How To Potty Train a One Year Old Girl: What You Need To Know

You might be wondering, can you potty train a 1 year old?

And the answer is YES. But only if she shows you this sign as I am going to explain in this post. When I saw my little girl do “the sign” I started potty training her at just 11 months and 28 days old, just before her first birthday (technically, she wasn’t even one year yet).

So in this post, I’ll share my potty training tips and potty training success with you from our early potty training.

Your next question might be when to start potty training and how to start potty training a girl?

According to statistics, potty training girls is easier than boys because they have the necessary skills before boys.

Since I only have a girl I’ll be focusing on potty training a girl in this post. Here are my best tips on how to potty train a girl at her own pace, using a super cute potty like this Amazon’s Choice here or this cute Disney Mini Mouse potty training seat.

When is the best time to potty train?

You can begin potty training as soon as your baby girl can communicate in some way. My little one cannot talk or walk yet, but she already points to the potty when she needs to go. She does it because she finds it fun and that’s because I made it a fun experience for her. But more about that later.

Signs of potty training readiness

If your little girl is already walking and talking, there’s a really good chance that she is READY for you to show her the potty. 

If she can’t talk yet, the best thing you can do is to look for these signs of potty training readiness.

Signs that she is ready for potty training:

• Pointing at things or directions
• Waving to get your attention
• Trying to talk to you
• Using her favorite toy to indicate what she wants
• Pointing at her water bottle when she wants it
• Pointing at things on the floor when she dropped them

If your baby girl uses signs like this to communicate she might well be ready for you to show her the potty.

How old is the average age to be potty trained?

There’s an interesting trend evolving around the average age when kids get potty trained, and it’s not what you think. Take a look.

• In the late ’40s, most moms started potty training at or before 18 months. 
• As a result, in 1957, 92 percent of children were toilet-trained by the age of 18 months.
• By 2006, the age average age to be potty trained increased to between 21 months and 36 months.
• Today only 4 percent of 2 year olds are potty trained.
• The average age to be potty trained now is 36 months.
• The American Association of Pediatrics reports that kids who begin potty training at 18 months are generally not fully trained until age 4, while kids who begin training at age 2 are generally fully trained by age 3.
• Some cultures start as early as 4 months.
• The common advice you’ll find is around 18 months and 3 years of age.
• According to the American Family Physician, most kids are potty trained by their third birthday.

Most moms nowadays start potty training late. Therefore, you might get a negative reaction if some people think you’re starting too early or rushing your child based on what’s acceptable in their culture or family.

However, potty training depends on where she is with her development and communication skills, not her age.

Just so you know, my girl is enjoying sitting on this little potty here. I am never forcing her, besides, you couldn’t make her sit there anyways. If she doesn’t want to go potty, she gets up and run-crawls away (as she can’t walk yet).

or this Disney Mini Mouse training potty (so cute)!

How do you know when your child is ready to potty train?

According to my mom, my grandma, and so on, a child can be ready to potty train once she can safely and securely sit up on her own and fully support herself. This can happen around 6, 7, 8, or 9 months. 

That means, if she can’t securely sit up by herself without falling to one side or can’t sit up for longer periods by herself, don’t put her on the potty.

How do you get her to tell you she has to go potty?

If your little one’s already talking then great. But if not here’s what you can do instead.

Look for ways in which your baby communicates and use those to teach her. My daughter was good at pointing at things, so I figured pointing at the potty when she has to go potty would be a way for her to communicate.

So I started asking her “Do you need to go potty?” and pointed towards the bathroom where the potty was. And eventually, she started pointing at the potty too. She might not understand what a potty is yet, but this is how she learns to connect things and words. And she might certainly be curious about that new potty thing in the bathroom.

What age to start potty training

I believe that the age you start potty training depends on you and your baby girl equally.

First, potty training depends more on her development and her communication skills, rather than her age.

However, I believe the age you start potty training also depends on what your mother has taught you and what she has passed along to you.

If you believe it’s possible you might be more likely to try it.

