Having assessed if your child ready you need to get together some basic items, which is where Potty People come in.  We can offer the widest range of pants and accessories, based on our own personal experience of potty training.  Keep checking back to see if we have any new items available.

One of the most important items you will need is a potty or toilet seat adaptor, getting your child to help pick out a potty will help them feel involved in the process. It is important to consider several things when buying a potty, first will you buy one for home, one for grannies house and one to take out and about?

There are several fancy ones around that are very cute but consider their ease of use, if they have animal faces, or bits sticking out they could easily be caught by feet and clothing, thus spilling the contents.  If you buy one that is too large you might have to find a bag to carry it around with you when you are out.

One with faces or that makes sounds might be scarey to a small child no matter how cute it looks.

Adult toilets will also appear huge and scarey to a child, so a toilet seat adapter will make it easier for your child to balance on, a step to help them reach the toilet will also enable them to be more independant, make sure it can't tip over or wobble, this can cause a set back of several weeks.

The main step towards independance is big boy or girl pants, some shops sell potty training pants, but they are often only designed to absorb a small tinkle and not a flood. In the early days you are going to experience several floods! It is always amazing how much wee a small child can produce, so be warned.

What kind of pants you get will depend on your budget and how ready your child is. Potty People do a range that includes ones that catch a tinkle to special needs trainer pants for children who have issues with bowel or bladder training. (remember that every child is different).

Other equipment includes waterproof bedding to protect the mattress and duvets, pillow protectors (oh yes they can get wet too!) washable absorbent bed pads that can hold a massive 2.5ltrs, we even have sleeping bag liners for sleep overs and camping, these are especially useful for older children who have the occassional accident but feel they can't leave home just in case.

Reward charts are especially important, children thrive on praise and now is the time to become great at the over exageration, "WOOHOOO well done you did a poo" and " what a BIG BOY doing a wee in his potty" not forgetting to tell everyone what a clever child you have. See our Good and Bad days page for inspiration when sometimes it's not going to plan.

What else do you need?

Bucket loads of patience and a ready smile no matter what.

Don't forget very few children are still wearing nappies when they start school, and some still have the occassional accident when they are 6 and 7.