Tips and Tricks for Toilet Training from Parents

What Works for Other Mums and Dads?

1. Let your child flush the toilet after weeing (even from the potty). My daughter thinks it's the best thing; it's her special job.
2. Stay positive and let your child set the pace, it's quicker in the long run. Don t worry about what other kids are doing.
3. Get dad and older siblings actively involved to keep an eye out for tell tale needing to go signs.
4. Don t stress and go with the flow! It will happen when your child is ready!
5. It must be done calmly with fun and smiles so they see it as a totally positive experience accidents must be no big deal.
6. Kids Love to copy, so let them watch you use the toilet or even better other kids their age.
7. To dress your child in pants that are quick and easy to pull up and down eg. pants with elastic waists NO overalls, belt buckles etc!
8. Don t lose heart! All mums and tots get through it in the end. A bit of yummy bribery never goes astray either!
9. Be patient, it will happen naturally and enjoy all the stages they won t be young forever!
10. Be patient. A good story on the potty or toilet can also help.
11. Set up a toy potty next to the real potty for a dolly to use while your child goes for extra encouragement.
12. Buy special stickers and an ABC chart. Every time they use the toilet let them put a sticker on the chart. A surprise at Z. It works well.
13. Relax and take it one accident at a time
14. To keep my daughter occupied while sitting on the potty I let her blow bubbles and she sits there until she has gone.
15. RELAX! This is an exciting (though possibly a little gross) time in your and baby's world, it is a fun landmark not a battle.
16. Lightening McQueen loves to race to the toilet it motivates my son to go to check if his trophies are still there.
17. Just remember that for that 5 minute period where they go potty, make poop seem like the most fantastic thing on earth!
18. Let your child take his/her favourite toy or dolly and sit them on a pretend potty (eg. icecream container) whilst they are on theirs.
19. I use my kitchen timer to help me remember to try my toddler for a wee on the potty regularly as he is still learning.
20. Best to have a flexible outlook, lots of patience and most of all heaps of humour!
21. I bought a book Potty time with Elmo and read it to my son every day and he loves it."
22. My first, last and all the tips in between are the same. Lots and lots of patience. One day it will just happen.

For more information see Toilet Training or How to Start Toilet Training.