Top questions about potty learning, answered

Teaching your child to use the potty doesn’t always go as planned 🙃 Sometimes it takes a while to get your toddler to try it or you hit a snag after initial success. Whether you are just getting started or have already experienced a setback, keep reading for answers to some frequently asked toileting questions. Looking for even more support? The Lovevery Potty Learning Course Pack includes research-backed expert guidance for a positive, child-led process. 

My child seems totally uninterested in the potty. I’ve introduced the idea in a few ways—and now they get upset at even a mention of it. I don’t want this to become a power struggle. What can I do?

In a word—pause ❤️

Toileting can be influenced by adults, but ultimately, your child needs to be developmentally and emotionally ready. Take a break from the potty for now and revisit it in a few weeks. Right now, it’s important to keep the pressure off. You may find the process goes more smoothly. 

Here’s what you can do in the meantime to support your child’s potty learning:

Try stand-up diaper changes. Do this in the bathroom to help your child associate pee and poop with using the potty. If it’s a wet diaper, you can ask your child to throw it out in the trash. If it’s a poopy diaper, put the poop in the potty and invite them to flush. Then wash hands as part of the routine. 

Keep a small potty in the bathroom. This way, your child can explore or sit on it whenever they’re interested. 

Make the potty a fun place to be. Invite your child to pick out some books or even small toys to put in a basket next to their potty. Some of the books can be about using the potty, but not all have to be.Periodically switch up the books and toys to keep them interesting. 

Show them how you do it. If you’re comfortable, invite your child into the bathroom with you to watch the process. You might ask if they want to flush for you and wash your hands together. 

Plant the seed during pretend play. Try using an empty tissue box to make a pretend “potty,” then invite your child to help their favorite stuffed animal or doll sit on it. If your child isn’t interested or wants to do something else, follow their lead and introduce the idea again another time. 

My toddler will pee in the potty but seems really afraid to poop. How can I help?

Physiologically, your child will have bowel control before they have bladder control. Still, it’s common for some children to consistently pee in the potty while preferring to poop in a diaper. They may be fearful of things like the sound of flushing or even worry that they’re losing a part of themselves when they poop. Children who feel pressured to poop in the potty may also exert their own power and control by refusing.

Whatever your child’s reason, you can help them learn by continuing to explore pooping in the potty in a low-key way.

Acknowledge poopy diapers or misses in a neutral way. For example, you could say, “Oh! You pooped in your diaper. Let’s flush the poop down the toilet and wash our hands.”

Read books about pooping. Books like “Ready to Go: Poop”—available in The Realist Play Kit Book Bundle or available as an add-on with the Lovevery Potty Learning Course Pack—can help normalize the potty process. 

Visit the potty on your child’s schedule. Try to notice when your child is most likely to poop during the day and coordinate visits to the potty around those times.

My child was using the potty regularly—no problem. Now they’re suddenly resistant and having a lot of accidents. Why is this happening?

It’s common for toddlers to lose interest in using the potty, even after showing initial enthusiasm and success. Potty learning isn’t linear—many children have ups and downs in the process. Disruptions to the family routine, being sick, or feeling pressure can all lead to a regression. Fortunately, these regressions are often short-lived.

What to do when your child experiences a potty regression

Lower the pressure. Sometimes the potty becomes less interesting after the novelty and excitement wear off. Your child may just need more gentle time and practice before they’re ready. Returning to low-key potty exploration—known in our Potty Learning Course Pack as the “Playful Preparation” phase—can help you both feel less stressed and prevent a power struggle.  

Take potty misses in stride. When your child does have a miss, approach it matter of factly. Work together to change their clothes and clean up, including putting soiled clothes in the wash. This can help your child notice and feel the wetness and discomfort of a miss without feeling shame or embarrassment. 

Be patient through routine disruptions. Changes in your 2-year-old’s life—like the birth of a new sibling, starting a new daycare, learning a new motor skill, or dropping a nap—can lead to potty learning hiccups. Once things get back to normal, it will be easier for your child to focus on using the potty again. 

Consider returning to diapers. If your child is having a lot of “misses” or emotions about using the potty, you may want to give them a break. It’s okay to return to diapers for a little while until they seem more open to it and any negative feelings have faded. 

The Potty Learning Course Pack

Whether you’re about to start potty learning or already trying, this Course Pack has the proven paths you need, plus tools to help your child tap into their intrinsic motivation and take the lead.

Learn more

The Play Kits

The Play Kits by Lovevery are thoroughly tested, baby safe, eco-friendly and Montessori inspired. Give your child the best start with our stage-based play toy subscription boxes.

Learn more

Book Bundles for The Play Kits

Having the right books at the right time makes all the difference during your child’s early years. Enjoy even more stage-based books—featuring real stories and families—when you add our Book Bundles to your Play Kits Subscription.

Learn more