When’s the best time to start toilet training with my toddler? How do I know if he’s ready?
Call it potty training, toilet learning or elimination communication, it all means the same thing—no more late night runs to the drugstore to buy diapers. But when? And how?
Ignore the masses: Don’t worry about the ‘right age’ for toileting. If their communication skills are good enough to understand basic instructions give it a go. Don’t feel badly if you have to put it off for a while. Busy holiday seasons or the arrival of new siblings are reason enough to keep the diaper bag stocked for a bit longer. Even waiting until the summer where there are fewer layers of clothing to deal with is sometimes a good bet. There’s no magic window of opportunity.
Commit: You don’t necessarily have to wait for your child to show interest. If you have a particularly active child, sitting still on the potty may not be something he’ll voluntarily choose to do if there is nothing in it for him. Load up on rewards and goodies, give yourself permission to bribe shamelessly with chocolate, and set aside a few days at home to go cold turkey. If it’s not going as you hoped after the first day or two, try again in a few weeks.
Nanny Carrie’s Tip: Kids learn by example. And it is way more fun listening to other kids than listening to boring old mom. Hook up with some older friends who will be proud to show off their skills. Even better, when younger playmates are around, your child will have a chance to shine too. My little guy always had a built in cheerleading section at playgroups –nothing like a round of Smarties for the house to get all the other toddlers shouting ‘Go pee!!!’
Nanny Carrie needs some feedback! We’ve covered a lot of toddler issues. Do you have questions about your school aged kids or tweens? Post ‘em here!
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Toileting is something that people always get worked up about. I’ve had such different experiences….a 17 month old who self trained, to a 3.5 year old who I ended up locking myself in the house with for a weekend and trained like a dog. LOL! As a general rule, I just don’t worry about it….like most things, it’s not like you’ll be sending them off to college with diapers and bottles
In total agreement with Julie. I’ve had a self-trainer, a 3.5 year old who cut it way close to the deadline of JK starting (and I had to push), and now I’m embarking on the third who is already past 2.5 and enjoys taunting me with his diaper parades. We’ll see how this one goes!
And it’s true – they do seem to take more interest when older siblings (or other kids) are also doing it. Acting like a ‘big kid’ has some appeal…sometimes…
We are currently PT my newly-turned 3 year old twins and not having much luck. This is the second go at it and though we are doing a little better than the first time around, the girls honestly seem traumatized by the whole thing. I honestly think I missed the window on this and should have started them a little earlier. They are *too* independent now and have each other to team up against me!
I think I am going to throw in the (wet) towel again and try in a few months. They are starting to hold it all in and I really don’t want issues down the line. As PP’s said, they won’t be wearing diapers to high school!
Funny though…we follow all advice (cheering, rewards, watching older siblings, me and friends) and NOTHING works for my girls! They do NOT like “attention” and get angry when receiving positive feedback! They have an entire bin of wrapped gifts (dollar store items, stickers, etc.) in front of their potty chairs and even that isn’t working!
Great tips Carrie. I so needed this. I am trying to train my 18 month old because she is telling us she is ready but I had no idea where to start!!
I agree with not letting people pressure you into pushing your kids because of their age. My kids did not respond well to that at all.
Toileting is something that people always get worked up about. I’ve had such different experiences….a 17 month old who self trained, to a 3.5 year old who I ended up locking myself in the house with for a weekend and trained like a dog. LOL! As a general rule, I just don’t worry about it….like most things, it’s not like you’ll be sending them off to college with diapers and bottles