Ready for Potty Training?

Question

I know there is a wide range of ages for when different children have been potty trained (seen from 11 months to 4 years as extremes).
How do you know if a child is ready to be trained mentally and physically? What traits would they need to exhibit to show they are ready to be trained?
And if you really feel like typing more, any suggestions are always welcome for how to go about it :)
Thanks in advance!

Answer 1

Some children never show the signs. My oldest couldn't care less what was in his diaper and I'd had enough when he was 3 and took his diaper off, put on a pair of regular underpants and he was completely potty trained in 3 days including at night. I told him 3 year olds couldn't wear diapers.
My 2nd child I made the mistake of using Pull-Ups and that took me a year to potty train him but I started when he was just little over 2 years old.
My 3rd one, I used the new pull-ups that they could feel when they were wet. It didn't help one bit so I took them off and stuck on a pair of regular underwear and had him potty trained in a few weeks.
If you're looking for advice then don't ever use the pull-ups. Just wait until he's old enough to understand when you explain to him that he's too big for diapers and explain to him what he needs to be doing in the toilet or his potty chair (only one of my kids' would use a potty chair). Have him pick out his potty chair with you at the store and he'll be more likely to take to it. For the first 2-3 days, take him every 15 minutes to the potty, then for a couple days wait and go every 30 minutes then ask him every 30 minutes if he has to go and let him figure it out when he has to go and when he don't.
Be patient and never ever spank or yell if he has an accident. Just calmly explain to him again what he needs to do and explain the feelings so he knows when he has to go. It helps if the same sex parent takes the child to the bathroom a few times and lets the child see what has to be done or use a baby doll that wets.
If it's a boy you're training, use the cheerio method to help them learn to aim.
Good luck and be patient.

Answer 2

2 is a more appropriate age but some children do show signs earlier.

Can go long periods of time without wetting diaper.
can say potty or other bathroom associated words.
Hides to have a BM
Can pull his or her cloths up and down

Helpful hints. Get your child used to the potty by sitting them on it, I would not suggest a potty chair but a seat that fits on the toilet and a stool. Boy or girl needs to sit down to do both for boys when they have finely mastered BMs then they can turn around to pee pee.

To get your child aware of what has happened in the diaper, let them smell the poop and say shew you pooped and then point that out everytime you change them. My son became aware after a bit, but he has special needs so his toileting has been quite delayed. I have trained many a child in day care though and this how we got started. Hope that some of this helps.

Answer 3

I think when the kids are able to walk that potty training should start. work with the kids for 10-15 minutes several times a day on getting them to sit on the potty, when they go, then clap and make a big deal.

Answer 4

usually when your child begins to tell you they need a new diaper or let you know they have to go, or when you lay them down for a nap and they are still dry when they wake up, wanting to take off a dirty diaper would also be a good sign, i would just try every few hours to ask if they need to go and also take them in the bathroom with you so they see that is where you go, put them on the pot or get their own potty training chair or seat to go on the toilet leave them there about 10 minutes unless they get scared if your child has no interest i would not push them my son will be three in april and he showed interest before he was 2 and went a few times by himself both #1 and #2 and then he didnt go again until recently and he now tells me when he has to go or if i notice he has to go #2 cause i can tell i take his siaper/pull-up off and leave him walk around like that until he goes eventually its bed time or he goes on the pot usually it gets to bed time and he just holds it but at least i know he has control...you will know when your children are ready and just dont push them

Answer 5

pulling off their diaper or putting there hands down there pants is a starting to train sign. My daughter never really did that though, I just started telling her what a potty was and kept telling her what it was for. I sometimes even say mommy has got to go potty. She eventually understood what the potty was and what it was used for then she wanted to try it out for herself and bam, all I'm waiting for now is for her to be able to tell when she actually has to go.

Answer 6

I am raising two grandchildren and I asked their pediatrician about this very thing this past summer. He said a boy is ready at about 30 months and a girl is ready at about 27 months. He said that too many parents start too early and the child becomes frustrated. I followed his advice and it was easy to train my grandson last year.

Answer 7

When you give them a bath every night let them sit on the potty chair before they get in the tub. Don't force them to sit there just let them get used to it at first. My daughter does this with my grandson and he pees in the potty before he takes a bath. He is not two yet so she is just preparing him for when she wants to start potty training.

Answer 8

Most children are ready by 18 months to be trained but you can leave it until the 2nd birthday. I would not push it before this.

Answer 9

if she is ready for potty training there are four steps
1. she has to say dodo ,bobo ,pot pot or bathroom
2.she has to know how to take off her pamper
3.plays with potty
4.she has to know how to get on her potty
and she is ready

Answer 10

the first thing i noticed was waking up dry both naps and at night both are gone by the way side now. he would also stay dry longer during the day