How to Potty Train A Toddler

For some parents and their kids potty training can be a breeze. But for others it can be quite difficult and even frustrating at times. Some kids just like to take their time and some kids have real medical reasons for not being easily trained.

My daughter was super easy to train. I stopped putting diapers on her during the day and only used them at night until I realized her diaper was never wet in the morning. So somewhere along the way she managed to train herself… or she was already fully trained at night and it just took me awhile to realize it.

My oldest son took a little bit longer to train, but it was still pretty easy to potty train him. My youngest son on the other hand pretty much trained himself because he hated being dirty! He started training himself when he was only 13 months old! He would take his dirty diaper off and throw it in the garbage and come to me and say cwean me mommy, cwean me. That was when I knew that training him would also be a breeze, and it was!

For some parents though it can be very difficult to potty train their kids and there can be many different reasons why. For some kids there are medical reasons why it is impossible to train them. It is not their fault and punishing them or rewarding them doesn’t help because they have no control over it. 

That is what happened with my friend’s son. After years of trying to find out why he kept going in his pants the doctors finally found out that he couldn’t control it. He had to have an operation to fix what was wrong. Now he is fine. 

Don’t take it personally if you find that your child is hard to train. Some kids just take longer than others and that is natural. But if you are overly concerned because your child is over 4 years old and still not trained then consult your child’s physician to see if maybe there is a medical reason for it.

Potty Training Reward Chart

For some kids, offering some type of incentive works well. You could give them a reward after they go 5 times on the potty. If that works well you could go for maybe 10 times on the potty and then offer them a reward.

A potty training reward chart is a great choice if you want help to provide positive reinforcement while potty training your toddler. 

To help you keep track of your child’s potty training success download one of these potty training reward charts and watch your child’s progress.

Potty Charts

Purchase your own potty training reward chart below.

What age should a child be potty trained by?

Many kids show signs of being ready for potty training by the age of 18 to 24 months, but some aren’t ready to train until they are 3 or so.

Don’t rush your child into potty training. Rushing leads to anxiety for the child and frustration for you. Let your child take their time and get used to the idea first. They will usually let you know when they are ready by giving you hints such as taking their dirty diaper off or pulling at it when it is wet or dirty. 

If your child can stay dry for longer periods of time and are able to tell you that they are wet or dirty then it is usually a good sign that they are ready to start.

Some kids will even go and sit on the potty if it is already out and ready for them. They may or may not go after sitting for a bit, but eventually they will get to a point where they understand what they are supposed to do. Then it becomes exciting to them especially when they actually do go and you praise them for it.

How do you start potty training?

Start potty training by getting your child used to the potty first.. Let them sit on it without any expectation from you. Once your child is used to it then you can start encouraging him/her to go.

Tips for Potty Training Your Toddler

• Let your toddler wear pullups. They are much easier to use when your child needs to go. They are also nice to have to help prevent little messes from happening on the floor.
• Let your child go without a diaper or pullups for short periods of time and encourage them to use the potty during that time.
• Don’t push and nag your child to go. 
• Be patient with him or her. This is new and sometimes it takes time to learn.
• Don’t deny your toddler drinks because you are afraid of accidents. In fact do the exact opposite when appropriate and allow your child to have the fluids he wants. Drinking liquids increases the chances of him going.

What should you NOT do when potty training?

Don’t make a big deal out of potty training.

Making a big deal out of potty training fills your toddler with anxiety and apprehension. Approach potty training like you would approach anything else you want to teach your child: with patience and understanding. Accept the fact that it takes time to learn, and that all kids learn at different paces.

Don’t make a big deal out of accidents. They happen.

Punishing your toddler when they have an accident doesn’t help the situation at all. Your child is still learning and can’t hold himself as long as an older child or adult can.

Don’t dress your toddler in clothes that they have to struggle with.

Toddlers struggle enough with buttons, snaps and zippers. Don’t make them have to struggle with them when you are trying to potty train. Put on loose, easy to remove clothing.

Don’t tell them they have to be potty trained by a certain time… or else.

Don’t give your child an ultimatums. It is impossible for them to comply with them. They don’t have complete control over their bowels when they are just learning and it is unfair for you to expect them to.

Don’t discount your child’s fears. 

Children sometimes have fears about potty training, and sometimes they are fears that we don’t know about or understand. A young child can’t describe their fear to you so just let him/her know that you care about their feelings and are willing to help them through the fear by being patient with them. 

Don’t listen to outsiders

Everyone has a story to tell (including me) and some stories are about early successes and some are not. The important thing for you to remember is that your child is an individual who will learn when he/she is ready and not until. 

Listening to outsiders tell their stories is sometimes nice, so you can get some sense of when it is time to start potty training. Just don’t let yourself feel pressured into getting your toddler trained too early because of someone else’s early success stories. 

And remember that some children have medical conditions that prevent them from being trained. It is not always about the learning process. Sometimes it goes beyond that.