It might be time for toilet training if your child:
- is interested in watching others go to the toilet
- has dry nappies for 2 or more hours
- tells you with words or gestures when they do a poo or wee in their nappy
- begins to dislike wearing a nappy, perhaps trying to pull it off when it’s wet or soiled
- can pull their pants up and down
- can follow simple instructions
Not all signs need to be present. A general trend will inform you it’s time to start.
Preparing your child for toilet training.
- Start teaching your child words for going to the toilet – for example, ‘wee’, ‘poo’ and ‘I need to go’
- When you change your child’s nappy, put wet and dirty nappies in the potty – this can help your child understand what the potty is for.
- Let your child watch you or other trusted family members using the toilet, and talk about what you’re doing.
- Once or twice a day, start putting training pants on your child – this helps your child understand the feeling of wetness.
When to take your child to the toilet
- Try to make toileting part of your child’s regular daily routine. For example, encourage your child to use the potty or toilet in the morning, and before or after snacks and meals.
- Encourage your child to go to the toilet when they show signs like wriggling around, passing wind, going quiet or moving away from you. But don’t force your child to go.
- Encourage your child to sit on the toilet when a poo is more likely – for example, about 30 minutes after a meal.
- If your child is 3-4 years old, encourage them to go to the toilet when they change activities. For example, you could remind your child to go to the toilet before they sit down for lunch.
Encouraging and motivating your child
- Praise your child for trying. You could say, ‘Well done for sitting on the potty’. You could start a reward chart for using the potty or toilet.
- If your child misses the toilet, try not to get frustrated. Just clean up without comments or fuss.
- If your child doesn’t do a wee or poo after 3-5 minutes of sitting on the potty or toilet, let your child get off. Sitting for too long can feel like punishment.
Staying dry overnight
- Make a trip to the toilet part of bedtime routine
- Casually remind your child to get up in the night if they need to go to the toilet.
- If your child is scared of the dark, going to the toilet at night is an enormous challenge. Put in a toilet nightlight such as an Illumibowl. It may help to leave the child’s bedroom door open for easy access.
- If your child feels that trekking all the way to the toilet is still too daunting, you could put a potty in their bedroom along with a motion sensor toilet light
- Make sure your child feels that it’s okay to wake you up in the night when they need to go to the toilet.
- Don’t get angry or frustrated at your child for wetting the bed. If the extra washing bothers you, buy pull-ups.
- Don’t punish your child for wetting the bed. They’re not doing it deliberately to annoy you. Be calmly reassuring – your child needs your guidance.