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Home › Expert Q&A › Development › How often should I sit my child on the potty and for how long at each sitting?

Expert Q&A

 

By Keath Castelloe Low
child and adolescent psychologist

How often should I sit my child on the potty and for how long at each sitting? I have been having her sit for about five to ten minutes each hour and we haven't had any luck yet. Is there a certain amount of time after eating or drinking liquids that I should take her?

You are doing a great job at getting your child to sit on the potty at regular intervals. This helps children become familiar with the potty and provides more opportunity for them to successfully use the potty. Continue to make this a regular part of your routine as long as it is fun and enjoyable for your child.

If you aren't having much luck, it is okay to spread out the time intervals to 1 c or even every two hours. Good times to sit on the potty are first thing in the morning, mid-morning, after lunch, before naps, after naps, after dinner, before bedtime, etc. Continue to also watch for any signals that your child needs to urinate or have a bowel movement, getting her to the potty if you notice indications that she needs to "go".

How often a child needs to urinate varies depending on how much liquid a child is consuming. Many children need to urinate every two hours or so. Some can go longer, others not as long depending on their liquid intake. Children's bowel movements may occur on a fairly predictable schedule and often happen within an hour after meals. Children are all different. Some kids have a few bowel movements a day, while others may have one every few days.

Three to five minutes is a good amount of time for your daughter to sit on the potty. Stay with her and read a fun book together as you wait. Sing a few songs or give her a special toy to play with. Make the time relaxing and pressure free. If your daughter would like to sit for longer that is perfectly alright and if she doesn't want to sit for that long, that is okay, too.

Continue to be patient. If she still isn't able to go, praise her for sitting on the potty and giving it a try. Of course, if she is successful on the potty praise her again for a job well done.

Some kids beginning potty training enjoy watching videos or reading books about the process. Below are some great videos and books your daughter might enjoy.

Videos/DVDs

  • No More Diapers (Consumervision 2005)
  • Bear in the Big Blue House: Potty Time with Bear (Walt Disney Video 2004)
  • Once Upon a Potty for Her (Barrons 2004)
  • Elmo's Potty Time (Sesame Street 2006)

Books

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