Some experts say that potty training girls is easier than potty training boys. Maybe it’s because girls develop control over their bowel and bladder muscles before boys do. Or maybe—since mothers typically do the potty training—girls have the advantage of mimicking their trainer’s actions.  Whether this is true or not, it is important to realize that every child is unique. Some girls will be ready to begin potty training as early as 20 months. Others won’t be ready until 3 years or even older. However, you can use the following guide for potty training girls at any age.

Is she ready? Signs That Your Little Girl is Ready for Potty Training:

• Pulling or tugging at the diaper and expressing discomfort
• Mimicking parents’ behavior by trying to sit on the toilet
• Repeating key words such as “pee-pee” and “poo-poo”
• Asking to wear grown-up underwear
• Keeping dry for a couple of hours at a time during the day
• Waking frequently from naps with dry diapers 

Important Things to Remember:

Girls may experience increased risk of bladder or other infection during potty training. Remember to teach them to wipe from front to back to reduce the risk of infection. If she experiences abdominal pain, frequent or painful urination, or frequent urges during potty training, contact your family physician.

10 Tips for Potty Training Girls:
 

1. Establish a system for rewarding or praising your daughter when she is successful.

2. Remember that potty training requires patience. It may take weeks or months before your daughter is fully potty trained.  

3. It will be easier for your daughter to potty train if she is wearing loose-fitting clothing like dresses or skirts.

4. Turn potty training into a simple game.   There are some great products available which are designed to make potty training fun, like the Flush & Cheer Potty Chair from Varsity Baby. 

5. Keep the potty chair in the bathroom instead of the child’s play area so she learns where she is supposed to use the potty.

6. Establish a routine.  While your daughter is potty training, take her to use the potty after meals, before leaving home, before bathing, at bedtime, and as soon as she wakes up each morning. 

7. If your daughter has an accident, take her to the potty chair to try again before cleaning up and changing her clothes.

8. Stop using disposable diapers or other undergarments that are designed to keep her clean and dry. The more discomfort she feels when she has an accident, the more successful she will be at potty training. 

9. If she has a younger sibling, she may regress during her potty training as a way of resisting growing up. Be sure to praise her when she acts like a big girl.

10. Remember to emphasize the behavior you want to see. Instead of saying, “Don’t go potty in your diaper,” remind her that you want her to “pee-pee or poo-poo in the potty chair.”