The PottyPro blog
Potty training, one honest post at a time
Real challenges, practical tips and what the guidance actually says, from the NHS, NICE and ERIC, with notes for US parents too. A new post every Monday.
-
Additional needs
Potty training with additional needs and sensory differences
Visual steps, timed routines and a calmer bathroom: practical approaches from autism and continence guidance.
-
Challenges
Regression: when accidents come back
Weeks of progress, then puddles again. It’s common, it usually has a reason, and it nearly always passes.
-
Tips
Out and about, and keeping nursery on the same page
Leaving the house without nappies feels like a big step. A little planning, and a lot of consistency with carers, makes it manageable.
-
Night-time
Dry nights come later, and you can’t train them
Daytime and night-time dryness are different things. Here’s why nights take longer, and what helps.
-
Challenges
When they hold on: poo withholding and constipation
Holding on to poo is common, distressing and very fixable. It almost always starts with poos that hurt.
-
Tips
Why more drinks, not fewer, make potty training easier
Cutting drinks to cut accidents is a common instinct, and it tends to backfire. Here’s what the guidance recommends instead.
-
Challenges
Accidents: what to say, what to do, and what not to worry about
Accidents aren’t failure. They’re how children learn. How you react is the part you control.
-
Tips
Stop asking “do you need a wee?”
It’s the most natural thing in the world to say, and one of the most common things that slows potty training down. Here’s what to do instead.
-
Getting started
Your first week: build the day around routine, not the clock
A calm plan for the first few days without nappies, built on the moments that already happen every day.
-
Getting started
Is my child ready? What UK and US guidance actually says
The UK and the US give different answers to the readiness question. Here’s what each one says, where they agree, and the checks that matter more than age.
Our first post arrives on Monday 5 October 2026. Check back soon!
About this blog. Posts are written by the PottyPro team and draw on published guidance from the NHS, NICE, ERIC, the American Academy of Pediatrics and the National Autistic Society, with sources listed on every post. They’re general information, not medical advice. If you’re worried about your child, speak to your GP, health visitor or paediatrician.