When to Start Potty Training

Looking for readiness signs from your child is key to success. Dry diapers after naps, showing interest, not liking wet or dirty diapers, and being able to listen are some signs that your child is ready to start. Another big factor is making sure your calendar is cleared for potty training! You'll need to be home at first and be able to keep asking your child to try to go on the potty.

Every age and kid is different. Some start between the ages of 2 and 3 years old, but can be younger or older.

For me, I had two very different kids with readiness. My son started at 2 1/2 years old and wanted to potty train after seeing his cousin do it at Grandma's house. Daycare also helped prepare him with positive peer pressure. Of course, he had many accidents, but he was fully potty trained in 3 months: pee, poop, and overnight!

My daughter, however, refused to even try it at 2 years old. She would close the potty lid and say "no" for months when asking her to just sit.  I tried everything: different potties, rewards, cute training underwear, but she wasn't ready and we waited instead of forcing her. Listen to your kid, and start when they're ready.

Get ready! Put a potty, potty basket, and treats in a place your child will want to be. Photo by the author

Preparing for Potty Training

Preparing for potty training is just as important as the actual potty training. It's important to have everything ready, including underwear, a dedicated potty, books, and more. Taking your kids to pick out their own special big kid underwear can help get them excited about potty training.

Training underwear is like a hybrid of underwear and diapers. Buy a lot of them! Your kid will have lots of accidents. This means you'll have to hand wash underwear before throwing them in the wash. Sometimes, if you have extras, it's just easier to throw them out!

Don't forget to remove diapers from every room and diaper bag so your child doesn't ask for them. You can have a "bye-bye diapers" event, where your child helps throw out the diapers, or you can just quietly make them disappear. If you're not sure your child is 100% ready, maybe just hide them for a while...

It's also a great idea to read potty-themed books for a few weeks, and purchase a potty and talk about it so they get used to the idea. (We've got the best potty books for kids listed below if you need some suggestions!)

I also made a "potty basket" for each bathroom that included potty books, pull-ups, training underwear, rewards, and wet wipes. The potty basket was a game changer.

Finally, prepare yourself. Like I said, it's a journey, and it will take a while, so be mentally ready before you begin. Commiserating with friends can help: I send bottles of wine to my friends when they tell me they are starting potty training.

The Munchkin 3-in-1 Potty is a winner that grows with kids! Photo courtesy of Munchkin's Amazon site

Best Potty Training Toilets, Training Seats, and Other Accessories

Your child may have strong opinions on potty paraphernalia! My daughter tried out 7 potties before finding one she would use. I polled every mom I know (and some I don't, thanks Facebook!) and these are the ones that really stood out as working the best!

Munchkin 3-in-1 Potty Seat

This potty is hands down my personal favorite. It's very easy to use and clean. My kids liked it since they could use it without a parent helping. I swear the potty helped with pooping because their legs could push on the floor.

If you have the space to store the BB Fancy Potty Chair with Ladder, it's awesome. Photo courtesy of BB Fancy Store on Amazon

Potty Chair with Step Stool Ladder

I never had this one due to a lack of bathroom space, but I know lots of girl moms swear by it. If you have the room for it, check this one out—the steady stool is important for many reasons.

Munchkin Sturdy Potty Training Seat

Super easy to add to any toilet, and you can use it when traveling. I used this later in potty training for a few weeks for my son and right away for my daughter.

Take potty training with you anywhere with the MCGMITT Portable Potty. Photo courtesy of Amazon

MCGMITT Portable Potty for Kids Traveling

Potty Training on the road! Everyone needs a traveling option. I kept this one in my trunk with pull-ups, wipes, and bags nearby, like a potty station. Also, I have taken when going places where bathrooms are not easy to find or close by.

Frida Baby Fold-and-Go Potty Seat for Toilet

Another on-the-go option that is compact and easy to bring anywhere. This is a good option when hanging out at another house and your kid needs to go.

The Frog Pee gives little boys something to aim at, and is lots of fun. Photo courtesy of the Anyumocz Store on Amazon

Frog Pee Training Urinal for Boys

A fun option for boys to try peeing standing up. My son's friend had this and he asked to go to the bathroom every visit just to use the frog pee!

Disposable Bed Pads

Yes, these are the same ones you use for indoor dog training. These are great for car rides and bedtime training.

Potty Chair Liners

Makes cleaning to-go potties easy! Great to keep in the car with your on-the-go potty.

