Should the diaper be taken off right away?

No, actually, it’s better not to. When you start potty training, your child will first learn what the toilet is for and what happens in their body. They’ll also learn that older kids and adults use the toilet. If you take off the diaper right away, your child won’t really know what to do next. That’s exactly what they’ll learn with your help.  

So start by sparking their interest—read books and talk about it (Step 1)—while they’re still wearing a diaper. Then take the diaper off for an hour every day (Step 2). You point out what you see when your child needs to go. Such as squirming, hiding, or looking uncomfortable. Your child will then occasionally use the potty without a diaper. Is that going well, and have there been a few pees and poops in the potty? Then gradually extend those practice hours. In step 3, your child spends a few hours at a time without a diaper, wearing underwear. Only when that goes almost perfectly can the diaper stay off all day (step 4). Each step takes a few weeks.