When To Start Potty Training Your Child
As a parent, you have finally made it to the stage of potty training. Congratulations! With the thought of no more diapers just around the corner, many parents come to me asking where do I even begin? How do I know when my child is ready to start potty training? Look no further, below you will find 5 signs that your child is ready to start potty training and tips to help get you there!
When To Start Potty Training Your Child
When should you start? It depends! There is no perfect time or secret age that is best to start potty training. Many chose to start potty training sometime between 18 months & 3-4 years of age. As a pediatric pelvic floor therapist I tend to recommend that families start sometime after 24 months and before 36 months, as some research suggests that starting too early or too late can increase instances of dysfunctional voiding and constipation.
That being said, the best time to start depends on your child’s development, cognitive abilities, and most importantly whenever you feel ready to be committed to the process. I have found over and over again, the families that have the most success are those that follow their child’s cues and signs that they are ready to begin the process.
Signs of Potty Training Readiness
These key 5 signs to help you determine if your child is ready to begin the potty training process.
Being able to walk, put on and remove clothing
Can your child independently walk to the bathroom, pull down their pants & underwear (including managing zippers/buttons if needed), and sit themselves on the potty? Kids are notorious for waiting until the last minute for when they REALLY need to go to try. If managing clothing and getting to the bathroom is difficult, it can make the process of potty training that much more difficult and cause more accidents along the way. It is okay if your child needs a little bit of extra help pulling up their pants and fastening them after, but aim for independence in these skills before starting.
Pulls at diaper when full or tells you when they need to go pee or poop
Is your child starting to let you know when their diaper is full or when they need to go? This can look like pulling on a full diaper, acting uncomfortable when it is full, or telling you. Some kids will even announce out of nowhere that they need to go potty. This is a great indicator that they are ready to start the process! This tells us that they are aware of when their diaper is soiled and that they are dissatisfied with sensation, or that they need to go! Without this awareness, children will have a more difficult time anticipating the need to go before it happens.
Is your child not there yet? Try having them spend time in less absorbent diapers or even put underwear under the diaper! Diapers these days are so absorbent that many kids can’t even sense when they are going. You can help draw attention to it, by saying in a very neutral or positive tone “Looks like you just pooped, let’s go change your diaper.”
Imitating toileting behavior
Does your child show interest in the potty? Do they express a desire to sit on the toilet? At some point in time children start to get curious about the potty. Make it a point to be very open about the potty and let them watch you if you are comfortable with that. Read books about the potty and narrate when you have to go “Mommy has to go pee now, she is going to go use the potty.” Allow them to explore the bathroom and get them their own floor potty to practice sitting on. The more exposure they have and the more interest they show in it- the more they will be ready for the process to begin.
You are changing fewer wet diapers a day (staying dry through nap or night)
Have you noticed that you are changing fewer wet diapers throughout the day? Or that they are staying dry through a nap or overnight? This is a sign of developing bladder and bowel control and that they will be ready to begin.
Follows Instructions
Can your child follow simple instructions? You want your child to be able to understand simple 1-2 step directions in order to be safe and learn the process. Can you tell your child to “sit down” or “stand up” and they understand you? While most toddlers don’t always listen to directions, it is important that they can understand what you are asking of them when you start the process. Potty training comes with many steps and we want to set kids up for success by allowing them to understand what you are asking of them.
TIP: When potty training, I suggest using statements with your child rather than giving them a choice with a question. For example, “we are going to go sit on the potty now” as opposed to “do you want to try to sit on the potty?” 9/10 when asked a question about toileting your child will say no.
Things to Consider When Starting to Potty Train
So your child is ready to start, now what? Take a deep breath, you have got this!
There is no one approach that fits all. Find a method that works best for you and your family! I always recommend a more staggered approach rather than a full lock down mode. Some things to help you get started: always reward poos (no stinky or dirty messages), insure adequate water intake throughout the process (to help avoid constipation & withholding), get a special toy that they can play with on the potty (a potty friend), take your child every 2-3 hours to try, and reward the effort - not dryness and of course expect accidents! Know that daytime dryness proceeds nighttime dryness.
Want even more help? Reach out for a FREE consultation and get on our waitlist for our OWN Your Potty Training Online course coming soon, to receive a discount code and stay up to date on its launch.