Your child may be physically prepared to toilet train when they can : (1) identify that they are soiled, (2) stay dry for a longer period of time, (3) communicate that they need to use the toilet to “go pee” or “go poop”,(4) have some interest in the toilet, (5) sit on the toilet and (6) robe and disrobe to use the toilet.

Pay attention to when your child has a wet or dirty diaper. Keep a list of when your child urinates and has bowel movements. You are looking for the pattern to when your child needs to use the toilet. Use the words that correspond with the situation, “You went pee pee in your diaper.” “Did you poop in your diaper?” Using these terms will help your child associate and tell you when they have to use the toilet.

Watch for longer dry spells between diaper changes. Is your child dry when they wake up in the morning. Can they control their bladder (when they can hold enough fluid in). This also allows you to plan a practice time. My son would have to pee as soon as he woke up. My daughter would have a bowel movement as soon as she ate breakfast. Paying attention to their body rhythms helped me also to time the practice attempts, making more successful experiences, which encouraged her to go even more

Can your child show you where the potty or toilet is when asked? Does he or she show an interest in using the toilet or ask questions about toileting? This is a good time to let your child go through the motions on his/her own potty chair.

Let your child see you, your spouse, or siblings use the toilet so that he or she can begin to understand the process and even ask questions. Learning by modeling can help make toilet training much easier. You could even begin using your PottieStickers now to demonstrate what they can earn if they do what you did.

Changing diapers as soon as they are wet or dirty is important because it keeps children from becoming comfortable with being soiled. Cloth diapers allow them to feel when they have gone potty and feel uncomfortable and encourage them sooner to do something about it. Studies have proven that toilet training can be completed up to a year faster by using cloth diapers.

If possible, change the child’s diapers in the bathroom and even consider flushing the discards in front of your child so that he or she begins to put the two together.

Does your child begins to exhibit an interest in pleasing you. This can be a good time to introduce the potty chair or toilet. When a child feels safe and happy they feel good about themselves. PottieStickers helped inspire my children to want to learn toilet training.

Take notice when your child begins having bowel movements on a fairly consistent basis. This indicates a strengthening of the muscles that control the bowels. This indicates your child's sphincter muscles (the muscles primarily involved with bodily waste elimination) are strengthening and beginning to control bowel flow. Your child's sphincter muscles mature by the latest of 20 to 24 months of age. Many children’s sphincter muscles mature as early as 12 months with 18 months being the average age at which a baby can be potty trained reasonably well.

Recognize your child's desire to do things independently as a vital cue for training readiness.
Determine if your child has the coordination skills necessary for independent toileting. Can your child pull his/her pants up and down independently? Wear clothing on your child to allow them the ability to pull down their pants.

Withholding stools? If your child is withholding stools it could be because they are afraid or experienced a painful bowel movement. Add more fresh fruits, vegetables and juices to his or her diet. My daughter would pee in the toilet but pooped in her pants. We had to use a stool softener for her. Consult your pediatrician before using any medicines

Try Toilet Training Aids. In addition to using PottieStickers as a motivational tool, consider using other aids in conjunction. There are a host of great books and videos that you can use in between toilet time. But don’t forget to celebrate success. That’s where PottieStickers can be of help. Motivational aids like ours can make the process less stressful and more fun. We kept a magazine rack by the potty seat full of their favorite books to look at while they sat and practiced going potty.

Messy is OK. Toilet training can get messy and it’s important not to let that fact make the process more frustrating. Be prepared that your child will have accidents and that’s ok. Keep lots of extra cleaning items and fresh diapers or clothes available. You want the child to become uncomfortable with being soiled but not be embarrassed at the natural process of becoming independent. Accidents happen. Hugs and kisses make it all better.

Switch to training pants. I started my daughter using the thick cloth underwear training pants. We used plastic pants over top of them. This way she was not wearing diapers and felt like a big girl. Once your child can use the toilet at least 50% of the time, try using training pants during the day and if need be you can still use a diaper at night until your child wakes up dry several days in a row.

Learning a new skill can be tough. It’s key to remember that toilet training is not an easy thing to learn. Making it as much fun as possible will help ease the strain of learning a new skill. Take your PottieStickers into the bathroom with you and everwhere you go. Be consistent in toilet training. Take PottieStickers to day care, to grandma’s house, shopping, day trips, vacation, take PottieStickers every where you go.

What do you want your child to accomplish? There are several steps to using the toilet and it’s helpful to think of them in segments. As your child progresses, you will be able to identify which segments he or she is doing well with and which ones need more work. The steps to toilet use success include:

Recognizing the need to use the toilet Pulling pants and underwear down
Sitting on the toilet to have a bowel movement or standing to pee for boys
Using the correct amount of toilet paper
Wiping clean from front to back
Disposing of toilet paper and flushing
Getting redressed
Washing hands well