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Potty training

Potty training is never a simple process. Your child has to adapt to controlling her bowel and bladder movements rather than just letting them go into a nappy. So what should you expect and how can you help your child to adjust successfully?

Bowel training and bladder training

It’s usually a lot easier for a child to learn to control her bowel than her bladder, mainly because bowel movements happen less frequently during the day, and because they involve more physical effort.

Your toddler may express great pride in having successfully produced a stool in her potty, and instead of expressing any disgust you should share in the delight. Accidents can happen during the potty training process, but it should all be complete within a couple of weeks.

Bladder training will be a much longer and slower process than bowel training, because children urinate so many times during the day. Expect accidents and be ready to clean them up. Never get angry, or your child will start to associate going to the toilet with stress and problems.

The potty training process

• Maintain a sense of humour and a positive attitude to encourage your child to do her best.
• Introduce the potty, and encourage your child to sit on it without a nappy on.
• Make sure that your child's feet rest firmly on the floor or a stool to give her enough purchase to achieve a bowel movement.
• If you’re worried about your child falling into the toilet, use a special toilet insert which fits neatly into the adult toilet seat. You can get portable versions of these – handy for when you’re away from home.
• Help your child learn how to talk about using the bathroom in simple, correct language and terms. Let your child see you and other family members using the toilet.
• Help your child to become familiar with the physical signals that mean they need the toilet, and stop whatever she’s doing to use the toilet.
• Teach a girl to wipe carefully from front to back to prevent bringing germs from the rectum to the vagina or bladder.
• Make sure both boys and girls learn to wash their hands after using the toilet.
• Once your child is using the toilet avoid dressing her in overalls, belts, leotards or other items that could hinder quick undressing.

Night time control

By the age of three or four most children have mastered bladder control during the day, but control at night may take months or even years to master. Keep plenty of disposable training pants available to prevent too much bed-wetting.

When to worry about accidents

If your child has lots of accidents, it can become a problem, especially with other children who may start teasing and name-calling. Sometimes wetting problems indicate an underlying physical condition, such as a urinary tract infection or an overactive bladder, for which quick treatment can help your child become accident-free. If you're concerned about your child's accidents, contact your doctor.