During the first few weeks of toilet training, let your toddler sit on the seat or chair fully clothed while you tell him/her about the toilet, what it's for, and when to use it.

Introducing the Toilet or Potty Is An Important Step

If your toddler sits on the seat or potty willingly, that's great. You should have him/her try it with his/her diaper off. If using a toilet seat, make sure to check if his/her bottom is comfortably resting on the seat. Also check the toilet seat lid; if improperly installed, some lids can fall back on your toddler.

If using a potty chair, show your toddler how to keep his/her feet on the floor. This is important because it gives the toddler some stability while s/he is having a bowel movement.

Establish a routine, gradually increasing bathroom visits from once to several times each day.

When your toddler is comfortable with this routine, try changing his diaper while s/he is seated, and actually drop the contents of the dirty diaper into the toilet or pot under her/him to let him know that this is the chair's real purpose.

Toddlers who grasp how this process work become more interested in using the toilet or potty properly. You can speed up this process by letting her/him play near the toilet or potty without a diaper and remind her/him to use the bathroom when s/he has to. Fogetting and making mistakes are bound to happen at first, but don't worry. When s/he does success, offer some type of reward. Show excitement and give praise, too.

If your toodler is using the toilet or potty regularly, you can now switch over from diapers to training pants during the day. If your toddler is using a potty, now is the time to transition to the toilet. If your toddler is a boy, this is also a good time to start him urinating directly into the toilet now. His father or an older brother can show him how.

Nightime Toilet Training Will Take Longer

Like most toddlers, yours probably will take a little longer to complete naptime and nighttime toilet training. Even so, these steps should be encouraged along with daytime training, and stressed even more after s/he is routinely using the potty.

For naptime and nighttime toilet training, the best approach is to encourage your toddler to use the toilet or potty immediately before going to bed and as soon as s/he wakes up. Using training pants rather than diapers at nap time and bedtime may help. There will be a few accidents, but a mattress protector will minimize the cleanup.

Don't forget to reassure your toddler that all children have these accidents, and praise her/him whenever s/he makes it through the nap or night without wetting. Tell your todler that if s/he wakes up in the middle of the night and needs to use the toilet, s/he can either go by himself or call for you for help.

Remember that your goal is to make this entire process as positive, natural and nonthreatening as possible so your toddler is not afraid to make the effort on her/his own. If naptime or nighttime wetting is still a consistent problem one year after daytime training is complete, discuss the situation with your pediatrician.