For example, my mom started potty training me and my sister as soon as we could sit up which was around 7 months. My aunty started her son around 9 months and my mom and her 3 siblings were all fully potty trained before their first birthdays. 

Because back in the 80s you couldn’t go to Kindergarten unless you were potty trained. Therefore starting early training was essential. And if your child wasn’t potty trained then you couldn’t go back to work. 

What do you need to decide before you start potty training?

• Word for the potty
• Word for pee and poo that you use consistently
• Potty chair
• Time (lots of it)
• Spare socks
• Easy to remove cloths
• Cotton underwear
• Potty breaks
• Repetition

As a stay at home mom, I’ve got time to practice with my girl, because practice and repetition are essential for potty training success.

If you don’t have time, if you’re moving house, if you’ve got lots on working from home, appointments to take your other kids, maybe best wait until you can carve out a week without needing to leave the house much.

I decided to stay at home while I was training her so that she could run around naked or in undies.

What really helped we save a ton of time was ordering all my groceries online and using the $5 Meal Plan! They offer a free 14-day trial.

But be prepared, no matter what age you’re starting to potty train your little girl, you’re very likely going to spend some extra time in the bathroom and yes, there will be a mess to clean up here and there. It’s part of the potty training process.

Potty training takes

• Effort
• Much work
• Patience and 
• Cleaning up

I wasn’t sure how to go about potty training or if it would work. When my mom came to visit us from Germany for her 1st birthday, we bought a $5 potty from Kmart, set it up in the bathroom, and put her on it.

How we started the potty training process

Straight away, the first time we used the potty was a big success. I basically just grab her and put her on it as soon as she was about to go. And honestly, it worked.

But a huge factor in that early potty training success was the weather. Because when I started training her it was still warm enough for her to not be in pants. This made it so much easier to get her on the potty in time.

This leads to the next question.

Is it best to potty train in summer?

YES!

If you’re potty training in the summertime with fewer clothes on it’s much easier to get her on the potty quicker. The fewer items she wears the less time it takes to take them off. Or even better, let her run around naked if you can.

Can you potty train in the winter?

Wintertime is definitely not the best time to start potty training.

But if you have to do it, buy a pair of dungarees or wide sweat pants, ideally one size up, and a few pairs of house slippers (so you got spare ones when they get wet).

Best clothing for potty training

You might be wondering What should my toddler wear when potty training? I know I was.

I’ve been experimenting with which types of clothing work best for potty training and ended up buying a pair of dungarees as well as a few stretchy pants one size up. In theory, they are all supposed to come off quicker but I find it remains a hassle to get her undressed quickly. 

Leggings DON’T work well when they are too tight. Opt for pants with a wider angle so you can slide them over her foot faster.

That’s the exhausting part of potty training early when she can’t pull down her clothes herself. Because you have to be prepared to dress and undress, nappy on-off, underwear on-off her a good 20times a day. Plus all the false alarms when your little one is testing you.

DO’s and DON’Ts of potty training early

I just touched upon this briefly but I thought I’d sum up my key points of DO’s and DON’Ts of potty training.

DO’s

• Use wide clothing that comes off easily like dungarees
• Buy multiple spare pairs of socks because pee will go everywhere when she pees on the floor (I bought 8 pairs)
• Buy multipacks of these cotton underwear (I bought 14 cotton underwear)
• Create a fun and relaxed atmosphere around the potty for your little one
• CELEBRATE her being on the potty whether she’s successful or not
• Reusable Unicorn Potty Training Charts for girls

Here’s what not to do when you’re potty training your one year old.

DON’Ts

• Buy clothes that look cute but are unpractical to take off
• Valuable clothes you get upset if they get dirty
• Avoid stress around the potty for her
• NEVER force her to sit on the potty
• Never shame or blame your child if they don’t get it right. She’s got her entire life to get it right, haha. 
• Never turn the potty into power struggles between you and her. It needs to be “her idea” to go potty, not yours. You don’t want to put her off the potty. 

