Is Your Toddler Ready to Potty Train?

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If you are wondering if your toddler is ready to potty train … you’ve come to the right place. Potty training a toddler isn’t as hard as it seems. Really.

I have four kids and I trained them each around 22 months.  Yes, it was a lot of work for those 3 days, but once I was done… I WAS DONE. It was wonderful and our kids were so proud of themselves!  My friend’s daughter was potty trained by 18 months and my neighbor’s son was trained by 20 months.

In other countries, like India and China, they start training their babies to use the toilet before they are even one year old. I once read that in some countries, they even let kids go on sidewalks while they are training — wherever they are, they just go. So, if they are training their 6-month-old to use the bathroom and most are trained by 12 months, I think that it lets us know that it is possible.

So how do you know if your toddler is ready to potty train? Here are some signs:

• Watching you go to the bathroom
• Following big siblings into the bathroom
• Trying to wipe themselves or you
• Pretending to go to the bathroom
• Noticing when they are going to the bathroom (maybe pausing what they are doing or hiding behind a chair or saying “Uh Oh!”)
• Has a dry diaper for more than an hour
• Wakes up dry for three days in a row
• Interested in body parts
• Bowel Movements are predictable
• Trying to take pants off and put them back on (simple dressing)

In my eyes, these are readiness signs. Jump on board!  If you miss this opportunity, it may be a while before this window is open again!  You both need to be ready for it, because it will be time consuming.

If you are ready to go for it, you need to be prepared. 

• Stock up on your potty training must-haves.
• Read a book.  We suggest Potty Train in a Weekend.   It is a best-selling book that walks you through every area of potty training.

• Talk about it before you start.  “You are going to wear big kid underwear, too!”
• Buy a baby potty (Be sure to choose the right one!)
• Have a weekend free, where you have nothing else to do.
• Buy big kid underwear (Let your child pick them out).
• Decide if you want your son to urinate sitting or standing.
• Buy cleaning supplies (you’ll need them).
• If you are going to do a potty training reward chart or toys, get those ahead of time.

For more potty training tips, check out our Facebook page.  We talk about parenting topics, like this, on a daily basis.

 

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