How To Tell When A Toddler Is Ready For Potty Training
Potty training a toddler can be a challenge for both parent and toddler. It requires patience and understanding from the parent and a certain amount of willingness from the toddler. However, there is no reason why your toddler cannot be potty trained after just one, or maybe two weeks. Before we potty trained our toddler I had no idea just how quickly it can be done and I thought it went on for weeks or even months before a toddler was completely dry.
The key points to remember in order to achieve the best potty training results are patience, encouragement and preparation. However, as I just mentioned there must be a level of willingness from the toddler in order to begin potty training. Even if you are well prepared and you are the most tolerant parent in the world, potty training will fall flat right away if your toddler is not ready. There are some signs to look out for, that tell you that your toddler is ready for potty training.
The signs include: they are over 18 months, they still have a dry nappy following a daytime nap, they retain a dry nappy for a couple of hours at a time, they become aware that they are doing a pee or a poop and might point to their nappy and say the words, they have started to attempt to dress themselves or they are eager to undress themselves, they can point and say names of their own body parts, they can sit still and remain occupied for 5 – 10 minutes.
If your toddler is ready for potty training it will make things a lot easier all round, so when asking yourself when should I start potty training, look for all of these signs before you consider starting. If your toddler only shows a few of these signs then you should wait a little longer. In addition to spotting the signs there are some useful things you should look at getting prior to starting this process. This list is not exhaustive but it contains the things that I found beneficial.
Get two potties – you need to be near a potty at all times for the first few days. Having one upstairs and one downstairs will help reduce the risk of accidents.
Cheap pants (panties, underwear) – there will be accidents and mishaps. By buying lots of pairs of cheap pants you won’t have to worry about continually washing them and if they get really soiled you can just trash them.
Toddler toilet seat – this will be especially useful if you let your toddler use the toilet throughout their potty training. We bought one to fit on our toilet, which has a small toddler seat that fits inside the regular seat and is held up when not in use by a magnet.
Anti-bacterial wipes – now is the time to keep your toilet and the potty extra clean. Little fingers find their way into all kinds of places and toddlers will be keen to inspect and touch what they have done. Keep wipes handy and close by for an after-event clean up.
Flushable wipes – brands such as Huggies make wipes that are flushable. The benefit of these is that they can be used on bottoms and flushed away with the contents of the potty. Most wipes are good for their purpose but are not suitable to be flushed down a toilet.
For a more in-depth guide on potty training in just one week, as well as a list of useful things to prepare, visit www.totsandtoddlers.net.
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Posted in: Uncategorized by Betty on March 1, 2012 @ 8:31 am