How to Do Potty Training the Montessori Way

How to Do Potty Training the Montessori Way

You might have seen my recent post about How to Get Started with Montessori at Home last month. Today I’m focussing on a Montessori topic again and this time it’s all about how to do potty training the Montessori way.

From a Montessori point of view, there is no training involved – instead the idea is about supporting your child when he or she is ready. The right time varies between children. It’s a physical readiness when a child has reached the point in neurological development that lets them control their bladder and bowels but also a desire to want to be more grown up and not use nappies anymore.

It’s not something that you can force at a time that suits you and it’s important to be patient and gentle with this process (even though it can feel frustrating for parents!). I remember potty training my eldest and it failing many times but then when she was ready, it was a breeze and didn’t take long at all.

When you are wondering whether it’s time to start introducing the potty, look out for signs of readiness – a curiosity about the toilet, wanting to wear pants, noticing that they’re holding wees and then doing a big wee instead of lots of little ones, being aware of needing a wee or a poo. If your child is in reusable nappies, you’ll most likely notice any big wees (flooding) and your child will be more aware of wetness in their nappies which can help with the process.

When you thin that your little one is ready to start using the potty, support their interest by showing them how it’s all done. Get them some pants to use (potty training pants can be a sanity saver as they help catch accidents) and show them how to pull them down and then sit down on the potty or toilet seat (toddler toilet seats can make it easier for small children to sit on the toilet independently). If they do a wee or a poo, teach them how to use toilet paper or a cloth wipe to wipe, how to pull their pants back up, then show them how to flush the toilet and wash their hands thoroughly.

A step stool is a great way to make hand-washing easier for toddlers. If you have a bath with a tap that’s within reach, you can also make this a hand-washing station for your child. We do this with my toddler as even with a step stool, our taps are too far in for her to reach the water.

A big part of Montessori is to support your child’s independence by preparing the home to help make it easy for your child to do age-appropriate things themselves. If you set up your home to support independence, this will help with supporting your child in how to learn to use the potty or toilet. Keep everything that your child might need close to hand in a place where they know to find them. Things like spare pants, cloth wipes, toilet roll and some old rags or towels to use to help clean up any accidents. Teach them what to do in case of an accident so that they can feel confident in the process.

Learn more about Montessori in the brilliant book How To Raise An Amazing Child the Montessori Way from DK Books and come back for more Montessori content soon.

The book weas kindly gifted to me by DK Books.