Preparing your child for potty training

Tackle potty training in stages to help you and your child get ready and feel relaxed about the process.

• Leave the potty where your child can see it, and explain what it’s for (you can involve them in picking a potty so they know it’s theirs).
• See if they’re happy to sit on the potty and try it out for size, perhaps after a nappy change.
• Read picture books together about potty training.
• Seeing an older sibling use the potty can be helpful – children love to copy.
• Practise potty time. Take turns sitting your child’s toys on the potty.

Talk about wee and poo while changing their nappy. Tell them when their nappy is wet or dry, and explain what this means. Change nappies in the bathroom so your child associates the room with doing a wee or poo.

Involve your child with flushing the toilet or washing their hands after a nappy change. Ask family members to leave the door open while they’re using the toilet so your child can see it’s normal.

Make it positive. Give lots of praise when they flush the toilet, wash their hands or dress themselves after a nappy change.

When you think your child might be ready, you can also read:

• When to start potty training
• How to start potty training
• Potty training tips to manage the process
• Potty training at night