We will work in partnership with parents and carers when they wish to start potty/toilet training with their child. Each child is different and can not be rushed/hurried into potty/toilet training before they are ready.

The NHS state that using a potty is a new skill for your child to  to learn. It’s best to take it slowly and go at your child’s pace. Being patient with them will help them get it right, even if you sometimes feel frustrated.

Children are able to control their bladder and bowels when they’re physically ready and when they want to be dry and clean. Every child is different, so it’s best not to compare your child with others.

Bear in mind that most children can control their bowels before their bladder.

  • by age 1, most babies have stopped doing poos at night
  • by age 2, some children will be dry during the day, but this is still quite early
  • by age 3, 9 out of 10 children are dry most days – even then, all children have the odd accident, especially when they’re excited, upset or absorbed in something else
  • by age 4, most children are reliably dry during the day

It usually takes a little longer for children to learn to stay dry throughout the night.

Many children will show strong signs that they are ready for potty training before the age of 3 years old. The bladder capacity increases significantly between the ages of 2 and 3 years, so that by the time they are 3 most children are able to hold on and stay dry for longer periods of time. Though some may be slightly earlier and some take longer, each child is individual.

Signs your child may be ready for potty/toilet training:

You can try to work out when your child is ready. There are a number of signs that your child is starting to develop bladder control:

  • they know when they’ve got a wet or dirty nappy
  • they get to know when they’re weeing and may tell you they’re doing it
  • the gap between wetting is at least an hour (if it’s less, potty training may fail, and at the very least will be extremely hard work for you)
  • they show they need to wee by fidgeting or going somewhere quiet or hidden
  • they know when they need to wee and may say so in advance

Potty training is usually fastest if your child is at the last stage before you start the training. If you start earlier, be prepared for a lot of accidents as your child learns.

They also need to be able to sit on the potty and get up from it when they’re done, and follow your instructions.

 What we require from you to assist in your child’s potty/toilet training journey:

  • When you believe your child is ready to be potty trained, you are required to start the process at home for at least a week.
  • We recommend putting your child in normal pants.
  • Please put your child in clothes that are easy to change and avoid tights and clothes with zips or lots of buttons.
  • During potty training in normal pants, it would be good practice to supply at least 4-5 extra full changes of clothing, to include socks (if wearing them).
  • Please provide plenty of spare pants.
  • Soiled clothes will be returned in a plastic bag at the end of the day.
  • Please continue to supply nappies (to wear at nap times and in the pushchair-once your child has a better grasp of potty training we will use the nappies less and less at these times)

What potty/toilet training looks like at Blossoming Buddies:

  • At Blossoming Buddies we will start off by putting your child on the potty at regular times of the day. Encouraging them to use the potty to wee will help build their confidence for when they are ready to use it to poo.
  •   We will also look for signs your child needs the toilet and take them/encourage them to use the toilet/potty. We will take your child to the potty/toilet if they ask.
  • We will not make a fuss when they have an accident so they will not feel anxious and worried, and are more likely to be successful the next time. 
  • Once we have been through all the spare pants (within reason) and are on the second from last change of clothes we will put your child back into a nappy for the reminder of the day. We will however continue to potty/toilet train your child.
  • If we see a regression in the child’s toilet training we will discuss with the parents an action plan that we feel is suitable for the child and the setting as a whole, bearing in mind hygiene and the safety of all children (i.e slipping/playing in another child’s wee)

Please note:

A very common occurrence when potty training children is although they will learn to urinate in the potty they may become hesitant to make a bowel movement. Instead of thinking about it as a problem, though, it is better to consider it to be a normal part of potty training.

Your child may insist on using a nappy to poo, if this is not facilitated then they may try to avoid pooing. Withholding the stools can lead to constipation. To avoid constipation it is best to allow you child to have the nappy on just to do their poo, and work on gradually changing this behaviour.

At Blossoming Buddies if we feel a child is constipated, we will allow them to wear a nappy to poo.

For more information and support please visit: Potty training: how to start & best age to potty train – ERIC www.eric.org.uk/potty-training/