Toilet Training Your Toddler in Grand Rapids, MI

Learning to use the toilet is a big milestone for toddlers and their families. In Grand Rapids, where families juggle busy schedules, long winters, and active outdoor summers, a calm, flexible approach to toilet training can make the process much easier for everyone.

Most children are not ready to start toilet training until around age 2, when they can recognize and respond to body signals like a full bladder. Some toddlers in Grand Rapids will “get it” quickly; others need more time, patience, and support.

Starting too early can frustrate you and upset your child, simply because their body and brain are not ready yet. Daytime toilet training usually comes before staying dry at night, and night-time dryness can take several more years to develop.

If you have concerns at any point, you can talk with your child’s doctor at Spectrum Health, Trinity Health Grand Rapids, Metro Health, or Mercy Health, or contact the Kent County Health Department or Grand Rapids Public Health for guidance.

Toilet Training Takes Time

Keep a Relaxed Attitude

Toilet training is a process, not a test of your parenting. Some days will go smoothly; other days will be full of accidents. That’s completely normal.

Treat toilet training as a skill your child is learning, not as a discipline issue. If you punish or scold for accidents, your child can become anxious or resistant, which often delays progress.

Toileting Is Not a Reflection of Your Parenting

How quickly your toddler learns to use the toilet is not a measure of how “good” a parent you are. Children in Grand Rapids, just like everywhere else, develop at different speeds. Cold Michigan winters, new siblings, illness, or changes in childcare can all affect how quickly they learn.

Stay calm, offer reassurance, and remember that almost all children learn this skill in their own time.

When Is Your Child Ready for Toilet Training?

Most children are ready somewhere between 18 months and 3 years of age. Instead of focusing on age alone, look for signs that your child is physically and emotionally ready:

  • Dry for longer periods
    Their diaper or pull-up stays dry for at least 2 hours or is dry after a nap. This shows they can store urine in the bladder.

  • Curious about the toilet
    Your child wants to watch parents or older siblings use the toilet. Although it may feel awkward, this modeling is very helpful.

  • Disliking diapers
    They try to take off a wet or soiled diaper or tell you they don’t like wearing them, especially after a bowel movement.

  • Awareness of peeing or pooping
    They:

    • Tell you when they are peeing or pooping, or
    • Tell you right after they go, or
    • Even better, tell you before it happens.
      If they can tell you ahead of time, they are likely ready to start training.

  • Can sit still briefly
    They can sit in one position for 2–5 minutes.

In Grand Rapids, many parents find it easier to start toilet training during milder seasons like late spring or early fall, when kids wear fewer layers and it’s easier to manage clothing.

Potty vs. Toilet: What’s Best for Your Family?

You can teach your child to use a potty, the regular toilet, or both. Consider:

Reasons to Choose a Potty

  • Some children are afraid of falling into the toilet.
  • A potty can be used in any room of the house.
  • It can be taken on car trips or to grandparents’ homes around the Grand Rapids area.
  • Sitting low to the ground can feel more secure.

However, a child who only uses a potty may be hesitant to use toilets in public places like malls, restaurants, or at John Ball Zoo or Frederik Meijer Gardens, which can make outings harder unless you bring the potty along.

Reasons to Use the Toilet

If your child uses the regular toilet, you may need:

  • A sturdy step stool so they can climb up safely and feel supported.
  • A smaller training seat that fits securely inside the existing toilet seat.

Some parents in Grand Rapids encourage their child to use both potty and toilet, which can make it easier when you’re out and about.

Preparing Your Toddler for Toilet Training

A little preparation can make the start of toilet training much smoother.

Choose Your Words

Use simple, consistent words your family is comfortable with, such as:

  • “pee,” “wee,” “tinkle”
  • “poo,” “poop,” “bowel movement”
  • “potty,” “toilet,” “bathroom”

Consistency helps your child understand what you mean, whether they’re at home, daycare, or visiting friends in the Grand Rapids area.

Talk About the Toilet

  • Let your curious toddler come into the bathroom with you (if you’re comfortable with that).
  • Briefly explain what you’re doing:
    “Mommy is going pee in the toilet,” or “Daddy is flushing the toilet now.”
  • Tell them that when they use the toilet or potty, they won’t need diapers anymore.
    For some toddlers who are tired of diapers, this is powerful motivation.

Introduce the Potty or Toilet

If you plan to use a potty:

  • Encourage your child to sit on the potty (clothed at first if they’re nervous) whenever you sit on the toilet.
  • Make it part of your routine: after meals, before bath, before bed.
  • Explain the steps in simple language, for example:
    “When you need to go pee or poop, come and tell me, and I’ll help you.”

If you plan to use the toilet:

  • Let them practice climbing up on the step stool and sitting on the small seat.
  • Teach them how to sit safely and how to hold on.

