Potty Training: Is Your Child Ready?

Unfortunately there is no real answer to the question “at what age should I start to potty train my toddler?” Rather than answering this question with an age, you should look to your toddler’s physical and psychological capabilities.

For example, is your toddler physically ready to be toilet trained? Can they walk to the toilet/potty by themselves? Can they get on and off the toilet fairly independently? If your toddler cannot do simple things such as this, you will be fighting a losing battle in trying to toilet train your toddler.

Also, is your toddler psychologically ready? In other words are they willing to try? Are they interested in sitting on the potty? Are they bothered if their nappy is wet?

Potty training your toddler

Your child will probably start to show signs of being ready for potty training between 18 months and 3 years of age.
It is important not to push your toddler to become potty trained before they are ready as failing could make even harder for them to succeed later, even when they are ready.

How to tell if your toddler is ready to be potty trained

There are a number of signs to look for to see if your toddler is ready to be potty trained. These can include:

• Your toddler regularly staying dry for at least two hours at a time
• Your toddler being able to follow simple instructions
• Your toddler wanting their nappy changed when it is dirty
• Your toddler asking to use the potty
• Your toddler asking to wear regular underwear
• Your toddler telling you they have a dirty nappy.

When your toddler starts telling you that they have a dirty nappy, you should praise this, and encourage your toddler to tell you before hand next time so you can get them to the potty.

Once you start to notice these signs, most people say to wait about three months to ensure your toddler is ready to be potty trained. This gives both you and your toddler time to prepare for potty training. You should look for books and stories to introduce the idea of potty training, start talking about using the potty soon etc.

How to help potty/toilet train your toddler

You as a parent will start to be able to predict when your toddler needs the toilet due to the change in their facial expression, posture, movements and what they say. As soon as you start to notice any signs of your toddler needing the toilet encourage them to sit on the potty/toilet and try.

You also need to look at your family situation. Potty training can be incredibly easy for some toddlers and a real battle for others. You should look at your family situation for the next few months and make sure there are no big obstacles in the way that could make potty training your toddler more difficult. For example if you have a new baby on the way or your working hours are going to increase, you may want to choose a less stressful and more appropriate time to potty train your toddler.