TinyStepper
Boy sitting cross-legged on a teal cushion blowing a pinwheel with fairy lights above

Potty Goodbye Wave

Make flushing a celebration — wave bye-bye to the wee or poo and cheer as it swirls away. Normalising the process reduces resistance.

Activity details

19m–3y5 minslowindoorNo prep

Instructions

Get ready
  • 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!'
  1. After your child uses the potty (or even if they just sat on it without going), make the transfer to the toilet together.
  2. Let your child help tip the potty contents into the toilet: 'Ready? Let us pour it in!'
  3. Stand together at the toilet and wave: 'Bye bye wee! Have a nice swim!'
  4. Let your child press the flush button or pull the handle: 'YOU get to press the button!'
  5. Watch the water swirl together: 'Whoooosh! Look at it go! Bye bye!'
  6. Cheer: 'You did the whole thing! Sit, wee, pour, flush, BYE BYE! That is amazing!'
  7. Wash hands together — make this part of the celebration too: 'And now we wash our clever hands!'
  8. Over time, your child will request the goodbye wave — the ritual becomes the motivation.

Parent tip

Start before you overthink it. No-prep activities work best when you begin while the moment is still recoverable.

Relaxed child lying on a floor cushion with blanket and pinwheel in a cosy calm corner

What success looks like

A few quiet minutes together without pressure. If your child relaxes even slightly, that’s self-regulation building.

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.

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.

Want to try another?

Potty Body Scan Game

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