Potty training could be one of the most stressful moments for every mama (and papa). It entails proper timing, patience, encouragement, and less anxiety. If you’re a parent looking at beginning the potty journey with your kids, read on for tips made by experts and other moms and dads like you who have gone through it successfully.
Training to use the toilet is an important task and milestone. It brings a lot of benefits when done right – better potty habits lead to better health for children (less probability of UTI, getting introduced to proper hygiene). However, when you start too early, it may bring anxiety to children, or conflict between parent and child. Likewise, when done too late, potty training could be equally hard to do.
There is no exact age to begin potty training, but it certainly depends on the readiness of each child. Based on the Montessori way, potty training should begin with your child wanting to try it.
“Learning to use the toilet is a natural process that begins when your child’s desire to be grown up and his neurological development have reached the point where he can control his bladder and bowels. We don’t train children to use the toilet, we support them when they are ready,” wrote author Tim Seldin in How to Raise an Amazing Child: The Montessori way to bring up caring confident children.
You must also consider if the child has the ability to communicate the need to use the toilet. Is there a poo and wee routine you can base the training on? Is your child able to walk to the potty?
Stanford Medicine emphasizes that we should first watch out for signs, and remind ourselves that children reach milestones differently, which also rings true for potty training.
“A child younger than 12 months has no control over bladder or bowel movements. There is very little control between 12 to 18 months. Most children don't have bowel and bladder control until 24 to 30 months. The average age of toilet training is 27 months,” it said in its potty training explainer.
There are however many signs you can use to tell if your child is ready to begin potty training. These include:
- Mobility going to the potty
- Ability to communicate that he or she wants to pee or defecate
- Seeks diaper change or have visible discomfort when diaper is dirty
- Has dry diapers for at least 2 hours during the day or is dry after naps or overnight
Best advice on starting potty training
1.) Monkey see, monkey do: Exposure to potty training
If you have older kids around the house, your toddler would likely imitate their actions. Explain why older kids (or parents) need to go to the toilet. Let kuya or ate explain parts of the potty or the toilet so the toddler can address his or her fears.
Begin by strategically placing a potty training chair that mimics what adult toilets use, like Nuby’s My Real Potty Mini Size Trainer, with the perfect height for toddlers and a lid cover that makes it feel like the real thing. It even has flush sounds!
If your child shows interest in using an actual toilet, you can use Safety 1st’s Padded Toilet Trainer for a more comfortable seating position, or something with a ladder for easy toilet access like Anko’s Toilet Training System.
Unsure what type of potty chair your child would like? Check out Little Hot Air Balloon’s 4-in-1 potty trainer, which easily converts to a stool or step stool.
2.) Consider starting with wee
Training for wee and poo could be different. According to United Kingdom’s National Health Service (UK NHS), babies usually learn how to control bowels before being able to control their bladder. Start with fun ways to encourage peeing with cute urinals like Baby Hood’s Rocket Potty – off to space! You may also use iFam’s standing urinal bowl, which stands on its own and a height just right for your little kid.
3.) Encourage use of underwear
It may be hard for some to transition to underwear, but it’s a crucial step to a successful potty training. During the day, let your child wear comfortable cotton undies so they won’t look back anymore at wearing diapers. This Hello Kitty panty set will be great for little girls while these Meet My Feet Boxer Briefs are comfortable picks for young boys.
When children’s night diapers have increasingly been dry, you may level up with night potty training with the help of Doyle & Furnham waterproof bed pads to keep your mattress safe for wee accidents.
4.) Patience is a virtue
Don’t make potty training a battle of wits.
“Your child should not sit on the potty for more than 5 minutes. Sometimes children have a bowel movement just after the diaper is back on because the diaper feels normal. Don't get upset or punish your child,” notes Stanford Medicine.
NHS meanwhile highlights that potty training should be consistent and part of routine.
“Try potty training when there are no great disruptions or changes to your child's or your family's routine. It's important to stay consistent, so you do not confuse your child,” NHS said.
You can introduce the concept of potty training with animated videos, or storybooks. This way, it won’t look like a chore to your toddler. Check out Learning is Fun Smart Babies I can do it, Use my potty to teach toilet training through a story, or use Tiny Buds Reward Sticker every time the child sits on the potty.
5.) Potty training when not at home
When not at home, you can still be successful at letting children use the toilet. They can try sitting on a public toilet (with your supervision of course) and safely keep out germs and viruses with Tidy’s Disposable Toilet Seat Covers.
You can also bring your own potty! My Carry Potty is your best bet for those long road trips. No bidet, no problem! Bring your own Hygo Portable Travel Bidet anywhere you go.
For furmamas
Got a pet to potty train? Potty training dogs and cats is a different challenge but you can get by with training pads, and litter sands.
