Potty Training: How to Know He's Ready

Teaching a child to use the toilet is a huge challenge and it is not a skill that parents can be expected to teach without a little trial and error. While you can't just toss your youngster into underwear and expect him to figure it out, you will find that even the best planned toilet training routines will have you making mistakes. Not to worry, all kids eventually use to use the toilet and if things go badly you can always put toilet training on hold until you and your child are ready to try again.

For any potty training routine it is important that all other caregivers are in on the plan. Consistency is key to successful learning so if both parents, siblings and any other people who care for your child know what you plan they can help with the process.

Potty training is far more likely to be successful if your child is physically and mentally ready to begin. While it might seem that sooner is better, many children are not ready to use a toilet until they are closer to 3 years old.

Before starting you should make sure that your child is able to understand and follow 1-2 directions at a time. For example, he should be able to finish his drink and bring the glass to the kitchen when he is done. If he isn't able to listen well enough to do as you ask and cannot hold more than one direction in his mind at a time he will not be able to manage the necessary steps to using the toilet.

Your child should also be able to tell when he needs to go to the bathroom, or at the very least be able to tell you that he has soiled his diaper when he is done. Without the ability to be aware of his bowel and bladder movements he will not be able to tell you before he needs to go and his efforts to get to the toilet on time are doomed to fail.

Another important thing is that your child should be able to remain dry for at least 2 hours at a time. It will be far too difficult for him to learn to use the toilet if he constantly needs to pee.

If all of these things are in place it is time to begin teaching your child the basics. You can start by getting him to practice pulling his pants on and off when you get him dressed each morning and night. It is very important that he is able to pull his own pants up by himself, but it may take a while for him to develop the necessary coordination.

In the meantime build up some excitement. Whatever method you decide to use your child needs to be enthusiastic about the process. Research different methods and decide which one fits. Before you know it he will be well on the way to a dry future.