How Do You Know Your Child Is Ready to Potty Train?

From the time their babies can walk, parents begin wondering when it’s time to potty train. You watch for signs, and, even though you know you shouldn’t, you compare your child’s readiness with that of other children. Is it time? Will it be a problem if you rush him or her? While every child is different, there are some general guidelines to help you choose the right time to start the training process.

Here are some tips for knowing when your child is ready to potty train.

1. Age

Some children potty train as early as 15 months (or at least they’re ready to start), while others aren’t even interested in starting until they are close to three years old. This is all within the range of normal, although if you have a late one it can be frustrating. Still, understanding that it’s okay if your child isn’t ready to start until age three or so can help ease your concerns.

2. Signs of Readiness

Perhaps a better indication than age are the signs that your child is ready to begin potty training. Here are some of the things to look for as you determine when to start potty training your child.

* He or she has soiled diapers at about the same time every day. This means he is starting to be more regular in his bathroom habits and a rough schedule or training routine could be implemented.

* His diaper stays dry for some time, for two hours or upon waking from a nap.

* He follows family members into the bathroom to see what they’re doing, and shows general interest in the toilet and using it.

* He knows words that involve the bathroom, like “pee” or “poop” or whatever your family says.

3. Communication

A big part of potty training is communication. You’re watching for signs, yes, but it’s important for success that your toddler be able to tell you in some way that he or she has to use the bathroom. It could be signs they make with their hands, or gestures like tugging at their diaper. So try to foster the communication relationship with your toddler, and once you have some kind of back-and-forth, you’re more likely to succeed when you start potty training.

Also, it’s important that your toddler be able to follow directions, as this is crucial with potty training.

4. Pants Up and Down

Can your toddler pull his or her pants up and down again? That’s another sign of physical readiness (although not necessarily emotional readiness).

As you look for these signs, it’s important to realize that they happen at different ages for different people; but you can begin to watch for them at around the age of 18 months (if you haven’t seen any signs sooner).