The time has come to potty train your toddler. You've shopped together for a potty seat and found the perfect one. You've been reading books about potty training. Before you get started, though, you'll want to make sure your toilet-ready tot is dressed for success. Whether you have a boy or girl, your toddler will be more likely to want to test-drive the toilet if she's wearing casual clothes (no costumes or princess dresses) that are easy to take on and off.

How does dressing my toddler a certain way affect her potty training success?

What your child wears during potty training has a lot to do with how comfortable and confident she will feel practicing using the toilet, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). General rules are to keep your child in loose, easy-to-remove clothing, and allow plenty of time to practice dressing and undressing before using the potty chair. It's a good idea to also encourage your child to sit on the potty with clothes on, then with clothes off, to make the habit seem seem less stressful.

Tips on dressing your toddler who's potty training

Follow these tips on how to dress your toddler while you're potty training her.

Ban the buttons… and belts, and other fasteners she might have to fumble with. Even if she's got the dressing skills to unbuckle and unzip and manipulate other clothing closures, she shouldn't have to deal with them at the same time she's trying to get settled on the potty.

Divide and conquer. Shelve the one-piece clothing items, such as overalls, and dress your toddler in tops and bottoms. Even if that cute one-piece playsuit doesn't have difficult fasteners, it will simply take your tot too long to get it off in order to use the potty.

Continue Reading Below

Be flexible. Opt for bottoms (pants, shorts) with stretchy waistbands that are easy to slide on and off. Sweatpants and leggings are ideal potty-training clothes, but you can also find little blue jeans and khakis with elastic waistbands.

Skirt the issue. At age 2 or 3, little girls are often in the dresses-only stage, so now's the perfect time to let your little princess have her way. It'll make potty training super easy, since she'll just need to deal with her underpants. Dresses can work even in winter with a pair of thick tights, as long as they're also easy to pull up and down.

Skip the shoes. Some tots like to take it all off when they go to the potty — at least from the bottom down. So when you're inside, let your little one go shoeless so she can easily slide her pants all the way off when she needs to.

Keep what's underneath in mind. Underwear is a key piece of potty training clothing, so remember that what covers your toddler's cute little bum should be super comfy. Look for underpants that are 100 percent cotton and fit just right (not too tight or too loose), especially around the waist. Training pants, which have a thickly padded crotch to absorb potty accidents, are okay for some kids but others will object to extra bulk between their legs. As for colors: Obviously all-white undies will be easiest to clean after an accident (bleach to the rescue!), but allowing your child to choose from the wide array of colors, patterns and designs out there will help put a positive spin on the potty training process.

Skip the clothes altogether. Seriously. Allowing your child to run around naked, especially in the summer, can be a quick way to get the job done. Just place a potty seat in a corner of the backyard or stash a couple in strategic areas of the house so your toddler can get to it quickly when the need to pee or poop arises.

Once your child is using the potty several times a day, she may be ready to skip diapers. Disposable or non-disposable training pants can help help bridge the transition, but don't force your child out of diapers and into big kid underwear before she's ready.