Best for this moment
for calmer, lower-pressure moments, especially when you need an indoor option.
Potty Goodbye Wave
At a glance: Make flushing a celebration — wave bye-bye to the wee or poo and cheer as it swirls away. Normalising the process reduces resistance. A 5-minute, low-energy indoor activity for ages 19m–3y. No prep needed.
Many toddlers resist the potty because the process feels strange, unfamiliar, or even frightening (some children are genuinely scared of flushing). This activity turns the flush into a ceremony: wave goodbye, say 'bye bye wee!', press the button together, and cheer as the water swirls. By making every step of the potty routine playful and celebratory, you replace anxiety with excitement and turn a dreaded task into a game.
Parent tip
Start before you overthink it. No-prep activities work best when you begin while the moment is still recoverable.
What success looks like
A good outcome is a few minutes of engaged play, some back-and-forth with you, and a small sign of progress in body awareness.
More help for this situation
Morning rush activities
Morning rush
Quick, zero-prep ideas for the ten minutes before you need to leave the house.
Browse quick activitiesInstructions
- After your child uses the potty (or even if they just sat on it without going), make the transfer to the toilet together.
- Let your child help tip the potty contents into the toilet: 'Ready? Let us pour it in!'
- Stand together at the toilet and wave: 'Bye bye wee! Have a nice swim!'
- Let your child press the flush button or pull the handle: 'YOU get to press the button!'
- Watch the water swirl together: 'Whoooosh! Look at it go! Bye bye!'
- Cheer: 'You did the whole thing! Sit, wee, pour, flush, BYE BYE! That is amazing!'
- Wash hands together — make this part of the celebration too: 'And now we wash our clever hands!'
- Over time, your child will request the goodbye wave — the ritual becomes the motivation.
Why it helps
Potty training resistance is often rooted in anxiety about the unfamiliar rather than defiance. NHS guidance recommends keeping potty training positive and pressure-free. By creating a ritual around the flush — the most common source of potty anxiety — you transform it from an unpredictable, loud event into a predictable, controlled celebration. The child's sense of control (they press the button, they wave goodbye) directly counters the helplessness that drives resistance. Repetition of the ritual also builds procedural memory, so the potty routine becomes automatic over time.
Variations
- Add a special wave — a silly dance, a spin, or a hand-flap that is unique to the potty goodbye.
- For children scared of the flush: start by flushing with the lid down so they only hear it. Gradually progress to watching.
- Let them flush for teddy first — 'Teddy did a wee! Shall we wave goodbye for teddy?' Role-play reduces the child's direct anxiety.
Safety tips
- Always supervise toilet flushing — small fingers can get caught under heavy lids or in the flush mechanism.
- Keep toilet cleaning products locked away — the celebration should not include exploring the cupboard under the sink.
- Never force a child to watch or participate if they are genuinely frightened of flushing — start with the lid down and build up.
When to pause and seek extra support
Stop if your child becomes distressed, unsafe, or consistently frustrated by the activity. If play, behaviour, or development worries keep showing up across settings, check in with a qualified professional.
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