The average age of potty training falls around 27 months, and most toddlers start working on this skill between 18 months and 3 years of age. The readiness to begin potty training based solely on the child. So it is very important to follow the child instead of following the anxiety of parents who in a competitive race to push the kid toward each developmental milestone marker.

Well, relax. The more ready the child is, the shorter the time it will take to train.

When the ability to control bowel and bladder muscles comes with proper growth and development, your child will show you the signs of readiness, and that would be the ideal time to start with the gentlest and smoothest approach.

In this post, I will share the signs and tips.

Let’s talk about the signs:

1.           Dry diaper over the period

This is a physical sign when the child drinking the same amount of water as usual but the diaper remains dry over greater periods of time. It shows that bladder control has developed to hold urine.

2.           Request to change diapers

When the child doesn’t like a dirty diaper or the child takes off the diaper because it’s wet, it will be the time to start as they will not like the feeling of wet or big poops in pants when training begins.

3.           Aware that others go toilet

The child starts noticing parents go toilet and they start commenting or saying that they want to go toilet indicating that the child starts developing the understanding of body functions.

4.           Child notices they are going to pee

Randomly, when you bathe your child and he pees in the toilet and he said ‘I just peed’. It shows that his awareness level is growing along with the physical maturity.

Tips for parents:

1.           Be ready to clean up the mess

Initially, a child might just pee or poo everywhere, anytime as if they are wearing a diaper. So be ready to clean up and they might play with the urine or poops!

2.           No expectation

Do not expect the child will inform you or go potty on his own every time they got the urge. Accidents will happen, but do not show faces or use words like messy, yuck, or dirty to embarrass your child. No expectation will make the child feel more relaxed and less anxious, and therefore more able to practice and master this new skill.

3.           Respect the child and follow the child

Try not to ask your child if they want to go to the toilet. Let them tell you and if they do not tell you is okay. Every single experience on accident teaches them new lessons of holding urine and when they should go. Potty training should come in natural and relaxed way.

4.           Prepare a proper environment

Set up a corner with a potty so they know where they should head to when they need it but not searching everywhere for the potty when they got the urge.

5.           Separate into phases

Training can go by phases. You can start from the morning session like three to four hours. When accident does not happen during the morning session over a few days, continue to the afternoon session.

Guides for children:

1.           Make it comfortable

If your child refuses to use potty, you can let him practice sitting on the potty without taking off pants and diaper every morning after breakfast for a few minutes. You can do it for one week before the ditch-diaper-training starts.

2.           Talk to them

You can talk to them on where the poop and urine should go.

3.           Guide them to clean together

Children feel satisfied when they manage to do things on their own. So encourage them to bring the potty to the toilet and clean together, and most importantly let them press the flush button to complete the whole process. And when an accident happens, invite them to the world of cleaning! The world of cleaning up shouldn’t be lonely. Sooner or later, they find it troublesome and they will do it better. Be gentle and soft because it’s not a punishment.

4.           Moderate compliment

When they pee or poo in the potty, praise them specifically on their effort, but not exaggerate it. Glowing praise tends to focus on stroking a child’s ego instead of constructive praise that teaches him what it means as a good job. This should be in a soft but happy tone. Avoid the praise like ‘Wow’, ‘Excellent’.

In a conclusion, potty training is a practice. So, follow your child and assist him in the practice.