Potty training — how it works

Off to the potty — tips for a clean start

Even if it's difficult — allow your child to become dry at their own pace. Here are a few tips on how to approach the potty topic without stress:

Introduce the potty early:

Maybe a colorful training potty is available for playing in the child's room, maybe in the bathroom next to the toilet — if your child is familiar with the potty as an "everyday object", they will be more willing to use it later.

Strengthen body awareness:

Respond when your child tells you: "I peed!" That way they learn to pay more and more attention to their own bodily needs and to recognize in advance that they need to go.

Practice being diaper-free:

Even though it carries some risk — let your child play without a diaper for a while. The diaper habitually suggests to many children that they can just "let it go".

Watch for signs:

Many children start fidgeting or shifting their feet when they need to go. Watch for such signals and suggest a trip to the potty — over time your child will learn to recognize these signs themselves.

Don't force it:

Some children find it unusual to pee, and especially to poo, while sitting. Sometimes it takes time to adjust: Don't let your child sit on the potty endlessly until they have peed — that only puts them under pressure and takes the fun out of learning.

Doing it together works better:

Some children miss the undivided attention and physical contact they used to get on the changing table when they're on the potty. Maybe you can reward the trip to the potty at first with an extra cuddle to make the transition easier.

Accidents are normal:

No child becomes diaper-free instantly. Expect the occasional wet pair of pants and don't make a drama out of it if something goes wrong. Not even when your child insists they don't need to — sometimes children simply don't recognize their body's signals that well yet.

Dry nights — this can take some time

In general, children need some time after becoming toilet-trained to stay dry through the night. Bladder control is still not sufficiently developed. If your child is reliably dry during the day, you should try leaving the diaper off at night as a test. For the transition period, an absorbent mattress protector is practical; these are available in various sizes for children's beds. It is entirely possible that children at four or five years old still do not stay dry through the night. So don't drive yourself crazy about it — sooner or later diapers will be a thing of the past.