I was about to remind Michael to use his walking feet as he tore past me into the washroom when I saw the trail behind him. Pee? Nope. What are those little balls? OMG! Those are little poop nuggets! There before me was a line of little poop balls from the house corner all the way to the bathroom. Let’s just say little Michael must have had corn last night. “Ms. Anna, we’ve got a code brown!” I yelled as I ran to clean up the mess.
Potty Learning is an amazing developmental milestone for toddlers. Some pick it up quickly and seamlessly while others show zero interest in using the toilet. It can be both an exciting and stressful time for ECE’s working in a busy toddler classroom. My story above is just one example of the many hilarious potty learning incidents I’ve had over my 20+ years in the field.
Let me share a few tips and tricks I’ve learned along the way to make your potty learning experiences easier (and cleaner).
First things first. Is the child ready?
I have had countless parents come to me to tell me that their child is ready to start potty training even though I have not seen any signs of readiness at school. Despite this, I give parents the benefit of the doubt. I will typically review the signs of readiness that I look for and wish them good luck on their new adventure:
• Stay dry for longer periods of time (approximately 2 hours)
• Recognize when their diaper becomes wet/soiled
• Use consistent words or gestures to communicate
• Demonstrate an interest in the toilet
• Are able to walk to the potty/toilet and sit on it
• Are able to pull down loose pants themselves
In my classroom, before a child can bring their new-found toileting skills to school, they MUST be able to hold their pee for at least an hour (preferably 2 hours), be able to recognize when they have to go and be able to pull down their own pants.
To make the potty learning experience in the classroom as successful as possible, I use these tried-and-true tricks of the trade:
Bathroom Board
You need a bathroom board to keep track of who has been toileted, how often they’re voiding, etc. Make a legend (ex. a heart = void, a star = BM). We already know consistent toileting schedules are necessary for success and a bathroom board will help show each child's toileting patterns. You can take a picture for parents who want to do potty learning rewards which leads to my next tip.
No Physical Rewards
Absolutely no rewards for going to the bathroom. No stickers, no smarties chocolates and no little toys. Using the bathroom needs have intrinsic motivation for it to be successful. Let’s not start food issues and sticker addictions at this age.
Instead, we celebrate. We celebrate like crazy! And we give positive encouragement for trying. Toddlers love & thrive on positive reinforcement. It is so adorable to hear them congratulate and encourage each other after you’ve modeled that for them which leads me to our potty parties.
Potty Parties!
Potty in partners (or more if you have the toilets and can do it safely). I will often pair a child who does use the washroom with a younger one who is just learning. We will talk about everything the older child is doing. For example, “Oh, Sarah put her pee in the toilet. Well done, Sarah! Now she is using the toilet paper to wipe before she pulls up her panties.” I presently work in a room with 3 toilets so I will bring a few at a time, often with other little ones lining up at the door for their turn even though they are not actively potty learning.
It's Never Too Early!
As soon as my toddlers are coordinated enough & they can safely sit on the toilet, they do. Even if they are months away from being ready to actively start potty learning, they still sit on the toilet to get used to the idea and what that looks like. Trust me, it will help down the road. And of course, if they do not want to or become distressed at the idea, we hold off until they are a little older.
Potty Seats Are Your Friends!
Use potty seats on full-size toilets for toddlers who are just starting. I prefer to use the one piece, no handles, soft potty seats with a high enough guard at the front (ex. Prince Lionheart). You don’t want seams or openings where pee sits and is hard to clean. I do not like the handles because little ones think they can hold onto them and lean forward or sideways---often resulting in a fall. They also need to be comfortable so the child can relax. Have you ever tried voiding on the side of the road hidden by a car door? No, just me? Well, I can tell you it’s hard to empty your bladder when your tense.
Snowsuit Season
For snowsuit season, neighborhood walks, outings, etc. put a diaper OVERTOP of the underwear (make sure they are tucked all the way in). This way the toddler still gets the uncomfortable feeling of wet underwear with less mess. I have used this trick for years and found it to be an acceptable compromise with most parents as they do not want to have to wash a snowsuit each night. If you are like me and your playground is quite a walk from your classroom, this trick really helps.
Naptime
It can be very challenging when parents insist their child can nap without a diaper or pull-up on. In our center we have limited space without carpet and I cannot have a child peeing all over our circle time carpet. If you do not have a clear floor space that can be cleaned easily, ask for a disposable bed mat that you can place either under their sheet or the cot (be sure to check it carefully after each nap to ensure it is still dry).
Potty Learning Underwear
Underwear that catches small accidents is so helpful for little ones that can’t quite get to the toilet fast enough. Request Potty Training Underwear, like UpAiry, so that more pee is caught. The underwear must fit snuggly. If they are too loose, they leak.
Commando? No Problem
Some children do better with no underwear. That shouldn’t be a problem. They must, however, have pants with tight bottoms that fit snuggly around the waist to contain any BM accidents (learned from my opening story).
Accidents Happen
Accidents are a normal part of transferring their potty skills from home to school and we expect them to have a few. When a toileting accident occurs in the classroom, however, it takes one staff off the floor to clean up the child and a second staff off the floor to clean up the mess. This leave ONE staff to supervise 11 other children and is extremely challenging (our ratio in BC, Canada is 1:4 in a toddler room). This is why a child MUST be able to keep their underwear dry with very few accidents BEFORE trying them at school.
Depending on things like your daily schedule, your room layout and your staffing ratio, you may have to implement a ‘3 Accidents Rule.’ If a child has 3 accidents before naptime, they go in a diaper and can try again after nap. This is for the health & safety of the other children, and the sanity of the teachers.
And there you have it, many years of trial and error packed into 10 easy tips and tricks for potty learning in your classroom! Good Luck and Happy Teaching!
Important Note: The most important part to toilet learning success is the PARENT being ready. A parent must be the one to initiate the process. As amazing as you are, you cannot do it on your own in the classroom. It is a joint effort.