Potty Training and Daycare

If you’ve got a child in daycare, then you know you miss a lot of the child’s milestones. Sure, you get to see them walk and take steps, but are you sure they’re the first steps they’ve actually taken? You get to hear them say your name, but are you sure it’s the first time they’ve said them? Daycare workers are generally pretty tight lipped about these milestones so you can feel like you experienced them first.

Of course, not all milestones are ones that you’re too sad if your child first meets them at daycare. You’re just happy that they’re reaching those milestones. If daycare could only get your child to sleep through the night, then you might jump for joy. Alas, it’s not to be as daycare is meant for daytime care, and you don’t want your child to sleep all day long - back to the drawing board on sleeping.

One milestone that your child will have to complete at some point is potty training. This is one of those things that most parents don’t look forward to doing. Potty training can often be a frustrating experience as your child has learned to go to the bathroom whenever and wherever they want for the first couple years of their lives. You’re now working to get them out of that habit and into going on a toilet.

Potty training a child is often difficult enough when you have full control over their day, but when they’re going to daycare, you only see them for a portion of the day. You can’t control when they’re on the toilet or if they’re going to have an accident. You can’t watch them closely every moment - you’re going to have to give some trust to your daycare provider that they’ll be able to help you through the transition.

The good news is that daycare providers will generally have a lot of experience with potty training. They go through dozens of kids a year that must be potty trained, and they understand what to watch for, and how to help the kids on the toilet. Does that mean that your child’s not going to have an accident? No. But your daycare provider should know how to deal with accidents when they do occur.

Perhaps the biggest benefit to daycare and potty training is that your child will be surrounded by other kids who use the toilet when they go to the bathroom. There will be some social pressure to use the toilet when they see all of the other kids are doing it. As your child’s friends start using the toilet, your child is much more likely to want to do the same. Seeing others do it is really motivating and calming to a child.

You should make sure you know what your daycare will do to assist you in your effort to potty train your child. What are there expectations and what do they expect you to bring? Ask some basic questions to get answers to these questions. Most daycare providers will be accommodating and they’re going to be glad when your child is potty trained as well - one less diaper they have to change each day.

Potty training at daycare doesn’t have to be super difficult, and in some cases can be easier. Work with your daycare provider to figure out the best path forward.