Practicing without a diaper

Take an hour off each day

• Your child is already familiar with the potty, and you know what to look for when your child needs to pee or poop. Now it’s time for the next step: practicing without a diaper!
• Don’t take the diaper off completely right away. An hour a few times a week is enough. For example, on the days you’re home.
• Don't rush it. The goal is to get your child to pee or poop in the potty for the first time. Only then should you start leaving the diaper off for longer periods and more often.
• First, your child learns to sense what’s happening. Step by step. Together, you’ll learn to recognize the signs.  

Here's how to do it

• Choose a quiet time of day to practice. For example, when you're at home and don't have to go out.
• Tell them that you’re going to take off the diaper for a moment and that your child can just play.
• Place the jar near your child and show it to them.
• Stay close by and pay close attention to the signs you learned earlier.
• Nothing happened after an hour? Then put the diaper back on. Be sure to do that—it teaches your little one that you keep your promises. It’s exciting enough as it is.

During the diaper-free hour

• Do everyday activities together, but be careful: no TV, tablets, or phones. These can be very distracting, which prevents your child from learning to sense what’s coming.
• Pay close attention to signals such as wobbling, hand at the crotch or restless movement.
• Say what you see:"I think you need to go to the bathroom"
• Take your child to the potty and help them sit still, perhaps with a book, a song, or a toy. Again: no videos.
• Sometimes they manage to get to the potty in time. Sometimes they go a little earlier. That’s just part of the process.
• Not quite in time? Then point out what went well, for example:
  "Good job going to the potty" or "You could tell you needed to go. Way to go! High five!"

Still not working? Put the diaper back on.

• This stage usually takes a few weeks. That means your child will often practice at first without actually going in the potty. That’s perfectly fine.
• Has the hour passed, and did your child sit on the potty, but nothing came out? Then you can put the diaper back on. We’ll try again tomorrow.
• Your little one is often relieved when it’s time to put the diaper back on. Remember: it’s all quite overwhelming. Take it step by step—don’t rush things.

Did it work the first time? Let's celebrate together!

• Has your little one had their first pee or poop in the potty? Celebrate it together! Cheer, dance, give them a high five, and tell them how proud you are! Bring it up again later, too. “That was really impressive of you!” Or tell others about it. Your little one will feel like a big kid.
• Has your child peed or pooped in the potty twice? If so, you can move on to step 3.