Things You'll Need:
- Potty chair
- <br>Sticker chart (optional)
- <br>Accessible clothing for your child
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Step 1
Consider whether your child is really ready for potty training. This is less reliant on age and more related to your child's development. In order to be ready to potty train, your child should be able to recognize when his diaper is wet or dirty and be able to communicate that to you in some way.
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Step 2
Evaluate your child's ability to follow and understand directions. She should be able to follow simple 1- or 2-step directions and understand and say the three "P's" of toilet training: pee, poop and potty.
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Step 3
Look at your child's physical development. Successful potty training relies on a child's ability to control the necessary muscles. Ask yourself the following questions: Is my child able to stay dry for 2 or more hours? Can he get on and off the potty by himself? Is he capable of pulling down his pants without too much assistance?
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Step 1
Let go of your inhibitions and let your child observe you in the bathroom. She needs to know that using the toilet is a natural thing and everybody does it. So, let her see what you're doing (and what you've done) and give her the chance to practice flushing it away.
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Step 2
Purchase a potty chair and place it next to the big toilet. Put a basket of toys and books nearby and allow your child sit on his "very own" potty while you're in the bathroom. It's important he doesn't see the potty as a threatening spot--you could even bring the potty into his playroom for him to get used to it.
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Step 3
Encourage your child to sit on her potty chair both with and without her diaper on. If she happens to urinate or have a bowel movement in her diaper while she's sitting there, suggest to her that she might feel less uncomfortable if the "pee" and "poop" went directly into the potty. Eventually you can empty the contents of her diaper into the potty to show her the connection.
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Step 1
Help your child identify the signs that he needs to use the toilet. Pay attention to changes in his expression or movements that indicate he's urinating or having a bowel movement. Then bring that to his attention by asking him things like "Did you pee?" or "Do you need to poop?" You may need to begin more simply with statements like "You just pooped" or "Your diaper is wet because you had to pee."
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Step 2
Bring her to sit on the potty regularly (every 1 to 2 hours) as well as about 20 minutes after a meal. Many children frequently have a bowel movement between 15 and 30 minutes of eating.
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Step 3
Encourage his efforts and achievements, however slight they may seem. A child who makes it to the bathroom door and poops right next to the potty was paying attention to his body's signals--he just didn't make it in time. You may want to consider using a sticker chart or another reward system as incentive.
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Step 4
Ask all of the adults in your child's life to stick to the same routine. That means she should be going to sit on Grandma's potty every hour, too and that her daycare provider should be encouraging instead of punitive. Consistent messages are an important part of potty training.
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Step 5
Be patient and avoid the impulse to show disappointment when a trip to the bathroom fails to show any results. Potty training is an arduous process, fraught with disappointments, but you don't want your child to think you're upset with him.
