

The idea is to make sitting on the potty part of everyday life for your child.Įncourage your child to sit on the potty after meals, because digesting food often leads to an urge to do a poo. If that's upstairs, keep another potty downstairs so your child can reach the potty easily wherever they are. You could see if your child is happy to sit on the potty for a moment, just to get used to it, when you're changing their nappy, especially when you're getting them dressed for the day or ready for bed at night. Using your child's toys to show what the potty is for can also help. It helps to let your child see you using the toilet and explain what you're doing. If you've got an older child, your younger child may see them using it, which will be a great help. Leave a potty where your child can see it and explain what it's for. Helping you flush the toilet and wash their hands is also a good idea. If you always change their nappy in the bathroom when you're at home, they will learn that's the place where people go to the loo. Talk about your child's nappy changes as you do them, so they understand wee and poo and what a wet nappy means.

Using a potty will be new to your child, so get them used to the idea gradually. They also need to be able to sit on the potty and get up from it when they’re done, and follow your instructions. If you start earlier, be prepared for a lot of accidents as your child learns. Potty training is usually fastest if your child is at the last stage before you start the training.


Although most learn this between the ages of 3 and 5, up to 1 in 5 children aged 5 sometimes wet the bed. It usually takes a little longer for children to learn to stay dry throughout the night. by age 4, most children are reliably dry during the day.by age 3, 9 out of 10 children are dry most days – even then, all children have the odd accident, especially when they're excited, upset or absorbed in something else.by age 2, some children will be dry during the day, but this is still quite early.by age 1, most babies have stopped doing poos at night.Every child is different, so it's best not to compare your child with others.īear in mind that most children can control their bowels before their bladder. Being patient with them will help them get it right, even if you sometimes feel frustrated.Ĭhildren are able to control their bladder and bowels when they're physically ready and when they want to be dry and clean. It's best to take it slowly and go at your child's pace. Using a potty is a new skill for your child to learn.
