If Your Toddler is Fighting the Potty… Read This!
Here are the tips most parents aren’t told
1. Don’t start too soon.
If your child isn’t telling you they peed/pooped, taking off their diaper, or asking for the toilet… they’re not ready.
Starting early = more resistance.
2. Fix their position. This is HUGE.
Feet MUST be supported with a stool.
No stool =
❌ fear of falling in
❌ harder to poop
❌ more withholding
Dangling legs don’t work.
3. Stop the rewards.
This backfires more than it helps. When you celebrate “success,” you create shame around accidents. And toddlers don’t process that well… it shows up as tantrums + refusal.
4. Be neutral instead.
“Nice job.”
Move on.
No big reactions = less pressure = more success.
5. Timing matters. A lot.
Do NOT potty train within 3 months of a new sibling.
This is a major emotional shift
Regression is very common
This sets everyone up to struggle.
6. If it’s a battle… stop.
A resistant child is not ready.
Pause. Reset. Try again later.
This is not a race.
7. What parents don’t expect:
Firstborns often take longer (no role model).
Your last child may take longer too (we tend to baby them).
Both are completely normal.
Most important?
Have grace.
They will get there. Every child does.
Potty training should not feel like a power struggle.
