Children’s health: Tips for successful potty training

Whether you’re potty training your first child or fifth, each time comes with its own set of challenges. The countless resources and advice out there can feel overwhelming, and sometimes even conflicting. As a pediatrician, here are a few recommendations I share with parents to help potty training go as smoothly as possible.

First, follow your child’s lead. Potty training will be extremely difficult and likely unsuccessful if you start when your child is not ready. Signs of readiness can include your child telling you when they go to the bathroom in their diaper and/or wanting to change out of a dirty diaper; an interest in the bathroom, or another child or adult using a toilet; longer time periods between wet diapers; and a desire to practice independence. If these signs aren’t present, waiting a few weeks or months often makes training much easier.

Make sure your bathroom is child friendly. Things like a special seat for a regular-sized toilet, a step stool, or a mini toilet can all make your child feel more comfortable with using the bathroom. An adult-sized toilet can seem very overwhelming, and if your child is focused on holding themselves up on the toilet to avoid falling in, that may slow or derail the entire process.

Build bathroom breaks into their daily routine and set a timer or reminder, if needed. It’s best to bring your child to the toilet when they wake up in the morning, after naps, and before bed. For the rest of the day, aim to take them to the bathroom every 45 minutes.

Adjust the time based on your child’s needs, but the important part is to establish that routine and let them know it’s time to use the bathroom. Keep in mind asking a young child if they need to use the bathroom won’t be particularly successful in the beginning, as they are still learning and understanding the sensation of needing to use the bathroom.

If your child does not make it to the toilet in time, do not make a big deal out of the situation. Accidents are expected. Clean up calmly and try again. With commitment and time, accidents will become much less frequent. Don’t get frustrated or give up. Provide ample praise for effort, not just results. We want to positively reinforce the behavior and encourage them to do it again next time.

Until your child is fully potty trained, do not skip diapers or pull ups overnight. Holding the bladder overnight is not something that can be trained because, at night, our body produces an antidiuretic hormone to reduce urine production. If your child is still urinating in a diaper or pullup overnight, don’t worry. It’s not uncommon for this not to develop until children are closer to 6-7 years old.

Potty training is a developmental milestone, not a race. If you have any concerns regarding bedwetting or are struggling with potty training your child, reach out to their pediatrician for guidance and further suggestions.

• Children's health is a continuing series. This column was provided by Dr. Diamond Brown of Advocate Children’s Hospital.