41 % of kids are done potty-training by the age of 4. But when should you start the whole process?
No question about it. You’re more than ready for your toddler to be potty trained.
You’re tired of dealing with their poopy piles of stink, accidentally getting peed on, spending a fortune on diapers, arguing with your partner about whose turn it is to change the diapers, and wrestling with your toddler to get her to hold still while you change her diaper…
The sad news is that your toddler doesn’t care about how it’s going to make life easier for you when she’s potty trained.
So if you want your child to be potty trained, you’re going to have to watch for signs that she’s ready to be potty trained. That’s what’s going to get you closer to not having to deal with dirty diapers anymore – and to having your child mature and become more independent.
According to KeepKidsHealthy.com, there are 4 main components to know if your child is ready to be potty trained:
- Is your toddler’s bladder able to hold large amounts of urine? The way to tell is to watch for longer and longer space between wet diapers. If your child can stay dry for 2 hours and then pees a lot in the diaper, this is an indication that his bladder is getting more mature and is more ready for potty training.
- Does your child know when he’s peeing? In the article from KeepKidsHealthy, they call this “recognizing that she is voiding.” Your toddler has to be able to tell when the voiding/peeing is happening. Without this ability, it’ll be hard for him to take himself to the toilet before it happens.
- Can your child physically do what’s involved to go to the toilet? If your toddler can’t walk on her own yet, it’s going to be hard to start toilet training. Likewise, if your toddler has trouble pulling down his own pants that will make it more difficult too. Start practicing these skills with your child if you want to start getting them ready for toilet training.
- Is your child interested in potty-training? Some kids aren’t bothered by wet or poopy diapers. Some kids don’t want to sit on the toilet and aren’t curious about toilets. If this is the case with your son or daughter, they’re probably not ready for toilet training yet.
Pediatrician Belinda Lou, MD recommends that parents watch for the above components in your toddler for 3 full months before trying to start your toddler with potty training.
Which of the above criteria is your toddler already showing? Which ones aren’t present yet? Share your experiences in the comments section below.
Potty Training Readiness [Keep Kids Healthy]
Photo credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/ntr23/ / CC BY-NC-SA 2.0