“Potty Party”

In the beginning, when I started potty training her, I used to panic and grab her, hastily undressing her as I ran down the hall, throwing her clothes everywhere. Sometimes she would already have pooped, but other times she would hold it in because of the stress I caused her.

Does that sound familiar, mommy?

Then I invented the potty party. Potty party means we celebrate that she has to go and I cheer her on all the way to the potty. I run down the hallway with her in my arm like a little airplane shouting “potty party” and we both giggle and laugh all the way to the potty. I think this has been an important turning point in getting more potty successes because she now associates the potty with a fun experience.

The big day milestone

At 12 months and 20 days of age she started pointing to the potty unmistakenly. It was so clear that she really had to go.

I took her to the potty and she did a poo.

Then we looked at it and celebrated, clapped our hands, and danced and I kept pointing at the potty praising her for “Doing a-a on the potty, yeh!”. Thanks for the potty party.

How do I start potty training my 1 year old?

By now, you might be wondering what the best potty training process is.

Look for signs of bowel movement

You probably know by now when she has to go or you can tell by the look on her face or body language or sounds. So look for these signs.

At first, when I started training her at 11 months old, I simply looked for the signs when she had a bowel movement. I could just tell, so I grabbed her and ran to the potty and she would do a poo. I then showed it to her, praised her, clapped and sang, and celebrated her going to the potty.

Put her on the potty regularly

I also started to put her on the potty regularly and she peed 8/10 times on the potty. It was amazing!

Celebrate going to the potty

Clap and point or however you choose to celebrate every time as if she just won the lottery. Ultimately you know your baby girl best. So just watch her and look for signs when she’s ready to go and start celebrating. And when she does show you offer praise until you see these little cheeks smile. Lots of praise. You want her to have potty fun.

Benefits of potty training

Starting potty training can be a positive experience for her. But not only for her, but also for your wallet and the environment.

Here are some benefits of potty training early:

• You save money on nappies
• Fewer diapers are better for the environment
• Less nappy rash which is better for her skin
• Confidence boosts for your little one after a successful session
• Fun experience for her to explore what she’s capable of
• Learning about her bowel and urine movements and associating the feeling of going with the potty

Potty training schedule

When you’re potty training it’s important that you take her to the potty at regular intervals, regardless of if she has to go or not.

Here are the times we regularly go to the potty:

• Right after getting up
• After breakfast 
• Before her first nap
• After her nap
• Anytime in between playtime when she’s displaying signs
• Before her bath
• Before bedtime

That doesn’t mean she goes every time! A lot of times she won’t but at least she knows that there is a chance to go at certain times.

Stick to a routine

Developing a routine when you take her to the potty, regardless if she goes or not, will pay off big for you later.

Although it might seem like it’s pointless to take her the first few days, the more you stick to a routine the better your chances of potty training success.

Potting training in 3 days?

Personally, we haven’t tried the 3-day or 1-week potty training methods because we are taking a gradual approach to potty training. Like I said before, we are in no rush. 

As a stay at home mom I work from home and have the time to wait for her clue to take her to the potty.

But I’d love to hear your experience in the comments if you’ve tried it.

How do you know when she needs to go to the potty?

Look for a change in her facial expressions. Most likely her face will turn red and she looks serious and focused (the potty face). Also, watch her body language. She might freeze or clench her fists or slightly bend her knees whilst holding on to something.

Baby uses potty as an excuse – Be warned

Your little one will learn fast.

Once my baby figured out that pointing to the potty meant we are going potty, she started using it to get out of bed. The first few times I fell for it but I then started to be able to distinguish when she actually needs to go potty vs her pretending she has to. 

Once your little one figures out what gets her on the potty, she might use it as a tactic to get out of her bed too. You know your baby girl best. So look out for signs in your girl to figure out if she’s playing or serious. So you have to do a bit of elimination communication and try to figure out what she really means.

Potty training essentials

What are some essential items for potty training?

Let’s look at some items to help your little one and you.

Potty chair

Get started by buying a little, simple potty like this one and putting it in the bathroom.

