Guidance on Toilet Training

Children tend to learn in their own time and cannot be made to use a potty or toilet before they are ready to do so. It is best to give it a try when you feel ready and there is a quiet time at home. The process of toilet training can be achieved quite quickly if your child is ready. Persevering with toilet training is not the best way. I cannot stress enough the significance of getting the timing right to save yourself and your child a lot of unnecessary anguish. Regardless of how diligent you may be in your efforts you cannot make toilet training happen without your child having reached this stage in their development. This is not relative to age and it does not mean your child is in any way ‘behind’ others or friends of a similar age who may be toilet trained; or that you are failing in some way, if your child simply doesn’t want to know about the toilet.

If you have made no progress after 7 to 10 days I would recommend going back to nappies and try again in a couple of month’s time rather than continue. Please be aware children can easily become stressed with toilet training and when this happens it is simply not going to work. Please also do not put your child under pressure with rewards and punishments. At the Green Door Nursery we are pleased to help with toilet training although please note we reserve the right to request a return to nappies/pull up where we feel it is detrimental to the welfare of the child to continue. This is also needed for hygiene purposes where we put other children at risk of contact with urine and faeces either directly or indirectly from soiled nursery furniture and items when accidents occur. We are unable to limit this risk as children are given freedom to move around the nursery area as they choose. There are also meal times and eating areas to consider.

Children need to be toilet trained at home - and mostly dry for a period of two weeks- before coming to the nursery without a nappy. Progress will be reviewed with you after one week.

Please make sure your child has loose, elasticated waist or similar unfussy clothing which is easy to pull up and down when using the toilet. They will often be in a hurry when they need to go. We will offer the toilet or potty at regular intervals and encourage them appropriately. It is important to understand that sometimes children can be dry at home but when in a different environment they simply forget or are unsure about using the toilet. If a child has an accident at the nursery we will put a nappy on but still continue to offer the toilet throughout the day. We will use our judgement with this as there is a difference between a child who makes no effort to get to the toilet and soils and a child who simply has not made it in time.

Sometimes children take longer to use the toilet for bowel movements. In these cases children need to come to the nursery in a nappy or pull up and we will continue to offer the toilet throughout the day. Your Health Visitor will be able to give you more information and advice about the process of toilet training for your child.