10 Signs Your Toddler Is Ready For Potty Training
Mazzy is 26 months and has started to show interest in the potty. Today she handed me a book called “Potty Time” and had me read it to her five times in a row while she sat on the toilet.
This was a BIG STEP for us because previously, she hasn’t been able to sit still on the thing for more than half a second. And most of the time, she was still wearing pants.
Still, she has yet to show any signs of actually USING the potty for it’s intended purpose besides just as an alternate reading area. My sister (known on my blog as Dr. B) is a school psychologist specializing in early childhood development and I asked her to tell me how I will know that Mazzy is ready for OFFICIAL TRAINING.
Here is her response…
————————–
Children usually begin to show signs they are ready for potty training between the ages of 18 and 30 months. Boys tend to start later than girls. Most children achieve mastery before the age of 5.
Nevertheless, the initiation of potty training should be based on what your child can do, not your child’s age. Additionally, many experts recommend waiting until 30 months before starting to potty train even if a child begins to show readiness signs earlier.
Waiting until your child is physically, emotionally, and intellectually ready increases the likelihood that he/she will achieve success early on, while pushing your child before he/she is ready has the potential to result in resistance to training and unnecessary frustration for all parties involved.
10 Signs Your Toddler is Ready For Potty Training
1. Your child dislikes being in wet or soiled diapers.
2. Your child knows the difference between being wet or dry.
3. Your child tells you when they are urinating or about to have a bowel movement.
4. Your child expresses interest in using the toilet, in his/her bowel movements, in how others use the bathroom, and/or in wearing underpants.
5. Your child can pull his/her pants up and down.
6. Your child stays dry for at least 2 hours during the day and has dry diapers after naps.
7. Your child has bowel movements at regular, predictable times.
8. Your child has the muscle control to hold their urine or bowel movement to get to the toilet.
9. Your child can understand and follow simple directions.
10. Your child can get to the potty, sit on it, and get off the potty.
It is always better to delay potty training if your child does not show interest or readiness signs. The longer you wait, the shorter and easier the process will be.
In other words, the less crap you will have to clean up off the floor.
Read more of Ilana (and Dr. B)’s writing at Mommy Shorts.
And don’t miss a post! Follow Ilana on Twitter and Facebook!
I agree with this SOOOOO much!! I pressured and pushed my son and he has multiple issues about the potty to this day. And he is almost 6. I took it a lot slower with my second child and she is trained at 3 and a half with no issues and no accidents. Let them lead. You and your child will be much less stressed.
Not sure how you would know #8, but otherwise, good info
I agree, my daughter is 2 1/2 and i feel like i have pushed her away from using the potty by pressuring her and making too big of deal out of it. I’m an axious kind of person and i am hoping to get her accepted to a very good preschool in the fall-only stipulation she has to be fully potty trained!! Well she isn’t even close-she will sit on the toilet and then pee her pants 5 minutes later. I am trying now to just let it happen-no pressure, no anxiety. I want her to feel comfortable. But just a word of advice to moms with young babies-don’t push the issue, let it happen when it happenes or you may delay the process even longer! I really believe that making to obig a deal too early just scares them away from the potty altogether!
my son is 3 1/2 and shows no interest in being potty trained. I am going to just let him decide when it’s time. I am hoping he is trained some time in his 4th year.
Everyone says don’t push or don’t tell them they did bad when they go on purpose in there pants and no I am not talking about accidents.My daughter was 17 months old when she brought me a diaper and said poo so I checked her and she had not gone so I put her on the potty and she went.I am not saying it was easy and she was not fully potty trained until 22 months pull down pants get on potty go,wipe and flush. I would reward her with stickers and praise when she did good and when she did not I let her know that peeing in her pants was not good.She is now 26 months old and almost potty trained at night.We take her once more before we go to bed around 12-1 we are night people,some times she will wake up and come get me to go. I will consider her fully night time trained when she can hold it thru the night or go by herself.My advice would be do what works for you and don’t listen to everyone else.