How do you know your child is ready to go to the toilet?
Our mums started toilet training their kids at different times. Some wanted to train them as quickly as possible and started when they were ready themselves or believed their kids needed to be able to. Others waited for their kids to show real ready signs. Some had kids that asked to go to the toilet one day. A few tried the toileting from early age. No matter when they started, our mums seem to have been most successful toilet training when their kids were ready. The following are signs of readiness for toilet training that our mums used to pick the right time:

• Solid poos – When they do solid poos, they might be ready to toilet train.
• Telling you – If they can tell you when they need to go or have done something, they might be able to signal the need to go to the toilet before it is too late.
• Hiding – When they go hide somewhere to poo, it is clear sign that they know what is happening. It is possible to get them to go to the toilet instead.
• Routine – When they poo at a certain time in the day, it is a great prediction that will help you prevent dirty accidents from happening.
• Interest – Showing interest in others’ using the toilet is a clear sign that they are ready to start their training.
• Dry nappies – Having dry nappies for a long time, is a clear sign that they are able to hold wees for a long time, which is a great skill to have when starting toilet training.
• Dirty nappies – When they want to be changed with a dirty nappy, it is a clear sign that they do not like the feeling of the wet/dirty nappy. That might be enough to have them go to the toilet.
• Follow directions – It helps when they can follow basic directions. It will make it easier for them to understand what you expect of them and to do as you have asked.
• Ability to change – it is helpful when they can pull their pants down and pull them up again, so they are able to get themselves to the toilet when they need to go.
• Ability to sit on toilet – it helps when they can sit down and get up from the toilet/potty themselves when they need to go.
  Not all these signs need to be there, but the more you can identify in your child, the more likely you will have an easy toilet training journey.

When you find your child to be ready for toilet training, how to start? There are many tips and advice available and many different ways to proceed. Our mums shared how they did it and what worked for them. When they encountered issues with toilet training, they asked each other for advice, this is what they shared:

• Set up – prepare your house for toilet training
  • Training seat – Buy a toilet training seat: a family seat, a step-up seat, step or potty.
  • Location – Potty in the lounge room/in the car and toilet seat/step in the bathroom
  • Running water – Have some running water in the background might help
• Train ready –enable them to toilet train
  • Clothing – Let them wear easy to remove clothes
    • Go nude for a couple of days at home until it clicks
    • Put undies on after a day or two
  • Underwear – Use pull ups as (sleep) underwear or regular underwear.
  • Self-help skills – Train self-help skills: pulling down and pulling up pants.
• Stimulate – stimulate them to go to the toilet
  • Toilet time – let them go to the toilet at certain moments in the day
    • Certain time of day – Offer sitting on the toilet when you change nappies or at a certain time of day: after dinner/before bath
    • Routine – Start with putting on the toilet before bath, then move into when they get up in the morning and before bed, each nappy change, etc
    • Natural breaks – Encourage toilet time after running around, long playing, before sitting down to eat.
    • After food and drink – Get them to the toilet 45/60 min after food and drink. It takes about this long to go through their system. Use a timer to not forget.
    • Announce – Do not ask but say ‘toilet time’
  • Regular intervals – Going every 15-30 min, increase the time in between as they are able to control themselves until they just go when they need to. Use a timer to not forget.

• Keep them on – Read a story while they are sitting on the potty or put the potty in front of TV [link to great shows] so they sit longer.
• Remind them – keep asking if they want to go as you progress
• Awareness – Talk about the toilet a lot and explain that they can stop playing/eating and come back to it. When they are 2.5 yrs they will understand this better.
• Incentive system – make it appealing for them to go to the toilet by offering an incentive
  • Money – Give them one coin each time they do a wee or poo in the toilet. Put the coin in their piggy bank. It encourages them to go to the toilet more.
  • Chocolate – Chocolate or M&Ms as a reward [link to products]
  • Stickers – A sticker chart might give them a great incentive to use the toilet.
  • Praise – Give them lots of praise when they do something on the toilet or potty.

• Issues – it might not all happen at once; give them time to adapt. Let them go at their own pace and do not be afraid to take a break if it is not working and try again in a few weeks. If they lose interest, let it be for a week or two. Many kids will sit on the toilet frequently for some time but do nothing. That is ok! Do not push them; it might turn them off completely. Daycares are often quite supportive and can continue the toilet training for you. Do not push for poos; they will come naturally after some time. Check out the next section about poo issues, if this is resonating with you.
• Attitude – Keep it light and happy even after numerous accidents. When they are ready it is easy to toilet train.

They are dry during the day and then? Apparently, it is a biological, hormonal, development thing whether they are able to wake to go to the toilet at night or will wet their beds. Most of our mums agree that is works best to wait for their night nappies to stay dry, but others bit the bullet and did this:

• Undies – Go straight to undies when you think they are ready. Go to toilet right before bed and let them call out if they need to go at night. Double layer bed with mattress protectors/sheets in case of an accident.
• Routines – Implement some of the routine things like bathroom before bed and first thing in the morning.
• Restrict liquids – Not too much to drink after dinner and toilet right before bed.
• Dry nappies – Wait till they are day toilet trained and have been dry for 7 days/nights in a row. You do not have to restrict liquids.
• Kid Led – Kids are able to tell you when they are ready.

We hope you will have an awesome toilet training journey! Hang in there, not many kids still wet their beds when they are adults, so that time will come. Use our tips here to make it easier and take it at your own pace. Good luck!