It’s important to proceed with potty training with patience and a positive attitude, says Dr. Daniel Neuspiel, associate chairman of pediatrics at Beth Israel Medical Center in New York. Put aside your child’s diapers and buy some underwear or training pants and then follow these steps:

Set aside training time: “A lot of parents today just don’t have the time or energy to focus the whole day on potty training so I like them to set aside two hours when they’re at home with the child to work on the process,” says Faull. After the first hour, take the child to the toilet or potty, sit them on it, and encourage them to try peeing into it. Then keep track if they’ve gone and if they have, put on a clean pull-up or underwear and keep trying again.

Find the right throne: While all three of Faull’s children preferred sitting on the toilet over using a potty, parents need to find the method that’s going to sit well with their child, she says. Dr. Neuspiel has found that kids generally prefer the potty to using a potty seat on an adult toilet. “A lot of kids get scared when they’re sitting on the regular toilet, particularly after they defecate if they hear a big plopping sound.”

Heap on the praise: Any time your child takes a step toward toilet training success, respond with positive feedback, says Dr. Neuspiel. “When the child sits on the potty chair, even if they have their clothes on, clap your hands and smile,” he says. “Don’t do anything negative or punish the child for not using the potty or having an accident during the training period or even after training.”

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