Are you looking for signs of ‘readiness’ so you can potty train? Did you know there are over 40 different skills involved in potty training and you can help your child to learn every single one!? If you want your child to be ready for potty training, here is what you need to do.

don’t wait for readiness

Disposable nappy companies are quite happy to sell you their product as long as possible, so they will tell you to ‘wait for signs of readiness’ from your child before starting potty training. This is a marketing campaign and is designed only to make more money for them. Sadly, this message is so powerful in our culture that you may have bought into it, literally. The truth is, readiness is a myth and your child was born ready to learn thousands of skills, including those to do with potty training. You can look instead for what they are capable of so far but these signs of being capable don’t just magically appear overnight. You influence their development by teaching your child, just like you did when they learn to walk, eat, talk etc. If you do nothing, waiting for this mythical readiness, your child may never be ‘ready’ to ditch nappies.

teach body awareness

Knowing what the body is doing and how to interpret its signals is a key part of being able to stop using nappies and instead get wee and poo in the potty independently. Without knowing how to understand the message their body is giving them, your child will not know when to get to the potty. Result: accidents and frustration! Sadly, disposable nappies don’t help when it comes to body awareness as they are designed to immediately feel dry, thus preventing your child from learning this connection to what their body is doing. You can help your child learn to associate a wet nappy with their body producing wee by using our clever nappy liners and make sure to change their nappy promptly when they are wet or soiled.

Teach before you stop using nappies

This is really crucial. You do not need to wait until your child stops using nappies before you can start teaching them! For example, they can learn where wee and poo go, how to communicate around toileting and they can learn how to use a potty some of the time, alongside using nappies.  Building skills before you stop using nappies means the transition is another step, not a giant leap into the unknown. Your child expects you to teach them lots of things, so don’t leave it until you want to stop using nappies before you begin helping your child develop these skills.

Build independence skills

As soon as your child can stand up, do their nappy changes standing up and have your child help with the process. Flush poo down the toilet to teach where it goes, and have your child help with this too. Have them put on their own nappy and take it off when they need changing. Help your child learn how to wash their hands and wipe with toilet paper. Teach them how to sit on the potty or toilet as soon as you can (you can even start from birth!) and help them to become familiar with the sequence involved (recognise body signal, respond to body signal).

If all this seems logical to you you are going to love our FREE potty training series. Suitable from birth, this series will help you teach your child all the skills they need to become independent from nappies in a gradual, gentle way as you go along. 

Learn how to potty train the gentle way:

We have two options for you. A FREE potty training course that provides a clear, effective potty training plan and all the tools you need to support your child to stop using nappies.
Find out more or enroll here

Then we have our Incredible Advanced Potty Training Course. This provides you with:
– a clear, effective potty training plan for day and night time
– PLUS all the tools to tailor it to your child’s unique capabilities and temperament
– how to motivate your child
– how to handle accidents
– how to handle outings
– how to work in partnership with your childcare provider.

It includes a 23 page workbook, a comprehensive troubleshooting section, and the Little Bunny Bear supply list and exclusive discount codes. This unique course is child-led and research-evidence based, rooted in the science of child development.
Find out more or enroll here.