Starting Daytime Toilet Training

When your child is showing readiness signs, you can begin more formal training.

Switch to Underwear During the Day

  • Stop using diapers during waking hours and put your child in underpants or training pants.
  • Continue using a diaper or pull-up for naps and nighttime at first.
  • Choose clothing that’s easy to pull up and down, like:
    • Pants with elastic waistbands
    • Avoid overalls, tight leggings, or clothes with lots of buttons and zippers

In warmer months in Grand Rapids, some parents let their toddler go bare-bottomed at home, which can make it easier for the child to get to the potty quickly and for you to notice their signals.

Offer Gentle Reminders

  • Ask regularly: “Do you need to use the potty?” or “Do you need to go pee?”
  • Common times to try:
    • After waking up
    • After meals and snacks
    • Before going outside
    • Before car rides
    • Before bath and bedtime

Avoid making your child sit on the potty or toilet for long periods, as it can feel like punishment and create negative feelings around toileting.

Helping With Wiping and Hygiene

Wiping

  • You will need to help them wipe at first, especially after bowel movements.
  • Teach:
    • Girls: wipe front to back to reduce the risk of urinary tract infections.
    • Boys: shake gently after peeing, and eventually learn to wipe if needed.

Handwashing

  • Teach your child to wash their hands every time they use the toilet or potty.
  • Use a special soap or a fun foaming soap if it helps them remember and enjoy the routine.
  • Show them how to:
    • Turn on the tap
    • Use soap
    • Scrub hands (front, back, between fingers) for about 20 seconds
    • Rinse and dry hands

This is especially important during Michigan’s cold and flu season, when viruses spread more easily in indoor spaces like daycare and preschool.

Praising Progress Without Pressure

Praise Success

  • Offer specific praise, such as:
    • “You told me you had to go—great job!”
    • “You kept your underwear dry this morning. I’m proud of you.”
  • You might use small, simple rewards, such as:
    • A sticker or stamp on the hand
    • Choosing a favorite story
    • A quick song or high-five

Gradually Reduce Rewards

As your child becomes more reliable, slowly reduce rewards and treat toileting as a normal part of daily life.

Stay Casual About Accidents

  • Expect accidents, especially at the beginning.
  • Respond with a calm, “Oh well, it’s okay. Let’s get you cleaned up.”
  • Avoid showing anger, disappointment, or embarrassment.

Try not to start toilet training during stressful times, such as:

  • The arrival of a new baby
  • Moving homes (common in growing Grand Rapids neighborhoods)
  • Starting a new daycare or preschool
  • Illness or recovery from surgery

Managing Accidents During Toilet Training

Accidents are a normal part of learning.

  • Toddlers have small bladders and can’t “hold it” for long.
  • At first, they may only have a few seconds between realizing they need to go and actually going.

Give Credit for Trying

Even when they don’t make it in time, praise them for:

  • Telling you they needed to go
  • Trying to pull down their pants
  • Heading toward the bathroom or potty

If your child becomes upset or discouraged:

  • Reassure them: “Accidents happen. You’re still learning.”
  • Remind them it takes time and practice.

Coping With Setbacks

Toilet training often goes two steps forward, one step back. A child who seems fully trained may start having accidents again. Common triggers include:

  • A new sibling
  • Starting or changing daycare or preschool
  • Illness (especially common during Michigan’s winter months)
  • Changes in routine (holidays, travel, visitors)

What to Do

  • Stay calm. Your child is not doing this to upset you.
  • Avoid punishment, including making them clean up messes in a shaming way.
  • If your child seems stressed or resistant, take a break:
    • Pause toilet training for a week or two.
    • Go back to diapers or pull-ups without criticism.
    • Try again later when they seem more relaxed.

Make toileting as positive and “fun” as possible:

  • Sing a short song while they sit on the potty.
  • Read a short book together.
  • Use a small timer so they know how long to sit (just a few minutes).

Night-Time Toilet Training

Staying dry at night is a separate skill from daytime toilet use. Many children in Grand Rapids can use the toilet during the day but still wet the bed at night.

  • Most children under age 5 still urinate in their sleep.
  • About 1 in 10 younger primary school children also wet the bed.
  • Night-time dryness depends largely on maturation of the brain and bladder, not effort or willpower.

Is Your Child Ready to Ditch Night-Time Diapers?

Signs your child is not ready yet:

  • Their diaper or pull-up is wet every morning.
  • The diaper is soaked, and they never wake up dry.

If you stop using night-time diapers at this stage, they will almost certainly wet the bed, and both of you may become frustrated.

Signs they may be ready:

  • Their diaper or pull-up is often dry in the morning, or
  • It becomes wet right before they wake up (the diaper is soaked and urine feels warm).
  • They sometimes wake up and ask to use the toilet, or call for help in the night.

