One of the most frequently asked questions from new parents is “what is the right age to potty train?” The short answer is “There are none.” Regardless of what you may hear from well-meaning friends and relatives, the right age for potty training is when your child is ready. Attempting to potty train a child who has not shown any signs of being ready will frustrate both you and the child and quite possibly make them resistant to potty training in the future.
Helping Your Child Prepare
You can help your child prepare for potty training by fostering his natural curiosity. Let him follow you to the bathroom and explain that you are going to the bathroom. Let him learn how the bathroom works. If your natural curiosity leads you to happily start flushing out everything in sight, a simple lock on the toilet seat from the hardware store will save your sanity and pocketbook.
It can also help you recognize that you are going to the bathroom. Ask if her diaper is wet. When he begins to tell you on his own that he needs to be changed, he is about to be ready to potty train. Switching to cloth diapers at this point will also help, as cloth diapers do not absorb moisture from your skin, you will be better able to feel wet.
Be prepared yourself
Prepare to potty train by having the things you’ll need close at hand. If you decide to use a potty or potty, have it ready. Your child will need training pants or underwear that you can let him choose. You may decide to give it a try if it means you can wear your new special Superman underwear.
Prepare your team
Anyone who interacts with your child should be prepared to support their toilet training efforts and methods. Daycare providers, family, friends, or anyone who needs to help you should know what words you will use to tell them you need to go to the bathroom and what to do to help you.
You will get frustrated with the process if you try to tell someone that you need to go to the bathroom and they don’t understand what you want to say or what routine to expect. If he’s using a sticker board or other booster / reward system, he will be very upset if he uses the potty and doesn’t get a sticker from Grandma.
The only one who can tell you when your child is ready to potty is your child. If you are prepared yourself, you can act quickly and seize the window of opportunity when it presents itself.
