Potty Training – Toddler-led toileting

Potty training or as I prefer to call it toddler-led toileting is a journey every parent will have to go on with each of their children.

What is toddler-led toileting?

Learning to use the toilet or a potty is one step in your child’s development. Similar to learning to walk, eat foods (baby-led weaning) or learn to talk. Toddler-led toileting is treating the ‘potty training’ journey in the same way as learning to walk, etc.

Take your child’s lead. Trust the process. Make it fun! Allow for mistakes and setbacks. Be body positive. Normalise going to the toilet. Let them watch you go to the toilet, it’ll help them learn.

Getting started with toddler-led toileting

1. Normalise it
   • 🚽 Everybody wees and poos.
   • 🚽 Let them see you on the toilet.
   • 🚽 Let them flush.
   • 🚽 Point out animal poo.
   • 🚽 Share picture books featuring potties, toilets and poos (get them from your local library or purchase them).
   • 🚽 Let their teddies/toys have a go on the clean (!) potty
   • 🚽 Let them observe and learn
   • 🚽Let them learn through play
2. Observe
   • 🧐 Notice when your child is still.
   • 🧐 Use language to help them understand. “Did you just do a wee/poo?”
   • 🧐 Reassure and affirm, with no pressure. “Your body is working well.”
3. Play
   • 🧸 Buy a potty (if using, you can let them use the toilet straight away if you prefer) & let them play with it.
   • 🧸 Put teddy/doll on potty and pretend.
   • 🧸 Let them sit on it with a nappy on.
   • 🧸 Avoid pressure. They’ll do it in their own time.
4. Be body positive
   • 👍 Use positive language about your own body.
   • 👍 Toileting is a normal bodily function. Talk about it factually. Use factual terms for their body parts such as vulva, vagina, penis, buttocks, bottom, anus etc. Avoid pet names.
   • 👍 Avoid emotional pressure.
   • 👍 Let them feel happy with their body.
   • 👍 Explain that some people use different terms for their bodily functions and discuss common ones for your area/language/culture.

If you feel that you don’t know where to start or would like a chat with someone, I offer one-to-one online toddler-led toileting workshops. Get in touch to book yours!

Here is my top tips crib sheet to get you started! Let me know how you’re getting on!