I bought a $5 from Kmart and she loves it. But this one is very basic and I think an anti-slip potty works better to stop it from tilting over when she gets up if you don’t use rugs. Other than that, start with a basic one. You can always upgrade later.

The good thing about a really basic potty chair is that it’s easy to clean.

Rugs

The best way to make potty training a pleasant experience for her is to create a comfortable area around the potty. You can use these Quick Dry Bathroom Rugs.

You can put a bathroom rug under the potty to make sure their feet are warm and not touching the cold floor directly. And it’s also a good idea to have more than one in case you need to wash it. I have 3 bathroom rugs circulating with 1 of them always being in the wash and are planning to buy more.

Wide clothes

You want wide clothes that you can pull on and off easily like dungarees. Buying everything a size up is also an option.

Toys or no toys?

I used to start off without toys.

However, my mom brought her a potty doll called “Heidi” that comes with a mini potty. Eventually, I put Heidi next to her on the potty and I believe that it helped her initially to understand the idea of peepee and poo. To trick her I filled water in the doll’s potty and used chocolate easter eggs to make her believe her doll just did a poo. My baby girl looked so stunned, it was adorable.

Now “Heidi” is still next to her potty and she plays with her all the time. I find that when she was to go, she’ll go. The toy is not distracting her from going. However, I find that sometimes she leads me to the potty because she wants to play with her doll. We end up sitting in the bathroom for 20 minutes and nothing happens. So for now, we’ll keep the doll but I am already planning to pack her away soon as I don’t think she needs it.

Babis love to keep themselves entertained, so if it’s not the doll she grabs her bath toys or plays with the rug.

If your baby needs toys so that she can sit longer, why not let her have them.

What are the first signs that potty training is working?

Aware of dirty diapers: The first sign that potty training was working was when she became aware of dirty diapers. When she didn’t make it to the potty on time and I was changing her nappy she turned around because she wanted to see what was in her nappy. There were a lot of “ooh’s” and “uhh’s” when she saw the poo in her nappy. That was still a little success for me because I noticed a significant change in her awareness.

Pulling wet underwear away. The other change after we started potty training was that I noticed she started to pull the wet underwear away from her body. In contrast, before she peed on the floor twice, and didn’t even notice. But when she peed in her underwear this day she tried to cover it up by laying flat on the floor over it. So it was a big change when she suddenly noticed that her underwear was wet. They were huge signs of readiness for me.

Pointing to the potty. She started pointing to the potty all the time, even when she didn’t have to go. By that time I could tell the difference whether she had to go or if she was just doing it.

Signs your child is not ready for potty training

If she can’t communicate with you yet at all or can’t fully sit up by herself without any wobbles, she’s probably not ready yet. You’ll have a hard time trying to get them to signal you when they have to go.

So unless she can signal you to communicate what she wants she’s not ready.

How long should you try potty training before giving up?

If you feel like potty training is stressing your little one out of if going potty causes her anxiety, stop.

But don’t give up just because she doesn’t get it right away.

At that age your little one is like a sponge, soaking up everything you say and do. And no matter what you’re thinking, they do take in what you’re showing them around the potty.

And the more often you practice with her, the faster she’ll learn. Just try again later.

How often should I put my 1 year old on the potty?

Stick to fixed times of the day, like before and after her nap.

It depends on a few things. One of the major things, in my eyes, is which season are you in. When I started training my baby girl it was still warm enough for her to run around without pants. But now it’s a bit colder which means she’s wearing pants, socks, and house shoes. This makes it hard to undress her for the potty, so it’s essential that you experiment to find the right clothes because it’s doable with the right clothes.

Focus on poos first, then wees

Get the poos down first, because I find they are easier for her to understand as she can see it better. Then focus on the wees.

I started focusing only on the poos in the first month and once she understood the poos she automatically started to signal me the wees too.

The first day she started to tell me she had to go for a poo we focused on the poos solely and not the wees. I feel like that has worked well for her because otherwise, it would be too much for her.

