6 Helpful Potty Training Tips for Girls

Anyone else in the trenches of potty training a girl?! (UPDATED) When I first shared this post, we had been testing the waters but not fully immersed in toilet training our second. Now, we have officially started potty training our three-year-old toddler girl!!

I had always heard that boys were harder to potty train than girls but from the moms that I’ve talked to, it seems that girls have comparatively been a bit more difficult, although they tend to train earlier. A couple mama’s said their daughters did not potty train until almost 3, which is where we are right now.

The first full day was a bit of a disaster and mostly unsuccessful. The second and third days were much more successful and fairly easy, continuing well for a couple weeks. Then we hit a pretty much full regression for the following two weeks. And here we are, over a month later, fully potty trained.

It’s been a lot of ups and downs, highs and lows. Here is what’s worked for us and six helpful potty training tips for girls from other moms!

We actually waited a little bit longer to toilet train our daughter than we did our son. Part of that is because she was not interested or showing signs at all.

She had gone on the potty several times but it was always random and nothing consistent. With her being older, it is definitely sinking in faster than it did with our son.

The thing that has been working the BEST for us? Going naked on the bottom. That’s right. She wears nothing.

We took a towel around the house for her to sit on during the first week, but otherwise she got no coverage. Potty training this way takes away the security of a diaper/covering and she has no where else to go. So she HAS to go in the potty.

Only 1-2 times a day has she had a wet accident with this method. While wearing underwear, it could be a 1 to 2 ratio. HIGHLY recommend “naked on the bottom” for toddler girls potty training. It’s really been the one thing that worked.

We reminded her (set a timer on your phone) every 20min and she had to physically sit on the potty every time. Sometimes she told us herself - which was awesome!

Once she actually did her business in the potty, she got three skittles. Some days she got a lot of skittles!

I originally went to the store and let her pick out her own underwear. I was pleasantly surprised when the Frozen underwear she chose happened to have extra padding for accidents. They also came with a potty training sticker chart!!

That potty training sticker chart was another HUGE win for us/her. The incentive of getting a sticker, skittles and getting to choose a toy after she filled up her sticker chart? GOLD!!

The chart had different categories so once we filled up the main ones “did my business” and “sat on my potty” we moved on to the cleanliness ones.

I told her after she filled up her chart we would get Chick-fil-A as a treat and she could get a small toy. That was such a huge motivator. She filled up her chart quickly.

Then once I was sure she had the whole potty training thing down (telling us she had to, actually going on the potty and filling up her chart completely) she regressed. I’m pretty sure that’s because her incentive was gone. She filled up her chart, got her toy and was done.

She had about a two week period of accidents and not going on the potty, only in her underwear/ pull up/ diaper. So I took away her tv time and no treats/candy. That got her attention real quick and she finally started going back to the potty.

I am still incentivizing her with “treats” and tv time when she goes on the potty. Right now she’s currently going through all her Halloween candy. It’s a good system and it’s working for us. Two weeks of not one accident, telling me she has to go, dry all nap & all through bedtime. Do what you gotta do, mama! No judgement here!

Make sure you check out other mom’s tips for potty training girls and read below. I basically did a blend of them all! Whatever works, right?!

Tip #1: Take it slowly, don’t rush it and watch for cues for when she’s ready (telling you she went in her diaper, showing interest in the potty, peeing at the same time (bath time, for example), staying dry for a couple hours at a time). Don’t make a big deal out of it too soon or she won’t be interested.

Tip #2: When you’re seeing the signs that she’s ready, go cold turkey on diapers. Put her in dresses and either go naked or with panties. Hopefully she will be uncomfortable with being dirty. 

Tip #3: Stay consistent. Take potty trips every 15-20 minutes. Switch to underwear or go naked. Keep her potty out & easy to access. Have “treats” out where she can see them to help motivate her. 

Tip #4: TREAT incentives.

Candy (jellybeans, skittles, m&ms)

Little prizes (Target dollar section or Dollar tree toys/games would be great for this) 

New panties (go panty shopping and let her pick out her favorite pair)

Sticker Chart (give her a sticker every time she goes or completes bathroom tasks)

**Most mamas have suggested using all (or a couple) of these tactics instead of just one treat at a time.

I know when I was potty training Silas I used a sticker chart, candy and when I felt comfortable, taking him to pick out his own underwear. He eventually got it!

Tip #5: Some kids need a different kind of incentive. One mom put a sticker on the bottom of her kid’s potty and that finally got her to go! Whatever works (this trick definitely helps boys too and gives them something to aim at)!!

I did have one friend share that her daughter screams every time she sits on the potty. I would be interested to know if anyone has any advice or tips on addressing that. Probably bribery will have to be involved.

Since my daughter has an older brother to look up to (and she got her potty fairly early) she has not been intimidated or scared of it. 

Tip #6: We always made a really big deal every time they sat on the potty, like congratulating them and being really encouraging, like “You’re so big now” and “I’m so proud of you”. 

Also doing other “fun” things while sitting on the potty like reading their favorite book or tablet time. You can also turn it into a learning experience by having stuffed animals demonstrate how to “go potty”.

I would love to hear any more tips or your experience while potty training girls. Also, if you have some advice for my friend who’s daughter screams on the potty, please leave a comment below!