Before diving headfirst into potty training your toddler, check to see if they have these common potty training readiness signs.
Today we continue our potty training mini series as part of our ongoing “The First Years” series that is covering the most precious little years!
After Alina Joy’s intriguing and inspiring post on infant potty training last week, you may be thinking: “Wow, that’s wonderful and I hope I try that method with future babies, but my child is already past the infant years…and still not potty trained.”
I understand! In a few weeks, I’ll be sharing about my very own potty training “failure.”
Most experts agree that if you don’t potty train (or take away the pacifier or bottle or sleep train, etc.) by a certain age, it will be more challenging. And if, like me, you missed the window of time where you child was more apt to cooperate with early training, it’s important to recognize certain signs of readiness before diving in headfirst (or should it be booty-first–on the potty?). 😉
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Again, I want to emphasize that I’ve been humbleD in this area. I am NO expert, but from everything I’ve read, your child should show most of the following signs before you attempt any method of potty training (past the infant years):
1. Physical Readiness:
- Dry diapers for longer periods–especially through nap and night
- Predictable pattern of pooping–and not pooping through the night
- Less frequent urination (as if they are “holding” it to go all at once)
- Awareness of needing to go (holding selves, hiding while going, grunting, etc. while going)
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2. Motor Skills Readiness:
- ability to undress self
- ability to squat down on potty
- ability to lift and shut toilet seat and flush
3. Verbal Readiness:
- understands potty training vocabulary
- can verbalize to you when he/she needs to go
4. Emotional Readiness:
- has the desire to go potty
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Now, although your child doesn’t necessarily have to exhibit all signs of readiness, I think it’s important that he/she has at least mastered most of them.
Some children may master these skills by 18 months…but others may not until closer to 4!
As I will write about in an upcoming post, my daughter had mastered almost all of the signs except the desire AND waking up dry in the morning by the time she was 2. In fact, my daughter JUST started waking up dry in the morning for the first time ever…and she will be 4 in a month!
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It’s also important to note that, although your child may be showing many readiness skills, it’s important to look at the entire picture of your family’s life season before training. Is a new baby coming? Is your family moving? Is daddy (or mommy) starting a new job and will be gone from home more than normal?
All of these things can make a big impact on the overall success of your child’s potty training experience! Each family has to evaluate their child and their life season and pray through when to begin this life-changing process for their child!
What are your tips for identifying potty training readiness?
Read all our potty training posts HERE!
For a good potty training manual, I would recommend checking out the book Oh Crap! Potty Training. It’s available in both Kindle and paperback, and has received a lot of reviews on Amazon!
Liz
I have been wondering about this. My son is almost 2 and a half and displays most of these signs, but he’s really not good at telling me when he needs something. We have done sign language as his first language and he is just now telling me when he is hungry, but usually only if I ask. I can usually tell when he starts to get cranky that it’s time to eat again. But he definitely doesn’t have the desire, I don’t think he knows what to do ????
But I haven’t officially started training yet. Actually, I’m a little afraid to start.
Erin
I would wait until you both seem 100% ready! Check the archives for a post I wrote called “Child-Led Potty Training”!