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In this Article

• What is potty training?
• Are there cultural differences in potty training?
• How do I know if my child is ready to be potty trained?
• How do I know if I am ready to potty train my child?
• How do I begin potty training my child?
• What products do I need to begin potty training my child?
• How can I encourage my child to use the potty?
• How long will it take to toilet train my child?
• Is there anything I can do to prevent accidents from happening?
• When will my child stop wetting the bed at night?
• My potty-trained child has regressed. What should I do?
• Tips for successful toilet training
• Where can parents find more information about toilet training?
• Potty Training At A Glance
• Potty Training Index

Tips for successful toilet training

1. Keep a positive attitude and let that reflect in your interaction with your child during this process.



2. Keep the child in loose-fitting clothing that is simple to remove.



3. Keep an extra set of clothing (especially pants) in the car at all times. Accidents will happen. Follow the Boy Scout motto: "Be prepared."



4. Teach boys to urinate in a seated position. Many parents will reserve the standing position following successful bowel movements in the toilet.



5. Make bowel movement expulsion an easy task by keeping stools soft by encouraging high-fiber foods and watching for excessive foods that lead to constipation (such as excessive milk/dairy products, large amounts of bananas, large amounts of pasta).



6. If your child looses interest or resists toilet training, stop and drop back to diapers for a few weeks.

Where can parents find more information about toilet training?

Toilet Training: The Brazelton Way by T. Berry Brazelton, MD, and Joshua D. Sparrow, MD

The American Academy of Pediatrics' Guide to Toilet Training (available at http://www.AAP.org)

The Potty Journey: Guide to Toilet Training Children With Special Needs, Including Autism and Related Disorders by Judith A. Coucouvanis

Potty Training At A Glance

• Toilet training is a natural function that requires biological maturation coupled with a child's desire to master controlling urination and bowel movements.
• Cultures have various expectations regarding when to start toilet training and when a child should be expected to be toilet trained.
• Setbacks and accidents are a normal part of the toilet training experience. Punishment should not be used during the process of toilet training.
• Nighttime dryness is not a "willed" behavior, as such a young child cannot be trained to be dry at night.
• A pediatrician should be consulted for children who develop a pattern of resisting bowel movements or the development of daytime wetting or nighttime wetting if he has been continuously dry for more than six months.