This is one of the most common questions I get.
You’ve made it through the newborn stage, dealt with sleep regression and starting solid foods, and now you start hearing about potty training.
But how do you know if your child is ready? I’ve come up with a check list that I give to moms that will help them decide if it is time to start training. Your child does not need to exhibit all of these, but they give you a really good idea if your child is capable of starting.
Note: I hear moms a lot say that they are just going to wait until their child tells them they are ready to potty train to begin. If you wait until they tell you, it probably will never happen.
Your child didn’t tell you when they were ready for solid foods. You looked for signs of readiness like holding their head up while seated and developing the grasping skill.
It’s the same with potty training. Watch for the signs they are ready, then take the lead and guide them through the process.
* If you need any help starting potty training, reach out to me at It’s Potty Time
Is Your Child At Least 20 Months Old?
Children as early as 20 months are capable of training. This doesn’t mean you have to start right at 20 months but it’s a good starting point to start thinking about it. For me personally, 28 months worked great for my own boys.
Can Your Child Communicate With 1-2 Words or Signs?
Being able to communicate needs is a skill needed for potty training and another sign of readiness.
Here are a few examples of what this looks like:
- Asking for water by saying/signing “Water” or “More water”
- While at the playground, asking to be pushed on the swing, “Mama push”
- When your child wants to be read a story saying, “book” or “read” or using the sign language for book
- Telling you “all done”
Can Your Child Follow 1-2 Step Directions?
Being able to follow simple direction/steps is a necessary skill for potty training. We need our child to be able to go to the bathroom, pull down their pants, sit down and pee.
Here are some examples of what this looks like:
- Put your toy in the basket
- Throw your cup in the trash
- Bring me the book and sit on the carpet
Is Your Child Trying to Do Tasks Independently
This is a behavior that develops around the age of potty training readiness and is another skill that will help with training.
Children around two will start to develop a sense of independence. This can be frustrating for parents sometimes, like when you are in a hurry and your toddler insist on dressing themselves, but if at all possible, allow them to do age appropriate tasks by themselves. This will help them develop that intrinsic sense of pride needed for potty training.
Here are some examples of what this looks like:
- Trying to dress themselves
- Trying to buckle their seatbelt by themselves
- Saying, “No me do it”
- Asking to help cook with you
Does Your Child Imitate Behavior of Others?
Children around potty training age will start to copy or imitate your behavior or the behavior of siblings or friends. This is a great skill because in potty training, we as the adults model the behavior of using the bathroom, and we want our toddlers to copy it.
Here are some examples of what this looks like:
- Trying to put on your shoes and walk around
- Mimicking the sounds or words of another
- Pretending to use or sit on the toilet
- Wearing a backpack like an older sibling
Is Your Child Aware of When He/She Goes Pee or Poop in His/Her Diaper?
Awareness is one of the signs that your child might be ready and capable to start training. This is something that a lot of children show at this age but don’t be discouraged if yours does not. I have tricks to help them develop this awareness before training so ready out to me if you’d like to know more.
Here are some examples of what this looks like:
- After pooping in a diaper a child will say “poop” or pat their bottom
- A child will hide in a corner or private area to poop in their diaper
- A child pats their diaper when it’s wet
- A child tries to take off their diaper after peeing or pooping in it
Does Your Child Try to Take Off His/Her Clothes or Diaper by Himself/Herself?
This one goes along with showing signs of independence and also awareness of pooping but it’s something I like mentioning again because it’s a really great skill to look for.
Here are some examples of what this looks like:
- Taking off diaper
- Taking off pants
- Taking off shoes in the carseat (how annoying is this one???)
*I also think it’s important to ask yourself, are you ready? You want to be fully committed yourself. Yes, there is a window of time that usually works best but you may be a working parent or about to have a new baby and it’s just not the right. Give yourself some grace and make sure you are both ready before you start. Trust me, there is no trophy or gold sticker for the mom that potty trains before age 2 (although it can sometimes feel that way).
Need More? Get My Complete Guide to Stress-Free Potty Training!
Click HERE to get my digital guide.
Schedule a 1:1 Virtual Chat With Me!
If your child is ready to start but you have no idea how to go about it, I can help!!! I offer 1:1 virtual chats to help moms get started with potty training and feel confident and successful. If you’d like to book a time, check out my consultation page HERE.
