Potty training time!

You're ready begin the toilet training process, but is your child ready? Fortunately, these few simple tips from Cook Children's pediatric experts can help your child get comfortable using the toilet.

Getting started

Knowing when to start potty training can be hard, but watching your child’s clues is a good place to begin. Here are some toilet training tips to help:

• Your child will start staying dry in their diaper for more than two hours at a time and pulling at or taking off wet diapers.
• They will also be able to follow simple instructions and start showing interest in using the toilet. Typically, these signs start appearing around age two.
• Not all kids are ready at the same age, so it's important to watch your child for signs of readiness, such as stopping an activity for a few seconds or grabbing their diaper.

3 tips for success

When your child shows signs of being ready to use the toilet, Cook Children's pediatricians recommend clearing your family's schedule over a weekend and staying home to focus on potty training. These tips can help:

1. Let your child use a small, standalone potty chair at first instead of the toilet. This type of potty is easy for them to sit on.
2. Allow your child to go bare from the waist down during the first days of potty training so they (and you) can recognize right away when they start to use the bathroom.
3. Regularly remind your toddler to use the bathroom and set a routine.

Training takes time

Teaching a toddler to use the potty isn't an overnight task. It often takes between 3 and 6 months, but can take more time or less time for some children. If you start too soon, the process tends to take longer. And it can take months to even years to master staying dry at night.

More resources

• When are kids ready to toilet train? | Cook Children's
• Soiling (Encopresis) | Cook Children's
• Bedwetting in Children (Enuresis) | Cook Children's