Parent tip
Set out plastic cups and water before inviting your toddler in so the first minute feels smooth.
Drink and Wait Wiggle
Drink a cup of water together, then sit on a soft mat and 'wait for the wiggle' — the body signal that means a wee is coming. Builds the awareness toddlers need to spot their own potty cues.
Activity details
Instructions
- Sit on a soft mat or rug with the potty within sight.
- Pour two small cups of water — yours and theirs.
- Together, drink the water. Pretend cheers if you like.
- Settle in. 'Now we wait for the wiggle. You'll know when you feel one.'
- Pass the time with a quiet game — building blocks, looking at a book.
- Watch for body signals: shifting, going still, holding their tummy.
- When you notice a signal, say: 'Wiggle! Quick — to the potty!'
- Help your child to the potty. Whether anything happens or not, praise the noticing.
What success looks like
A few quiet minutes together without pressure. If your child relaxes even slightly, that’s self-regulation building.
Pour two small cups of water and sit on a soft mat with your toddler. Drink your cups together, then settle in to wait for the wiggle — the small body sensation that signals a wee is on the way. When your toddler notices a wiggle (or you notice them shifting), you both rush to the potty together. The point is to give your toddler a felt experience of how the body builds up to a wee, instead of arriving on the potty already needing to go without warning.
Why it helps
ERIC's potty training guidance is direct on this point: try to avoid prompting or asking your child too often, and instead wait until you think they need to go and then direct them gently. The drink-and-wait game does the opposite of constant prompting — it gives the toddler a structured opportunity to notice their own body signals before the parent intervenes. NHS guidance reinforces this: noticing they have passed urine is the first step to being aware of when they will need to wee, and the drink-and-wait creates that noticing moment in a controlled context.
Variations
- Use a small sand timer — when the timer runs out, ask 'Any wiggles yet?'
- Drink different liquids — water, weak squash, milk — to let your child notice timing differences.
- Sit by a window so the wait has a view to keep their attention.
Safety tips
- Keep the water amount small to prevent overwhelming bladder pressure.
- Stay nearby in case your child can't make it to the potty in time.
- Have a wipeable mat under the play area — accidents are part of learning.
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