When To Start Potty Training – Signals To Help You Decide When To Start Potty Training
Potty Training Readiness Signs – Signals To Help You Decide When To Potty Train Your Child
More and more parents want to know when to potty train their children – particularly at the economy weakens and they’re looking for ways to cut back on unnecessary expenditures, such as diapers. And frankly, in addition to the other benefits you and your family will receive, fast-forwarding to a diaper-free household is a great way to save money!
However, before you begin potty training your child, you must be certain they’re ready physically and developmentally (mentally, emotionally, socially, etc.), otherwise you’re likely to frustrate yourself and your little one. So, let’s begin here…
First, there is no one exact age when all toddlers are ready for potty training. However, most pediatricians and The American Academy of Pediatrics agree that normal, healthy children between the ages of 18 and 27 months are potty training ready. And after three decades of potty training boys and girls, I agree – however, there are exceptions to this rule both ways. I’ve personally potty-trained children as young as 15 months and as old as 29 months. If I had to draw a "safe" line in the sand I’d say that the vast majority of children are more than ready by the time they’re two.
Having said this, however, keep in mind that experts agree that developmental skills are much better predictors of potty training readiness, than chronological age. What are these signs? As luck would have it, I’ve included some of the most common potty training readiness signals in the list below.
Most likely, children are at the right potty training age if they…
1. Have sufficient cognitive and/or language skills. If so, they… ? Understand simple explanations, commands, and/or instructions and respond appropriately – either verbally or otherwise
* Comprehend undemanding words and phrases such as, "pee pee," "poop," "potty," etc.
* Show that they’re aware of their body parts (especially genitals – theirs and others)
* Mimic Mom, Dad, siblings, or friends
* Demonstrate a basic understanding of cause and effect (e.g. they’ll need to make the connection between urinating and the potty chair)
Please keep in mind that toddlers’ language skills – i.e. how well they talk or how many words they say – are not the important factors – rather, it’s how well they understand simple speech.
2. Have fully matured sphincter muscles. If so, they might…
* Squat, grunt, or display other signs of awareness when he/she is having a bowel movement
* Pull their diapers when urinating
* Urinate less often, but more at one time
* Have more regular bowel movements
* Remain dry for hours – particularly throughout the night (you may also notice that nighttime bowel movements are the first to go)
Please note: Parents may still be waking up to wet diapers even if their children are ready for potty training if they’re in the habit of drinking right before bedtime or taking a cup or bottle to bed. In this event, I advise parents to conduct this experiment: Cut back on liquids two to three hours before bedtime and change their children right before they’re put down for the night. (Yes, this means no bottle.) Do this for several nights and see what happens. Most of the time this makes it much easier for toddlers to stay dry all night and provides an opportunity for parents to make a more accurate assessment. Oh, another thing… if you try this, be sure to change your son’s or daughter’s diaper as soon as they wake up – otherwise, if they’re diaper is wet you won’t know when they urinated!
3. Exhibit mature motor skill development. If so, they may…
* Pull their pants up or down
* Undress or dress themselves
* Put on their shoes or socks – or at least try
4. Have advanced emotional and social skills. If so, they may…
* Get annoyed when things are not in their usual spots. For instance, you might hear something like, "No, Mommy, that cup goes here!"
* Signify that they’re proud of their accomplishments. For example, they may say, "Daddy, look what I did!"
* Insist on doing things themselves. For instance, I was sure my granddaughter, Sevy, was more than ready for potty training when every other sentence she uttered was, "No, Grammie. Sevy can do it!" (She said it so often for a while that I thought her name was Sevy-Can-Do-It :>)
I hope these tips have been useful in helping you decide when to potty train your toddler. As you’ve surmised, there is not a one-size-fits-all answer for all children, and while it’s never a good idea to push toddlers before they’re ready, you certainly don’t want to wait until your son or daughter asks to use the potty (if so, hunker down for the long haul and take stock out in Pampers) or postpone it until his or her stubborn streak vanishes (ditto). If this were true there would be a whole lot of us still waiting to potty train our 30-year-olds!
In the end use these guidelines and your own instincts and you’ll do just fine.
By: Mary Eule
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Mary E. Eule, BA, MS is a professional writer and researcher who has spent the last three decades helping parents potty train their children in 48 hours or less. She is the developer of the BRIEFS potty training system and author of the e-book, "The Official BRIEFS Potty Training Guide." Visit her website: www.AskThePottyTrainer.com to download her free potty e-course or to get more free information about potty training readiness.
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