Toddler Toilet Training:
What You Need

Toddler toilet training or toddler potty training means that you will need to get a little bit of equipment. There is quite a lot of extra equipment which you could choose to get - non-essential but the extras could make the learning and process easier for everyone.

Before you start toddler toilet training invest in a few potty training books for children, picture books are perfect and read them at story time. Read them for fun rather than in a "teaching" style - children always like fun and like to share a laugh with their parents.

Disapproving feelings of "this is what you should be doing" will not help your toddler learn new skills. More likely, he will feel negative about himself and about the whole idea of potty training which of course no one wants. Keep the storytelling light-hearted and fun.

You can buy lovely potty training dolls and if you have a training doll your toddler can then teach the doll how to use the potty and this in turn will help your toddler teach himself or herself. This is great if you toddler loves dolls - ours loved rabbits, and often it was the cuddly rabbit sitting on the potty!

Dolls are quite varied. The best doll we could find drank from a bottle and the liquid was stored internally and then when you squeeze their tummy and they would do a wee. It comes with a potty, bottle,disposable diaper,pacifier (or dummy) and removable clothes - you can even get different outfits for the dolls!

Or you could have a talking monkey who suggests going to the potty together and comes with other goodies: potty training book for your toddler and a book for you too full of tips and advice. Toddler toilet training is a whole project in itself!

There are lots of potties available - from basic plastic potties to literally potty thrones! It really is true - even potty training can be great fun for your toddler and irresistable to the parent who just loves cute things. Whichever you choose have a few potties - at least one upstairs and one downstairs. It needs to be sturdy with a stable base that won't tip over and check for size - some potties are very small and have narrow seats.

If your toddler isn't interested in using the potty but just wants to use the toilet like you then that is fine. You will need a potty seat that simply fits on top of the normal toilet seat. Ideally you need to get one with a footstool (making a bowel movement easier) or a seperate step stool. You can find toilet seats which are plain, patterened or padded. It needs to fit securely - falling down the loo might give your toddler a horrible shock!

Depending on your choice, you'll need pull-ups and then toddler training pants. We'll discuss these separately as there's so many to choose from. Keep the nappies for now so that your toddler can wear them if he wants to.

Potty training videos and DVDs are available which you and your toddler can watch together. It's helpful for your toddler to see how other children use the potty and you'll pick up some tips too.

Make it easy for your child and easy for you.

As with both things you don't need everything - you could afterall just use your toilet and in the good old fashioned days children learnt to use the toilet without potty training videos,fancy potties, books and dolls but often modern gadgets and toys make the job easier.

And they definitely makes toddler toilet training more fun - which is always a bonus!