This kind of seat is much easier when it comes to clean-up. As opposed to potty chairs, which have a bowl that needs to be dumped and wiped out, you can flush away waste. Dr. Gary Kirkilas, a pediatrician at Phoenix Children’s Hospital and American Academy of Pediatrics spokesperson, recommends looking for potty seats that include features that limit slipping and increase stability, such as rubber stoppers on the underside and side handles for gripping. Plus, sitting way up high with legs dangling and hanging on for dear life just isn’t comfortable, especially for a newbie. Children typically show signs of readiness, including dry diapers, an interest in the potty itself, running to a private area to poop, and predictable bowel movements, between the ages of 18 months to 36 months, according to Dr. Dylan Hes, medical director of Gramercy Pediatrics. Once your child has gotten used to using the separate potty chair, over-the-toilet potty seats work well in helping them transition to the toilet. As an added plus, potty seats tend to be easier to clean that potty chairs. How do you start potty training?

In addition to making your child feel more secure, a toddler-proportioned potty can help with the ergonomics of “the go.” Having their legs at a 90-degree angle (or even slightly squatted), with feet flat on the floor or a footstool, and sitting securely will help your child move their bowels more easily.

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When your child starts showing signs of toilet training readiness, you can start incorporating “sitting on the potty” into their daily routine. Equipped with lots of patience, some books, and cups of their favorite beverage, you’ll see them start to understand the sensation of going in the potty. Having the right equipment can make a big difference in how the potty training process goes. Just imagine approaching a toilet that is higher than your belly button, and you may be able to sympathize with how your toddler feels about grown-up toilets. BabyBjörn Toilet Trainer is a minimalistic potty chair alternative that fits on top of your regular toilet. This means no dumping or cleaning anything extra with each flush! Two adjustable flaps help secure this smaller seat on any size toilet, and the included tall splash guard ensures that waste goes where it should. Although it is a more rigid plastic, the contoured shape is pretty comfortable. This seat addition lets toddlers feel secure and grown up on an adult toilet and removes extra cleanup steps for parents, making it a win-win for everyone. A rubber carry handle allows for easy transportation and hanging for storage. The slim profile allows it to slip under the bathroom sink if you want it out of sight when guests stop by. However, toilet training is a big milestone in any toddler’s life, and it’s well worth the effort you are putting in. As one mom told me when I was despairing of potty training my very stubborn son, “He won’t go to college in diapers!”

With so many awesome features including a real life-like toilet flushing sound when you press the flush button, a lid that opens & closes and an integrated splash guard design that actually stays in place (hurrah) you'd be potty not to get your little one practicing using this.Some parents like to wait for the warm weather and just take away the diaper for 3 days straight and keep running to the toilet with their kids to train them, while others train their kids gradually,” she says. Lastly, Kirkilas recommends looking for potty seats that have roughly the same oval or circular shape as your toilet. Is it better to potty train on a potty seat or separate potty chair?

She recommends beginning potty training by letting your child sit on the potty seat or chair with the diaper on initially, so as not to be scared. Portable and convenient for travel making it perfect for travel. Your little one will train and feel like a big kid wherever you go! It’s a daunting task. Pee and poop end up in places they shouldn’t (like, really shouldn’t ), the laundry is endless, the carpet will never be the same, and everyone’s patience will be pushed to the limit.A potty chair, on the other hand, resembles a bowl or an actual tiny toilet. This option may feel much less intimidating for your child than climbing a step stool to sit on a full-size toilet. According to Kirkilas, both seats and chairs are useful in facilitating the potty training process. In his experience, however, he has found that potty chairs may be easier for a child to get used to at first. For boys, Kirkilas finds that a splash guard is helpful for preventing messes. “Some potty seats include a step stool, which can be helpful for parents who are physically unable to lift the toddler onto the seat as well as providing support to the child’s feet as they bear down for a bowel movement,” he adds. While children don’t have bowel and bladder control until after 18 months, you can begin exposing them to their potty at any age. Depending on your potty training approach, it may help some children get familiar with their own potty seat or chair.