What does your child need for toilet training?

Getting the necessary equipment together is an important part of toilet training.** **Every child’s needs will differ, but the following items are likely to come in handy.

A potty that can be placed progressively closer to the toilet, so that your child knows that is where they need to go when they want to do a wee or a poo. Sometimes if your child is too big for an ordinary potty, you will need an adult-sized camping potty.

Child-friendly books about toileting that you can read together with your child, so that they know all about the process in advance.

Child-friendly toilet seats, which can be placed on the toilet so that your child doesn’t feel in danger of falling in.

A footstool, that also helps your child feel comfortable and secure while sitting on the toilet.

If your child responds to visual clues, pictures and cue-cards that explain the process can be very helpful.

A favourite toy or book that can be placed in the toilet, helping to make toileting fun. The toy can even ‘model’ how to go to wee or poo correctly in the toilet, for your child.

A sticker chart, or other toileting rewards – though experts differ on how effective these may be in the long term. It will be up to you to decide if you think this is an appropriate strategy to use for their child.

Helpful websites:

• Continence New Zealand
• The Children’s Bowel and Bladder Charity
• Toilet training your child - Plunket
• The 4 Most Common Potty Training Methods - Kiwi Families
• Toilet training | Ministry of Health NZ

Meryl Richards

I’m Meryl Richards. What a pleasure it’s been to join the Awhi team. I get to spend my days researching information that supports me as a parent, and sometimes challenges me to rethink what I thought I knew. My hope is that it will be useful to you too. I live in Kapiti with my partner and two teenage boys, and spend as much time as possible in the surrounding bush and at the beach.