When you see these signs, you can try night-time toilet training.

Preparing for Night-Time Toilet Training

Make Night-Time Toileting Practical

  • Ensure your child can:
    • Get out of bed safely
    • Remove and pull up their pajama pants
  • Practice together during the day:
    • “Let’s practice pulling your pajama pants up and down.”

Decide on a Night-Time Plan

Talk with your child about what will happen at night:

  • Will they:
    • Walk to the bathroom on their own?
    • Use a potty in their bedroom?
    • Wake you up for help?

Repeat the plan several times, for example:

“If you need to pee in the night, come into my bedroom and wake me up. I’ll help you go to the toilet.”

Set Up the Bedroom

  • Put a waterproof mattress protector on the bed.
  • Use nightlights in the hallway and bathroom so your child can see where to go.
  • Leave the bedroom door open for easy access.
  • If your child is very afraid of the dark or the hallway feels “too long,” consider placing a potty in their bedroom.

Michigan’s long, dark winter nights can make night-time trips to the bathroom feel especially scary; extra lighting and reassurance can help.

Tips for Helping Your Child Stay Dry at Night

  • Make a bathroom trip part of the bedtime routine (pee before stories and lights out).
  • Casually remind your child: “If you need to pee in the night, you can get up and go to the bathroom.”
  • If they wake up for any reason (bad dream, noise, illness), gently ask if they want to use the toilet before going back to bed.

Avoid Pressuring Your Child

Your child likely wants to succeed and may already feel anxious about wetting the bed.

  • If they wake up dry, give gentle praise.
  • If they wake up wet, stay calm and neutral:
    • “You’re wet. Let’s get you changed.”
  • If the extra laundry is stressful, consider using pull-ups at night for a while longer.

What to Avoid During Night-Time Toilet Training

Some approaches can increase anxiety and actually delay progress:

  • Do not:
    • Criticize, shame, or call your child a “baby.”
    • Punish them by leaving them in wet sheets.
    • Make them wash soiled bedding as a punishment.
    • Talk about their “problem” in front of others (siblings, relatives, daycare staff) in a way that embarrasses them.
    • Severely limit evening fluids to “fix” bedwetting.

Instead:

  • Encourage plenty of fluids during the day, so they’re not overly thirsty in the evening.
  • Offer normal amounts of water with dinner, and avoid large amounts right before bed.

Remember: night-time bladder control is mainly a developmental process, not a behavior problem. Praise all efforts, no matter how small.

When Toilet Training Feels Difficult

It may take years for your child to reliably stay dry at night. Try not to compare your child’s progress with siblings, cousins, or friends’ children in Grand Rapids.

If your child:

  • Is over 5 and still wets the bed most nights, or
  • Has been dry for several months and suddenly starts wetting again, or
  • Seems very anxious, embarrassed, or upset about toileting,

consider talking with:

  • Your child’s pediatrician at Spectrum Health, Trinity Health Grand Rapids, Metro Health, or Mercy Health
  • The Kent County Health Department or Grand Rapids Public Health for local parenting and child health resources

These professionals can check for medical issues (such as urinary tract infections, constipation, or sleep problems) and offer tailored strategies.

Helping a Child Who Is Afraid of the Dark

For many children in Grand Rapids, especially in winter when it’s dark for more hours, going to the toilet at night can feel scary.

You can help by:

  • Using nightlights in the bedroom, hallway, and bathroom.
  • Leaving doors open.
  • Placing a potty in the bedroom if the bathroom feels too far away.
  • Reassuring your child that it is always okay to wake you up if they need help going to the toilet.

If your child becomes anxious or frustrated with night-time training, take the pressure off and pause for a while. You can always try again in a few weeks or months.

Where to Get Help in Grand Rapids, MI

If you’re feeling stressed or unsure about toilet training, you’re not alone. Many families in Grand Rapids reach out for support. Helpful resources include:

  • Your child’s pediatrician or family doctor
    (Spectrum Health, Trinity Health Grand Rapids, Metro Health, Mercy Health)
  • Kent County Health Department – parenting and child health resources
  • Grand Rapids Public Health – local education and support programs
  • Local parenting classes, community centers, and early childhood programs that offer guidance on child development and toilet training

Key Points About Toilet Training in Grand Rapids

  • Learning to use the toilet is an important developmental step for toddlers.
  • Starting toilet training too early can frustrate both you and your child.
  • Avoid making your child sit on the toilet or potty for long periods; it can feel like punishment.
  • Life events or routine changes—such as a new sibling, illness, or moving—can cause setbacks.
  • Don’t assume your child can stay dry at night just because they are trained during the day; night-time dryness is a separate milestone.

With patience, consistency, and a calm approach, most children in Grand Rapids will successfully learn to use the toilet in their own time.