Potty training tips

Honestly best thing we did was stay home the first 3 days 😭

Do you have any outside space you could use?

Toilet Training experience and tips

Week 0

1. Start reading potty training books and let your child explore their potty.


2. Show them their new training undies while reading the books. Also show them dad’s undies and explain that adults wear undies and they will too.
I did this for 3 days.

Week 1(Start this when you have a few days at home and aren’t going out, to avoid stress for everyone.)

1. Kids in nappies do their business anywhere, so it’s important they first learn to pee and poo in one spot. Every time I went to the toilet, I took Gab with me and had him sit on his potty with a nappy on.

Because young kids can’t sit for long, the first goal isn’t getting them to pee—it’s helping them sit longer.

My mother-in-law told me that potties used to come with trays. So I made one by using a $20 booster seat from Kmart, cutting a hole, and fitting his potty seat and removable tub into it.

The tray helps them sit longer. I used it for only a few days to a week, as it’s important children learn to listen to their bodies without too many distractions.

On the tray, I put toys, small treats, or breakfast. He would sit for about 10 minutes.

2. On day 3, I started removing his nappy while he sat on the potty and let him experience getting wet while doing a wee.

3. Water, water, and more water. Encourage lots of drinking—if they don’t drink, they won’t pee.

4. As they wee, describe what’s happening:
“You’re doing a wee. Wee comes out of your penis/vagina. Great job—wee goes in the potty.”

5. Day 4: Start using training undies (I bought 10 because there will be accidents). You can also leave them without bottoms.
Do not use pull-ups—they absorb quickly and prevent children from feeling wet, which is important for learning.

6. Days 4–5: Take your child to the potty every 45 minutes. Read a short book while they sit. If nothing happens, say: “No wee this time, maybe next time.”

7. Learn their signs: looking down, pausing play, or hiding (often for poo).

8. There are 3 stages of body awareness:

First: They tell you after they’ve already gone. Still take them to the potty.

Second: They tell you while they’re going—you may catch the end in the potty.

Third: They tell you before they go (this is the goal).

9. At the start, keep the potty in the living room where they play. They can’t hold it long or walk far yet. Remove rugs to avoid extra cleaning.

10. Days 4–6: Expect accidents. Stay calm—don’t show frustration. Just say: “Wee goes in the potty,” clean up, and move on.

11. Stay home as much as possible during the first week to build consistency.

12. Use rewards:

I used stickers (dinosaurs, cars, Aussie animals).

Each wee = 1 small sticker

Each poo = 2 big 3D stickers

Lots of praise and high-fives

Stickers naturally faded around week 5.

Week 2

1. Accidents reduced as he started telling me “wee wee” more often.

2. He still did poos in his undies (this lasted about 3 weeks). He also started withholding poo a bit, which is normal.
I stayed calm, cleaned up, and showed him the toilet: “Bye bye poo poo,” then flushed.

3. Encourage potty use before and after meals.

Week 3

1. Keep reading potty books while sitting for poo.

2. Always respond when they say they need the potty—even if it’s nothing. This builds trust in their body awareness.

3. He could feel a bowel movement but didn’t understand it yet. He would sit briefly, say “no,” then later poo in his undies.

4. He started waking up and saying “chi chi” (wee). I would quickly take off his nappy and put him on the toilet.

5. Some defiance is normal. We had about 2 days of resistance, so I gently encouraged sitting (“Let’s try a little wee”).

6. When going out (e.g. music class, swimming), I:

Took him to the potty before putting on a pull-up

Took him again on arrival

Reminded him after accidents: “Wee goes in the potty”

7. I started taking a portable potty everywhere. I lined it with an old nappy for easy cleanup.

8. Gradually moved the potty:
living room → kitchen → hallway → outside the bathroom (by week 4)