How to Start Potty Training: Over the Holidays

A practical, positive guide for parents ready to begin their potty training journey.

Many parents find that the holiday period is the perfect time to begin potty training. With fewer commitments, more time at home, and a calmer daily routine, it’s a great opportunity to help your child take this exciting step towards independence.

If you’re wondering how to start potty training, what signs to look for, or how to build a routine that feels positive and stress-free, this guide walks you through everything you need to know.

Why Start Potty Training Over the Holidays?

The holidays give families something valuable: time and consistency.

You’re home more, routines are more relaxed, and you can focus fully on helping your child learn without the usual school runs or nursery drop-offs.

Here’s why the holiday break is such a popular time to begin:

• You can follow your child’s cues throughout the day.
• Accidents feel less overwhelming when you’re not rushing out the door.
• You can set up your home environment to support learning.
• You can practise regularly without breaks in routine.

If you’ve been waiting for the “right moment,” this window of calm might be exactly it.

 

Step 1: Look for Signs of Readiness

Before diving into how to start potty training, the key is understanding whether your child is ready.

All children develop at their own pace, but most show signs sometime between 18 months and 3 years.

Here are common readiness cues:

Physical Signs

• Staying dry for 1–2 hours at a time
• Predictable bowel movements
• Ability to walk, sit, and stand confidently
• Becoming aware of bodily sensations (passing wind, needing a wee, etc.)

Behavioural Signs

• Showing interest in the bathroom
• Imitating older siblings or adults
• Telling you after they’ve done a wee or poo
• Hiding to do a poo (a surprisingly common sign!)

Emotional Signs 

• Wanting more independence
• Being comfortable following simple instructions
• Being willing to try the potty
• Showing pride in being “grown-up”

If you’re noticing a few of these signs, the holidays may be the ideal time to begin.

Step 2: Set Up Your Environment for Success

When thinking about how to start potty training, your environment matters more than you might expect. Making things child-friendly and pressure-free helps build confidence.

What You’ll Need

• A child potty or a toilet seat insert
• Easy-to-remove clothing (no dungarees or buttons!)
• Plenty of spare underwear
• A waterproof mattress protector
• Rewards like stickers or praise charts (optional)

Make the potty visible

Put the potty somewhere your child spends time, living room, playroom, or bathroom. Seeing it often helps normalise it.

Keep wipes, spare clothes, and cleaning supplies nearby

Accidents are part of the journey. Being prepared keeps everything feeling calm.

 

Step 3: Create a Simple, Predictable Routine

Routines help children feel secure, and they’re a huge part of how to start potty training successfully.

During the holidays, you can establish a consistent pattern that becomes second nature.

A good starter routine might include:

• Sitting on the potty first thing in the morning
• Offering the potty every 30–60 minutes
• Sitting after meals (when digestion triggers the need to poo)
• Using the potty before naps and bedtime

Keep each sit to just a minute or two, if nothing happens, praise the effort and try again later.

Step 4: Keep It Positive and Pressure-Free

Potty training works best when it’s fun, encouraging, and free of pressure. Your child needs to feel safe and relaxed.

Use positive language

Swap “accident” for:

• “Oops, let’s try again!”
• “Well done for telling me, you’re learning!”

Celebrate successes

Praise is powerful. You might try:

• High-fives
• Stickers
• Verbal praise (“You did it! I’m so proud of you!”)
• Little rewards (not sweets)

Stay calm during accidents

Accidents are part of learning, not a setback. Responding calmly helps your child stay confident.

 

Step 5: Avoid Pull-Ups and Stay Consistent With Pants

One of the most important parts of learning how to start potty training is staying consistent. That means once you decide it’s time to begin, it’s best to move straight into cotton underwear rather than using pull-up nappy pants.

Pull-ups feel just like nappies (because they are nappies), so children often treat them the same way. They wick moisture away and keep your child feeling dry, which can delay awareness and make learning much slower.

Why avoid pull-up nappy pants?

• They don’t give the same sensation of wetness, so children don’t recognise they’ve had an accident
• They can blur the message between “big-kid pants” and “nappies”
• They make it harder for children to connect the feeling of needing a wee with going to the potty
• They can lead to confusion, especially if used some days but not others

Be careful not to swap between nappies and pants

Switching back and forth between nappies and pants during potty training (for example, pants at home but nappies when going out) can send very mixed signals. Children learn best when the message is clear: “We use the potty now.”

Consistency builds confidence. It also reduces frustration, because your child knows what’s expected wherever they are, at home, out and about, or at nursery.

So what should you do instead?

• Once you start, commit to pants during the day
• Have lots of spares ready
• Expect plenty of normal learning accidents (and celebrate the progress!)
• Save nappies just for naps or bedtime if needed

Children absolutely can learn quickly when expectations stay the same. With firm but gentle consistency, you’ll see their confidence grow.

 

Step 6: Teach Through Play and Modelling

Children learn best by copying, so modelling is a big part of how to start potty training.

Here are simple ways to teach through experience:

• Let your child see you (or a sibling) going to the bathroom to use the toilet.
• Use dolls or toys to act out potty time.
• Read potty training books together.

These activities help your child understand what’s expected, long before they sit on the potty.

 

 

Step 7: Use Fluids and Mealtimes to Your Advantage

Timing is a big part of potty training success.

• Offer water regularly so your child has natural opportunities to practise.
• After meals, digestion triggers movement in the intestines, making this a great time to offer the potty.
• Use warm baths to relax your child (many children wee right after!).

The holidays give you the opportunity to observe patterns and build a rhythm around them.

 

What About Naps and Bedtime?

Most children start daytime training first. Night-time dryness usually comes later, sometimes months (or years) after daytime success, and that’s completely normal.

To support night-time training eventually:

• Limit drinks near bedtime
• Offer the potty before sleep
• Use mattress protectors for peace of mind
• Reassure your child that wet nights are okay

Focus on daytime first, one step at a time.

 

Step 8: Be Ready for Out-and-About Training

When you’re confident at home, try short outings. Holiday outings are ideal for this because you’re relaxed and not on a schedule.

Tips for going out:

• Bring spare clothes and wipes
• Pack a travel potty
• Stop by a toilet before leaving home
• Give gentle reminders while you’re out

Small successes build big confidence.

 

Step 9: Stay Consistent (Even After Setbacks)

Regression is normal, illness, tiredness, or excitement can cause temporary slips.

What matters is staying patient and keeping consistency. If your child seems overwhelmed, you can pause for a few days and return when things feel calmer.

Remember: potty training is a process, not a race.

 

When to Talk to Nursery

Once your child has started making progress at home, let us know! We’ll follow the same routines, give the same prompts, and celebrate successes with you.

Consistency between home and nursery makes potty training easier and more successful.

 

A Gentle Reminder for Parents

Learning how to start potty training is a big milestone, for you and your child. Whether it takes a few days or a few weeks, what matters most is keeping it positive, calm, and encouraging.

Use the extra time at home this holiday season to follow your child’s lead, build a simple routine, and celebrate each achievement. Your little one will get there and we’re right here cheering you both on.