Potty training a toddler can be a daunting task like climbing a mountain. Transition from diapers to big-girl or big-boy underpants is a monumental one for kids. Even if your child is initially resistant, most children do get there by age three or so, with girls generally preceding boys by a few months. Nighttime dryness may take another six months to accomplish.

There are some signs of readiness to watch for in your child. If you see some of these signs, your child just may be a candidate to start potty training. However, you also need to be ready for the climb…ready to put in some extra time, patience and laundry.

Watch for a combination of any of the following behaviors to signal your child’s readiness for potty training.

• Indicates a dislike of being in a wet or soiled diaper
• Announces “I went”, “I am going” or “I need to go”
• Understands the purpose of a potty
• Knows the words that your family uses for going to the bathroom
• Can pull own pants up and down
• Stays dry for a couple hours between diaper changes or wakes up dry after a nap
• Demonstrates curiosity about how other people use the bathroomGet Kids Motivated
  

A child’s conscious and successful effort to use the potty is an important milestone and signals a new level of physical, intellectual and emotional maturity. Children reach this milestone at different ages, and there is no benefit in trying to rush them. For potty training to be successful, your child must join in the process willingly – and that will happen, if you just let your child tell you when he is ready. Here are some ideas for starting the process.

• Shop for a potty seat and big-kid underwear together.
• Read books about the potty process
• Focus only on your own child and pay no attention to how your child’s readiness compares with other children’s.
• Realize that potty training is a collaborative effort and that you do not have the control.
• Understand that the process takes a while and that one or two successful attempts does not indicate that the goal has been accomplished. Expect accidents and respond to them very matter-of-factly…do not punish.
• Praise the action, not the child…”you went in the potty all by yourself” versus “you are such a good girl”
• Ask your child if they need to go, but don’t force them