Now that you're realizing the seriousness of the training let us begin with the trainee. JUst as you would never teach your child to write until they can hold a pencil so it is with potty training. The potty trainee must be ready for their training. I recommend waiting until after the child's second birthday. Before this time most children do not understand the correlation between the feeling of a full bladder and the need to put it elsewhere. There is no thought to this what-so-ever. Think about it. They have been unconsciously using a diaper for their entire life. Automatically it has been taken care of for them. Now you are asking them to relieve themselves in a "pot" and to "hold it." They have never needed to "hold it" before. We use terms that make absolutely no sense to small children.
I remember when CJ was two and a half. We were in the car coming home after church (oh do ask the child to try and go potty before you leave!) While minutes away from home he exclaims, "Mommy I need to go potty!" I asked him, "Can you hold it until we get home?" He immediately grabbed his business. He literally held it until we got home.
There are signs to look for to see if your child is ready for training:
Does your child understand you when you give them directions? For example, you say, "Sweetie please put your toys in the toybox for Mommy," and they do it.
Do they tell you when they need a new diaper?
Do wet or soiled diapers bother them? Are they verbal about this?
Does your child wake up dry after sleeping or naps? If so, bladder control is becoming more developed. Look for these positive training signs in your child before you begin.
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Pee Pee Poo Poo & Other Fairy Tales
Non-Fiction(How to Potty Train Your Child in a Week) I have successfully potty trained seven children. I learned a lot on my first child. I did a lot of things out of order. If you'd like to learn from my mistakes and be able to potty train your toddler in a...
