At What Age Can a Child Start Potty Training?
Summary: As a parent, you may wonder when to begin the potty training process with your child. Children are ready to learn how to use a potty at different ages.

As a parent, you may wonder when to begin the potty training process with your child. Children are ready to learn how to use a potty at different ages. There is not a specific age that is considered the right age. A child can be taught whenever they, and you, are ready. Potty training is not something to take on lightly. It can be a time of frustration and anxiety for both a child and their parent, when either of them is not ready. Potty training requires a huge time commitment (at least for the first few days), love, patience, and consistency. Once the training process is underway, it must be adhered to. Any inconsistencies in the training plan will throw your child off track, which makes the process become more difficult for both of you.

Girls are generally ready to potty train before boys. Girls are often ready from as young as 18 months to as old as 3 years. Boys are usually not ready until around age 2 to 3 years. However, each child is different. Yours may be ready earlier than average or later. A few telltale signs will let you know that your child is ready to start the potty training process.


Telltale Signs Your Child Is Ready To Potty Train

Your child is ready to begin potty training when he exhibits four or more of the following signs:

• Expresses an interest in the bathroom – specifically the toilet. He wonders what the toilet does, or what a family member is doing in the toilet. He may want to flush the toilet himself. He talks about his potty chair, if he has one.

• Does not want to wear a wet or dirty diaper. He will tell you that he needs changed. He might even take off his wet diaper, and look for a clean one.

• He wants to wear underwear. He gets upset when you put diapers on him, because he wants to wear “big kid” underwear.

• He imitates his siblings. He wants to do the things that his older siblings do.

• Has a good attention span. He is able to focus on performing one action at a time, and finishing that action before starting something new.

• Enjoys verbal praise. It makes him happy to hear praise from you, such as “Good job!”

• Understand the words yes and no. He can understand that something is right or wrong.

• Stays dry for two or more hours during the day. There is at least a two-hour period of time between each wet or dirty diaper.

• Follows simple instructions. He can understand basic directions.

• Predictable bowel movements. He has a fairly regular schedule of wet and dirty diapers.

• He can pull his pants up and down by himself.

When your child is exhibiting several of these signs, he is ready to potty train. Are you ready?


Telltale Signs You Are Ready To Potty Train Your Child

A parent often exhibits signs that they are ready to begin the potty training process. Are you experiencing any of the following signs?

• Are you tired of spending money on diapers?

• Are you willing to spend the time it takes to potty train?

• Do you have the patience?

• Can you be consistent? This is the most important factor!

• Are you ready to help your child grow up and gain a little independence?

If you are tired of wasting money on diapers, then you might be ready to start potty training your child. However, a desire to stop buying diapers is not enough. The single more important aspect of potty training is consistency. Consistency is what teaches young minds, and old ones, new concepts. Once you start a potty training routine, you must stick with it. If you don’t, your child will become confused. He will think that it is fine to use diapers when he wants, or that he doesn’t have to use the potty. Once the potty training begins, it is essential to switch from diapers to underwear. It is helpful to use training pants at night – only at night, because your child may be too young to wake up during the night to use the bathroom.

Another important quality you must portray is patience. Try to remember that your child is learning a new process. It takes time to learn new concepts and routines. Patience and understanding will aid your little guy in developing a potty training routine free from anxiety or fear. Show him love, rather than anger. Anger and negative words will make his mind associate potty training with something bad. Negative associations can hinder his learning process. Instead of getting upset for what he doesn’t do, reward him for trying. Little rewards can go a long way to improving a child’s outlook. If your child finds potty training fun and interesting, he will learn much quicker than a child who is bored or uninterested.

Set your little guy up for success. Have a plan in mind before you start. Determine how you will implement a new potty routine. Purchase all of the supplies you will need before you being the process. You may want to have a child-sized potty chair, although a regular toilet is fine too. Have a good supply of underwear on hand. You will go through them pretty quickly in the first few days, and you don’t want to be stuck with all of them in the dirty laundry. Set some books in a basket close to the potty. You may also want to use a reward chart with stickers.