• Take them shopping with you for some pants and ask them to help choose a potty

• Have a potty in the bathroom, near the toilet so that your toddler is familiar with it and will start to show an interest in sitting on it

• Talk to your toddler about what you are going to do and let them observe you using the toilet and talk them through what you do

• Buy a book with a story about potty training in it to start getting them used to the idea

• If you are going to use a training seat on the toilet, make sure you also have a step stool to help them get on to the toilet.  This is also helpful for access to the sink for that all important hand washing as well.

• There is no right time to potty train just when you think your child is ready (usually somewhere between two and three but all children are different so some will be earlier than this and some later).  The best thing to do is to look out for the signs that your little one is becoming ready and then give it a go. These can be:

• Regular soft formed poos during the day

• Dry periods during the day of one or two hours or a dry nappy after a nap – this means that your toddler’s bladder muscles are developed enough to store it

• Pulling pants up and down with minimal help

• Showing an interest when you go to the bathroom

• Showing an interest in using the potty

• Showing signs of discomfort when nappy is wet or dirty

• Showing awareness of having a wee or poo

• Starting to tell you that of a need to go to the toilet before actually going

Getting your little one to sit on the potty after a wet or dirty nappy can help to reinforce where this needs to go.  Training pants can often help as they can feel the wetness and they can be pulled up and down like grown up pants.

Keep the potty close by so it is always available.  Once your little one starts using it, you may not get much notice before she needs to go!  It can be easier to potty train during the summer months when your little one is wearing less clothes (which means less washing!)

Accidents will happen so don’t worry, just clean up any mess calmly and without any fuss.  If you are getting a lot of accidents or if your little one doesn’t seem interested in the potty at all, then they might not be quite ready so don’t worry, go back into nappies and give it a few weeks before trying again.

Whether at home or venturing out you can avoid the puddles by using our fabulous training pants,designed to absorb one toddler-sized wee. If you are going out in the car or stroller, our car seat protector can help to give you peace of mind. Its fast wicking fleece insert makes light work of soaking up any unexpected accidents to keep the seat dry even when your toddler’s bottom isn’t!