Play potty while training a stuffed animal or doll. Use your child’s future underwear on the animal. Because the underwear is big, it will be easier for your child to teach pulling pants down and up.

Pretend to be the animal’s mommy. Feed the animal, make it run to the potty, pull pants down, sit, maybe read a book to it, praise it for trying/accomplishing, wipe, pull pants up, flush and wash hands. Take turns letting your child be the mommy and take the animal to potty Repeat the process to help your child get all the steps memorized.


When traveling, take a small potty in the car. We would line it with a plastic bag and we could stop anywhere on the road to let our child go. (Remove the plastic bag, tie it up, drop it in a roadside trash, and line the potty again for next time.) Be sure your bags are sealed.

Make frequent trips to the bathroom. You can't force your child to urinate or produce a bowel movement. Schedule these sittings close to times your child usually has a bowel movement or urination, such as just after a meal, snack or nap.

Know when it's time to stop. Don't expect performance at first. If your child can't urinate or produce a bowel movement after 2 to 4 minutes, it's time to try later. If your child protests strongly when you suggest s/he return to the potty, don't insist. Such resistance may mean that it is not the right time to start training.

Let your child learn from you and others. Children are often interested in their family's bathroom activities. Seeing family members and trusted friends use the toilet makes children want to do the same.

Relocate the potty if necessary. At first, keep the potty chair in the room your child usually plays in. Easy access will greatly increase the chance that he or she will use it. Consider owning two potty chairs, one for the playroom and one for the bathroom.

Respect your child's feelings and privacy. Potty training focuses on the most personal and private parts of your child's body so proceed in a dignified respectful manner. Some children need privacy and will not go if anyone is looking or is in the bathroom with them. Respect this.

Expect some fooling around. Expect some fooling around by toddlers. For example, when they go through the phase of saying "no" to everything, their "no" does not always really mean "no." In short, if you ask your toddler if s/he needs to go potty and are met with a resounding "no," this response may sometimes have little to do with your question. This is all part of learning to read your child and becoming familiar with all forms of communication.

Just ask. Sometimes misconceptions or fears stand in the way of successful toilet training. You may try just asking your child why s/he won't use the toilet. One parent did this and found out that her son was intimidated by the process and didn't know how to proceed.

Turn on the faucet. Some parents find it helpful in early training to try turning on the water faucet in the bathroom as a stimulus to urinate. Hey, if it works for adults it will work for kids.

Try the "warm water" trick. Once the child is sitting on the potty, fill a large bowl or small bucket with lukewarm or tepid water. Place some new "potty" toys in the bowl and set the bowl of water in front of the child. When the child places his/her hands in the lukewarm water to play with the toys, they may nearly instantly go.

Place targets in the toilet. This tip works best for older boys. Many parents put objects in the toilet so boys have something to aim for. This challenge taps into their natural interest in hitting targets. Inexpensive and biodegradable targets include Cheerios, Fruit Loops, and squares of toilet paper with drawn-on "bulls-eyes." Some parents have been known to use glitter or sprinkles. One even pours a little bubble bath in the toilet and tells her child to make bubbles.

Sing a song. Singing a song for your child will help you pass the time and keep them interested in staying in the bathroom.

Keep a record. Keep a log of daytime urination and bowel movements. It will help you identify your child's elimination pattern. If visiting your pediatrician, show this record to her/him.

Keep it simple. Whether your child goes to the potty or not, praise her with a simple "good for you." Try showing affection by giving them a big hug.

Congratulate your child for staying dry. It's helpful to check his/her pants every hour or so and let him/her know how great it is that s/he's stayed dry. Some parents have even created elaborate song and dance routines to let their child know how pleased they are.

Accentuate the positive. Be positive. Pour on the praise. Parents should recognize and applaud all the things that kids do right during the potty training process, instead of focusing on things children forget to do or haven't done perfectly. For example, if children wash their hands, but forget to flush, parents should congratulate them on their nice, clean hands.

Offer rewards. Tailor the reward system to fit children's needs and personalities. Try giving your toddler a prize, such as a bright sticker or a tasty treat, each time your child successfully uses the potty. You can apply the sticker to the child's arm or stick it on the potty itself. When the child collects a certain number of stickers, you could give them a surprise. Some parents promise trips to the toy store or even the amusement park. Be careful not to give rewards for each potty use or your child might expect them. If you are unsure about what will work as an incentive, ask your child what s/he would like as a reward. Gradually phase out the rewards as your child's visits to the bathroom become routine. Keep in mind that rewards don't always work.