating how to use a potty. Getting everyone involved can make it a fun and rewarding process for your little one!
Night time potty training takes longer. You can read our bedwetting guide here.
If you experience problems during potty training, check out our useful guide on common problems and how to resolve them.
We wish you all the best on your potty training journey! Let us know how long it takes to have your little one rocking the potty!
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How To: Potty train your little boy
Ready for potty training with your little boy? Awesome! Use these simple tips to get you off to a great start:
📚 Start reading potty training books and talking about the new venture!
🚒 Get a potty and let him put stickers on it. You might want to put one potty in the bathroom and another in the living room.
🦸♂️ Get a toy, or older sibling, to demonstrate how to use a potty.
🧸 If he's too distracted and won't sit long enough on the potty, try reading a book or playing with his favourite toys.
🚽 If he's decided to use the toilet instead, get a toilet training seat so he won't be scared of falling in.
🧼 Get a stool so he can reach the sink and wash his hands. Use this time to teach him about hygiene.
🪑 It might be easier for him to sit down at first. He then might do poo at the same time!
🎯 If he's standing up, practise aiming by putting a little toilet roll ball in the potty/ toilet and ask him to aim for it.
🩲 Take him shopping for 'big boy underwear' and let him choose his own.
📅 Set a 'big day' date to begin potty training, and look forward to it together. Make it exciting! On the 'big day' remove the night time nappy and put his 'big boy pants' on. Take him to the potty every 20 minutes.
🛌 If he's going to nursery or grandparent's house, ask them to continue potty training. Putting a nappy on will only confuse him. The exception might be a trip to the shop. If you decided to put a nappy on, explain it's only for the shop and take it off as soon as you return home. Night time potty training takes longer so your child will still need a nappy for bedtime.
🤗 Be calm when accidents happen. Quickly clean them up and remind him that wee and poo go in the potty.
🥳 Praise, praise, praise! Even if only one wee or poo made it to the potty, make a big deal out of it! Children love stickers so a chart might be a good idea to track his progress.
💧 Protect your sofas, beds and carpets in case of any accidents. PeapodMats washable bed pads stay in place with no straps and quickly absorb any accidents so you don't have to spend hours cleaning!
Don't have the time to read it all right now? Not to worry! You can download the full potty training guide FOR FREE! Simply sign up to our mailing list to receive it.
How To: Potty train your little girl
Ready for potty training with your little girl? Awesome! Use these simple tips to get off to a great start:
📚 Read some potty training stories and choose a 'big day' that you will begin potty training on, marking the date in a calendar.
🌸 Get a potty and let her decorate it with stickers. Some parents find it's easier to have one potty in the bathroom and another in the living room.
🧸 Demonstrate, with a toy, how to use the potty. Get everyone involved and have older siblings demonstrate too!
🪀 If she doesn't want to stay on the potty for long enough, distraction works best. Try reading a book or play with her favourite toys.
🧼 Buy a step so she can reach the sink to wash her hands. This is a great opportunity to teach good hand washing technique and talk about hygiene.
🚽 If she chooses to use the toilet, it's a good idea to get a toilet training seat so she doesn't fall in.
🧻 Teach her to wipe from front to back to avoid infections.
🩲 Take her shopping for 'big girl underwear' and let her choose. Remember to get lots of spares in case of accidents.
⏳ On the 'big day' remove the night time nappy in the morning and put her big girl pants on. Get her excited! Take her to the potty every 20 minutes.
🛌 If she's going to her grandparent's house or nursery, encourage them to continue with potty training. Otherwise she'll get confused. Night time nappies are ok as it takes longer to be dry at night. You might want to put a nappy on before a trip to the shop. Remember, to explain to her that it's only for the shop and remove the nappy when you return home.
🤗 Don't make a big deal of accidents. Quickly tidy them up and remind her that wee and poo belong in the potty.
🌞 If summer is around the corner, you might want to wait until then as it's usually easier to potty train in warm weather.
🥳 Praise, praise, praise! Even if only one wee made it to the potty, make a big deal out of it! You could use a sticker chart to commemorate her progress.
💧 Protect your sofas, beds and carpets in case of accidents. PeapodMats washable bed pads stay in place with no straps and quickly absorb any accidents, so you don't have to spend hours cleaning!
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Common Potty Training Problems... & How To Solve Them!
Which one sounds like you?
- My child is scared of the potty! 😨
Avoid singing/talking potties or ones with flashing lights as children often get scared of them. (We've been there!) It's best to get the simplest potty available and let your child decorate it with their own stickers. Once a child is scared of a potty, it may take some time for them to be willing to try potty training again. Don't give up, keep talking about potty training, but remove the 'scary potty' asap.
- My child refuses to potty train! 😩
Sometimes children refuse to potty train if they have too many accidents. They might feel like it's too hard, and become discouraged. Your support is very important here and your child should know there is no punishment for accidents. Try to remain calm and offer lots of praise when your child does wee or poo in the potty! With ample time and praise, they will begin to realise they can do it!
Remember to protect your sofa, bed and carpet around the potty with a waterproof PeapodMat. This will remove the stress of accidents and save you hours of cleaning up!
- My child constantly has accidents when we're away from home! 😟
It's natural for a child to have more accidents outside of the home, where a potty was always at hand. Some parents prefer to pop their child in pull ups, explaining that it's only for the outside. After a few attempts, and your child staying dry, you can try going out without it. Another solution is to carry a potty with you but this is not always practical, etc.
- My child shows no signs of being ready for potty training! 🤔
There's no set age to begin potty training, but usually a child becomes ready between 2-3 years old. If you're worried that your child is getting older and shows no interest in potty training try talking to them about potty training, or reading a book on the subject.
If your little one has speech problems and can't communicate their needs, the signs of being ready for potty training might not be that obvious. At the beginning it's best to take your child to the potty, rather than asking if they need it.
- My child seems to have regressed after a big life event! 😭
This is a very common potty training problem. It's best to postpone potty training if there are big events happening like a new sibling, new house, starting nursery etc. Wait a few weeks until everything settles down and try again. Don't get too discouraged!
- My child won't poo on a potty! 😕
Children often don't want to poo on a potty and they will try to hold it. This can lead to constipation. One painful poo on a potty can be enough to put them off pooping and they might consistently try to hold it. It's important to keep them hydrated, make sure their diet is high in fibre, and be on the lookout for signs of constipation. If you do notice that your child is constipated talk to your GP or Health Visitor. If the sound of flushing water is scaring them, wait until they leave the toilet to flush.
We hope you now feel confident in your ability to tackle all potty training problems!
Don't have the time to read it all right now? Not to worry! You can download the full potty training guide FOR FREE! Simply sign up to our mailing list to receive it.
