How to Potty Train Your Child

Recognizing Readiness for Potty Training

So, when is the best time to start potty training your child?

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, by the age of two, you can start paying attention to signs from your child that show physical, emotional, and mental readiness to begin potty training.

Noticing these signs might mean that your little one may be ready:

Your child can spend two hours or more without wetting their diaper.
You may notice that a strange look suddenly crosses their face in the middle of an activity as they stop doing it. This may mean that they notice the feeling of needing to poop or pee.
Your toddler can tell you that they need to use the bathroom
They may become irritated when wearing a dirty diaper or show that they’re not interested in wearing one.
Your toddler may also be showing an interest in wearing big kid underwear.

Using Training Pants While Potty Training

To make this experience comfortable and easy for your child you can use the Pull-Ups® Skin Essentials™ Potty Training Pants for Girls or the Pull-Ups® Skin Essentials™ Potty Training Pants for Boys.

Made with ultra soft, allergy friendly materials, these diapers are breathable and help protect sensitive skin while giving your big kid® 100% leakproof protection to help them do what they do best.

Dermatologist approved; these diapers also make changes easier with soft, refastenable sides.

Stick with a Potty Training Routine

Like with any new habit, keeping a regular and simple routine is a great way to make the habit stick – for you and your child! Encourage your toddler to sit on the potty in the morning once they’ve woken up, after meals, and after nap times. Making this plan can also help their bodies adjust to this this new routine.

If you notice that your toddler often pees or poops at the same time every day, you can leave their diaper off and encourage them to use the potty at these times instead.

But you will need to keep a sharp eye during these times to help avoid accidents.

Use Positive Language

Use positive language to help your child create good feelings with potty training. Avoiding words like “bad,” “dirty,” or “stinky” will help them be more open to the idea of sitting on a potty as well as understanding that pooping is natural, normal and everyone does it. Use your positively chosen words for the best results.

Use Positive Encouragement and Rewards

One of the best ways to make your potty training work stick is to use positive encouragement and rewards. Does your child have a favorite book or toy? Are they obsessed with bubbles or stickers? These are great rewards.

When you see that your child uses the potty successfully reward them with one of their favorite things to keep the good energy going.

You can even create a potty training sticker chart that allows them to earn a sticker every time they successfully use the potty

Continue this positive encouragement and tell them that they did a good thing by letting you know that they needed to use the bathroom. If they were unable to go or if they do go, this positivity will encourage them to use the potty.

Is There a Difference in Potty Training Readiness for Girls vs Boys?

So, what's the difference between potty training girls vs boys? While girls and boys usually take about the same amount of time to be potty trained (you’ve probably heard that girls potty train faster than boys), the difference in their personalities is what really may affect their readiness.

Because each child is unique, the best way to tell if your child is ready is to check for these signs of readiness and interest in using their potty.

When it comes to potty training your child ask yourself these questions:

Do they seem ready and excited to start?
Do they feel comfortable and safe?
Do they seem interested in wearing big kid underwear?

If the answer is yes to all three, you’ve got a winning combo and you’re ready to start potty training.

Tips to Successful Potty Training

These steps will help make sure that potty training your child is a success:

Step 1: Put the potty in an easy to reach place. This will make it easier and reduce the risk of accidents.
Step 2: Make it fun! By singing or joking while your child is using the potty you make the experience less scary for her and more inviting.
Step 3: Once your child done, let them know how proud you are and give her a reward. Now would be a good time to pull out that sticker chart.
Step 4: It's time to wash up. Here you can use your child’s favorite scented soaps or foaming cleanser. This can be another step your child looks forward to .
Step 5: Take your time. On average it can take up to eight months to potty train a child (although every child is different) so remember not to punish them if they have an accident or don't immediately pick it up.

Potty Training Patience

Even when your potty training journey is running smoothly, there still can be a chance that you’ll experience a few bumps along the way. This is completely normal and where your patience comes in. This is a new experience for both of you so give yourself and your little one plenty of time and patience.

Regressions

Regressions can happen with your potty-trained child. They may start having accidents regularly enough that you might need to take them out of underwear and put them back into Pull-Ups Potty training regression can happen for a few reasons:

Your child feels stressed. If they’re going through a change in life like attending a new school, moving to a new neighborhood, or another baby on the way, your little one might feel stressed leading to more accidents. Once they settle into this new phase of their lives, they’ll be back on the potty again.
They might have a health issue. Your child might be suffering from constipation/painful bowel movements or have a urinary tract infection, if they are experiencing this discomfort, it would cause them to want to avoid sitting on the potty.
Your child is easily distracted. Children can be quite absorbed in their activities. If your child is playing and so absorbed that they don’t notice the urge to visit the bathroom, they’ll end up having accidents.

Nighttime Accidents

At the beginning of the potty training journey your child might still wet the bed. This is because they’re still getting used to the habit of holding in their urine or waking up to pee. It’s been shown that 25% of boys and 16% of girls will still accidentally wet the bed until the age of six. This makes the Pull-Ups® Night*Time Training Pants For Boys and the Pull-Ups® Night*Time Training Pants For Girls an essential part of your routine with 100% leak free and extra absorbency* (*vs. other Pull-Ups products).

Accidents in Public Happen

Accidents can happen anywhere. If you’re in the early stages of potty training, carry an extra change of clothing and Pull-Ups® with you when out and about. If your child has had an accident, be patient and don’t react negatively as accidents are a part of the process. Reacting negatively could potentially cause regression.

Frustration

During the potty training journey, you’ll encounter pitfalls like struggling to get your child used to sitting on the potty, dealing with accidents, and possibly having to deal with regression. Feeling frustrated at different points in this journey is completely normal. Cut yourself some slack and be kind to yourself. Undertaking the potty training journey can be challenging.

Successful and Rewarding Potty Training Journey

The potty training journey is a rewarding experience, and you should be proud of your little one as they grow, develop, find their independence, and consistently go on the potty!

On this journey, use this guide to find tips, games, products and more to make the potty training journey fun, fast and easy.

CHECK OUT MORE ABOUT OUR LINE OF POTTY TRAIN ESSENTIALS FROM PULL-UPS®

How to Potty Train Your Child

Recognizing Readiness for Potty Training