Potty Training Charts and Other Big Ideas Parents Swear By

The trick with potty training is to keep your kid excited and motivated. Depending on your kid and their passion, some can work better than others, so finding what works for them is key. Rewards definitely help to enforce positive reinforcement and give a little push when needed. It can be simple like praise, stickers, food rewards, etc.

Whatever incentive you use, be prepared to give it immediately. It can't be something that's delayed gratification.

Finally, some methods might work at different points in the potty training journey, so be ready to mix it up!

Potty Training Chart

Hang a plain construction paper in the bathroom and get ready to add stickers to a potty training chart. Let your child pick their favorite stickers out. My son loved getting a little sticker after going to the bathroom and a big sticker for a poop. This was all he needed. My daughter liked accumulating stickers that she could 'trade' for a bigger prize, which she tracked using the paper. Your child may want to proudly wear their sticker to shout to everyone, "I went potty!"

Big Cheers and Claps

Non-tangible rewards are just as effective. In the beginning, praise after every pee or even sitting on the potty can be a great incentive to keep trying. Definitely make a big deal of it when poop happens in a potty!

FaceTiming with Disney Characters

Pull-Ups offers free FaceTiming with Disney Characters. Talk to Rapunzel, Buzz Lightyear, Mickey, and more in a potty-focused video call. If their favorite character is available, this will be a huge hit. It works especially well in week 2, trust me.

Books

Books are key to keeping your child on the potty by reading a story or using an interactive book for them to play with on their own. These are some of the best!

• Potty Time with Elmo
• Daniel Tiger's Potty Time
• Everybody Potties
• Potty Time with Pete the Kitty
• A Potty for Me
• Potty Patrol
• Oh Crap! Potty Training is a potty training book for parents that many swear by.

Older Sibling Hype

Big siblings can be a big help with cheering on potty training. Just saying "Great job!" or "You went on the potty!" means so much to a little sibling. It's a win-win: it not only encourages potty training, but also allows parents to give some attention to older siblings, too.

Food Rewards

This was all my daughter wanted. We picked out candy at a store that was only for potty training. Our rule was 2 pieces for pee and 3 for poop. She is my sweet tooth kid and I knew this would be the motivation that worked for her.

Be aware if you have an older kid, they will ask for something, too! So have treats ready for them.

Short and Long Incentives

Motivation might be reaching for a big prize. Short and long incentives worked well for my daughter. We used the candy for immediate incentives, and then a trip to Target, McDonald's, and having a movie night where she picked the movie were her long incentives. Long term for us was 10 days without an accident.

This was used once she established an understanding of the milestone, but needed encouragement to create an ongoing behavior.

Reward Bin

Load up on small items like crayons, Matchbox cars, and push pops to form a fun box. You can wrap them for a surprise element or allow your child to pick.

Multiple Potty Placement

Potties don't have to be just in the bathroom. The living room or kids' bedrooms are other common places to put extra potties when potty training. Out of sight can be out of mind... Just remember to put a roll of toilet paper alongside each potty.

Setting Timers

Setting timers helped remind both me and my child that they needed to  try to go potty before there was an accident. Use your phone or Alexa to help set those alarms.

The back of the car is a perfect place for potty training. Photo by the author

Tips for Potty Training Boys

Potty training boys can be a little different since they can stand up or sit down! However, I started my son sitting all the time so he was ready for poop if it happened. Once he got sitting down right, then we tried standing, too. My son loved peeing standing, especially outside. If you are stuck, tell your son to pee on your tree or bush, and he will–gleefully! (Yes, this is reductive to say this about all boys, but all boy moms I know or have spoken to have had the same experience!)

For clothes, I recommend light shorts or pants with elastic waists to make it easier to pull down and up. At home, you might want to let kids run around in just training underwear, especially in the beginning.

She pottey-goers adore the portable potty. Photo by the author

Tips for Potty Training Girls

Everyone told me potty training girls is easier. I disagree! I think it depends on the kid. Other parents I know concur. If you have a daughter who likes wearing dresses, these can be easier to wear when potty training. For girls, one of the trickier things to work on is wiping! It can be really challenging to teach (front to back always!) and is crucial when potty training. I found I needed to give more time to my daughter to teach her these skills. I was scared of her getting UTIs so I was in the bathroom with her more frequently, too.

When talking to parents, this is a recurring thing that girl moms mention: shyness at using the potty in public. This can strike kids of either sex, and if you have a shy potty-goer, a great tip is to carry a portable potty with you everywhere and let kids go in the back seat of the car in privacy!

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