Does my toddler need a potty when they’re toilet training?

Date Published: 14/10/2024

As your child starts getting ready to toilet train, it will help to think about what arrangement suits you best. You have choices about training them to use either a potty, or toilet from the start. You may have had some experience training older children and have a preference for training your child with one or the other. You may also prefer to train them with a combination of both.

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But it’s not what I want!

Your toddler may also have their own ideas about what they’d like to use. It’s in the nature of most toddlers to be independent and make their wishes very clear. Younger children in a family can see their older siblings sitting on the toilet and want to copy what they’re doing.

When it comes to toilet training, it will pay to pick your battles and aim for an easy life.

What’s the difference between a potty and a toilet training seat?

A potty is simply a plastic container shaped like a bowl which a child sits on and uses as a toilet. Potties come in a variety of shapes and colours; some are rounder and others squarer but they all essentially work in the same way.

Some products have a ‘2 in 1’ system of a potty with a disposable bag and a toilet seat. The legs fold in when the child is using it as a potty on the floor and the legs fold out when it converts to a toilet seat. These are great for portability and ease of use. Once the child has worked out the basics, they can then graduate to just using a toilet with the (child sized) toilet seat.

A toilet training seat often includes with arms and a cut out in the seat, with a potty or just the toilet bowl underneath. The child sits on the chair, does a wee/poo which is then emptied into the toilet bowl.

What’s a toilet training seat?

A toilet training seat is a small plastic insert which sits under, or over, an actual toilet seat. These can help children to feel more secure when they’re sitting on a standard toilet. Some training seats come with padding, a step stool or ladder, non-slip edges and legs, a kid’s toilet step, a backrest and splash guards.Others include side handles so the child can hold onto something secure when they’re sitting on a big toilet.

Toilet training seats can be bulky and need positioning into place every time the child needs to go. They can also stay in place if this is practical. However, in households where there is only one toilet, or lots of adults needing to use the available toilets, it can be a nuisance to be constantly removing a training seat.

It’s helpful for parents to think about where they will store a toilet training seat when it’s not in place. Many include built-in hooks for hanging.

Although not exactly an attractive bathroom feature, toilet training seats can be very practical and a good option for small people who are transitioning from nappies.

What are the advantages of a potty and trainer seat combination?

Combined potty/toilet seats have been around, in some shape or form for some time. They’re practical and for most children can work very well.

Advantages can include:

  • A smoother transition to toilet training from a potty to a toilet.
  • When used as a potty, it’s child size and closer to the ground. The child’s feet are supported by the floor which can help with bowel and bladder emptying.
  • The child feeling more secure and supported compared with sitting on a toilet.
  • May help for parents who are role modelling what’s involved in using a big toilet.
  • Combination potty and toilet trainer seats come in different styles and colours, making them appeal to small children. This can help to support their toilet training development.
  • Combination toilet seats and potties are readily accessible. The child can easily sit on them and can practice independence in sitting and getting up without an adult’s help.
  • Easy to empty, particularly when they have a plastic bag option.

Disadvantages can include:

  1. If they include step up stairs, these can be bulky and not easy to transport in comparison with a potty.
  2. They tend to take up a lot of room. In bathrooms and toilets where space is a premium, they may not be a practical solution.
  3. The child may feel overwhelmed by the bulk of the chair, as well as the height.
  4. More cost. 

Make your own mind up about what works for you and your child. You’ll find yourself spending a lot of time with either a toilet seat insert, toilet training chair, potty or perhaps a combination of all of them.It will also help to check that whatever you choose is easy to clean.

Written for BabyU by Jane Barry, Midwife and Child Health Nurse, September 2024.