Tips for Parents Successful Potty Training in Group Gare

[Momboss]

I feel like a lot of these parents set their children up for failure…From difficult clothing to unrealistic expectations for the provider.
Tips for parents on successful potty training in group care….
&&&& go!

[Cat Herder]

I had to write a short paper on this for a class, feel free to copy/paste/share.

There's no magic age for being ready to start learning to use the potty. Most toddlers develop the necessary physical and mental skills between 24 and 30 months, while some kids aren't there until closer to age 3 or even 4. Keep an eye out for physical, cognitive, and behavioral signs that your toddler might be ready to give it a try. If your toddler is facing changes such as a new school, a new sibling, or travel, you may want to wait till the seas are calmer before taking the plunge. Once you do start, if you've been trying for several weeks without success, that's a sign your toddler's not ready. Wait a few more weeks - or until you see signs that the time is right - and try again.

Mastering the various steps of potty training can take a long time. Yes, some children will have it nailed in just a few days, but most need weeks or even months, especially when they're working on staying dry at night. Don't push your toddler (or let others push him) to get through potty training faster than he's ready to. Let him take his time and get used to this new, multipart process. He'll move from on stage to the next at his own speed. Of course, it's perfectly all right to try to motivate with gentle reminders and encouragement. If he balks, though, ease up.

It's likely your toddler will have numerous accidents before being completely potty-trained. Don't get angry or punish him. After all, it's only recently that his nervous system has matured enough for him to perceive the sensation of a full bladder or rectum and that his muscles have developed sufficiently to allow him to hold in his urine and stool - and that's if he's on the early end of the developmental spectrum. He'll get the hang of the process in due time. When your toddler has an accident, calmly clean it up and suggest (sweetly) that next time he try using his potty instead. Throughout potty training, your toddler will respond to positive reinforcement but be careful not to go overboard: Too much praise might make him nervous and afraid to fail, which can lead to more accidents and setbacks.

Common Childhood Responses to Potty Pressure
* A child who longs for her parents’ approval may suddenly start to feel embarrassed or ashamed when a bathroom accident occurs. As a result, she may claim to have used the bathroom when she really urinated on the living room floor. She may hide her wet underwear, or even try to clean up the mess before you see it.
* A desire for more attention may cause him to stage an increasing number of accidents just to engage you in conversation or emotional interaction.
* If she feels you have been too controlling about bathroom use—constantly asking her if she needs to go instead of letting her direct her own behavior—she may resist going until it’s too late and she has an accident instead.

[Cat Herder]

I've got a checklist somewhere, too. I will have to add it tomorrow. I am heading out, now.

[Alwaysgreener]

I have the same checklist, however I converted it into a online questionnaire on my website so all I have to do is email or text the link to the parent for them to complete it. I've had parents changed my mind after they read the questionnaire because they realize their child wasn't ready yet.

[flying_babyb]

i would love to see the checklist! I have a almost 4 year old thats not trained yet, Not for his lack of being ready, but because mom dont fallow through (or make him fallow through at home)

[GirlMomma]

I’d love the checklist, please! I have a feeling one of my families is pushing PT on a child that isn’t ready. We’ve been at this since March and he doesn’t know when he has to go. He’s 3.

[Cat Herder]

Sure. I hope the formatting works. I wrote it on word, then converted it to adobe. I had to copy/paste to get it here.

[Cat Herder]

Toilet (Potty) Training Checklist

Is your child ready to be Potty Trained? Check those that apply to your child.

_____ Follows simple directions.

_____ Remains dry for at least 2 hours at a time during the day.

_____ Dry after nap time.

_____ Regular and predictable bowel movements.(some may have bowel movements every day and some may have them less frequently)

_____ Walks to and from the bathroom, pulls down own pants and pulls them up again

_____ Seems uncomfortable with soiled or wet diapers

_____ Seems interested in the toilet.

_____ Has asked to wear grown-up underwear.


If the child has most of the skills marked, you can assume the child is ready to start potty training. Potty training may best be accomplished by starting at home first and then at child care.

If the child does not have most of the skills marked then wait a few weeks or months and refer to the checklist again.

Toilet training is much easier if the child is truly ready to master this skill;

To try to be consistent in the Potty training process, please share with us some information about your child’s and family’s preferences in this process:


1. What words or gestures does your family use for:

Body parts? __________________________ Urine? ___________ Bowel movements? ______________________

2. What strategies have been tried at home? (Example: reading books, aiming at Cheerios, trying on big kid underwear, sitting on potty, etc.)

__________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ ____________________

__________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ ____________________

__________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ ____________________

3. Does you child have a special need or circumstance that needs to be taken into consideration?

__________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ ____________________

__________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ ____________________

__________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ ____________________


The following are some helpful hints in Potty training your child.


• A calm easygoing approach works best.

• Toilet training involves many steps (discussing, undressing, going, wiping, dressing, flushing, hand washing) reinforce the child’s success at each step.

• Help children recognize when they are urinating or have a bowel movement. They must be aware of what they are doing before they can do anything about it.

• Children should be shown how to use the toilet by watching other children who are trained or discussing each step and practicing each step with out actually using the toilet. (Example: have child sit on toilet dressed, flushing toilet).

• Included toilet training into the daily routine such as reading books, songs and games that reinforce the skills needed to toilet train.

• Dress children in easy to remove clothing to help children be successful in undressing and dressing.

• When a child is giving the signs of having to use the toilet or tells you they have to use the toilet, take the child in and help undress them and on to the toilet. Sit by the child for a few minutes. Try not to push for immediate results. After a few minutes, help the child with the rest of the routine and give praise for the effort or any successes they had.

• Try to encourage going to the potty after meals or snacks. This is time they may actually need to go.

• Never force a child to sit on the toilet against their will or for long periods of time if they do not want to. This could set up a power struggle and negative feeling toward the toilet training.

• Never punish for accidents. Occasional accidents are normal. Clean and change the child immediately. Be positive and reassuring that they will be successful. Punishment does not make the process go faster and may delay it.


Potty Training is a big skill to learn. Be patient. Let the child decide when he/she is ready. If you do, the child will most likely be trained in a very short period of time. However, nighttime dryness may take an additional six months to a year. Set backs are common and should be expected. This does not necessarily mean failure. The child may be taking a temporary step back to a more comfortable place, which helps support later progress.

[Cat Herder]

I print off two copies. One for them to keep and one for them to fill out and return to their file. The lines for writing did not transfer well. I guess you could just delete them and leave a blank space to write in to make it easier to format on your program when using copy/paste?

[HrdoFlrz]

Even when I undressed, my Dark Blue Stripe Boxer Briefs Underwear was still on! I then peed inside the fly of my Dark Blue Stripe Underwear that all my pee came out of my Dark Blue Stripe Underwear!

[GirlMomma]

Thank you CH, I plan to copy this and print for them.

[Cat Herder]

You are very welcome.

[Blackcat31]

Here's my toilet training section of my handbook

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B8_...5am8ykZFIzvdog

[Gemma]

I only give tips to parents if asked, but I have it in my contract that I will begin toilet training only when a child shows both physical readiness, and most of all the will to participate.

IMHO Potty training should be supported by parents and caregivers, but ultimately the responsibility to "stay dry" should be left to the child