But whichever way you prefer, try nailing one or the other first. Otherwise, it might be too much for your little one to take it all in.

When she started pointing toward the potty for the first time she ended up peeing on the floor. However, the main thing is that she was pointing toward the potty with her serious potty face on. That was good enough for me because that meant she had the awareness that pee = potty. 

Do pull-ups prolong potty training?

We never used pull ups and jumped straight to underwear. I believe that having her in underwear helped her to understand when she peed.

Disposable training pants

Personally, I went cold turkey with her from disposable diapers to underwear or naked. We never used any disposable training pant, because unless she feels the wet underwear she’s not going to make the connection that she has to pee.

So far we only had peed on underwear, never soiled as I get her to the potty before.

Potty training process

• Buy a potty chair with her: the first thing you want to do is take her potty chair shopping and buy one she likes sitting on

• Take nappies off: If it’s warm enough to do so, let her run around naked
• Potty regularly: Take her to the potty regularly or when you know she’s due for a bowel movement
• Focus on poos first: Don’t try to tackle pees and poos at the same time as that might overwhelm her. Nail the poos first and the pees will be easier
• Celebrate: either way, whether she went or not

Daytime wetting

It’s something I am not too worried about at the moment because we are focusing on the poos right now.

The other day she pointed at the potty with her serious potty face while peeing in her underwear. However, I still count that as a success because this time, she was aware of it and her brain is making the connection between her peeing and potty. 

Little babies don’t have bladder control, so you can’t expect them to know when they have to go. Making her point toward the potty was a great first step.

One day she pointed to the potty but it was already too late. Nevertheless, I celebrated with her and we pointed at the potty and clapped because she let me know that she had to go, even tho it was a little too late.

If your baby doesn’t make it to the potty don’t make it a big deal. You want to avoid making her feel bad because you don’t want her to associate the potty with negative feelings. Just let it go, and continue to talk positively about the next “potty party” while you clean her up.

How to clean the potty?

You might be wondering what to do with the dirty potty after she successfully used it? It’s important to clean the potty entirely because most likely, your little girl will play with her potty, lift it up and tilt it over her head.

• Empty the poo in the toilet and flush it for her to see and praise her while you do it.
• Keep a rubber glove under the bathroom sink specifically for her potty. 
• Use toilet paper to wipe it clean.
• Rinse the potty with soap and bathroom spray and wash off residue completely. 

Nighttime potty training

At this point, we are not focusing on nighttime potty training for one simple reason. Sleep.

My girl wakes up 3-4 times a night and guzzles down bottles. It’s not realistic for me to do nighttime potty training with her at this stage because that would interrupt both our sleep and sleep is too important. 

I am happy that she signals to me when she has to go to the potty during the day. So at night, I put her in nappies.

Once she gets the hang of potty training I’ll be looking into nighttime potty training update this post once we’re ready to tackle it. (Don’t forget to save this post for later)

Toilet training process sticker chart

Should you reward your child for potty training?

If you focus on praise and success, I think yes, because it makes it more fun for her. But I am already looking forward to making a sticker chart for her once she gets older and rewarding her for going to the toilet. I am also going to buy her a little seat for her “potty parties”. It’s going to be fun. 

Closing thoughts on how to potty train a one year old girl

Potty training your one year old girl takes effort. And in the beginning, it might feel as if what you’re doing doesn’t matter or you might be seriously doubting if she gets it or whether it’s too early. But if you’re consistent she’ll get it faster than you think.

There will be good days and some days where nothing works. But eventually, there will be more good days than bad days.

And, one day, it will all be worth it when your baby girl lets you know she needs to go potty and you will feel like the proudest mom on earth. It’s going to a big milestone for you and your little girl.

So, when do you potty train your little one?

Ultimately you decide when it’s the right time to start introducing the potty to your little one. Just don’t wait for her to tell you she has to go potty because unless you teach her she doesn’t know what a potty is.

Just make sure your little girl is having a good time and celebrate your potty parties. Good luck with it all!

What’s your experience with potty training a one year old girl? Please share it in the comments