Potty Training

We are so excited to assist you and your child with this important milestone! Potty training is a big step, and as a team, we are here to support your efforts at home and answer any questions you may have along the way. Our goal is to make this experience as positive, fun, and successful as possible for your child while they’re in our care.

Please keep us updated on your child’s progress at home, and let us know about any tricks, techniques, or preferences you would like us to use. Consistency is key, and we want to make sure we are all working together to support your child.

What to Pack:

Plenty of extra underwear, pants/shorts, and socks
An extra pair of shoes (Crocs are a great option!)
All items should be clearly labeled

We take children to the potty frequently, but accidents are completely normal and expected. We believe it’s important that children never feel ashamed when accidents happen, and being able to change into their own comfortable clothes helps ease that transition.

Potty Training Guidelines

Your Child Should Be Actively Potty Training at Home with Success

1

We consider a child ready for potty training at school when they:

Have extended periods of dry or clean diapers
Can stay dry for at least one hour between potty breaks
Communicate when they need to go potty and/or when they are wet or soiled
Understand the concept of going potty, not just going by chance when placed on the toilet

2

Emotional Readiness is Key

Your child should feel comfortable and excited about using the potty. If your child shows fear or hesitation, let's discuss this before we begin the process at school. We want to ensure a stress-free and encouraging experience.

We Will Follow Your Lead, Within Reason

3

We value your input and will do our best to support your potty training methods, as long as they are manageable within our group setting:

We are not able to take children to the potty every 15 minutes due to classroom responsibilities
Children should be able to go at least an hour between potty breaks and gradually extend that time
We will not keep children on the potty for more than a few minutes at a time
If you use a reward system, we'll do our best to support it, as long as it is not distracting to the other children

4

Some Children Just Aren't Ready Yet, and That's Okay

If we find that a child is consistently having accidents or doesn't yet grasp the concept of using the potty, we may recommend taking a break or trying again later. We will always communicate openly with you and work together to do what's best for your child and the classroom.

Accidents Will Happen

5

Potty training is a process, and accidents are completely normal, especially in a group environment where children are more distracted. Even with a consistent routine, expect accidents in the beginning.

Please send in lots of extra clothing (pants, underwear, socks, shoes)
We typically use a diaper or pull-up at nap time until a child regularly wakes up dry
We do our best to launder soiled clothes, but sometimes we may need to send them home if time does not allow

Diapers, Pull-Ups, or Underwear?

Pull-ups can be a helpful tool for some families, but in a busy group setting, they can often cause confusion and delay true progress. Many children view pull-ups as “big kid underwear,” which can take away the excitement and motivation of transitioning to real underwear.

Our recommendation:

Stay in diapers until your child is ready, then switch straight to underwear
If you prefer using pull-ups, please use the type that open and close at the sides for easier changes
Pull-ups or diapers are typically used during nap time until children consistently wake up dry