Potty training is just as important as learning how to sit, walk, and talk. Every toddler expresses a desire for potty training the same way they express a desire for anything else. Sooner or later, your child will express a desire to use the bathroom instead of the diaper for their everyday needs.
But a toilet is a significantly difficult step up for toddlers between 18 and 36 months. So, a great substitute and a great way to learn how to use the toilet is potty training.
There are numerous reasons why you should never encourage it if your child doesn’t show any interest or desire. By doing so, you are drastically hindering their ability to be independent and make decisions on their own.
You should start potty training anywhere between 18 and 36 months since anything before that can significantly hinder your child’s development. These will only result in a series of frustrations for both the toddler and the parents.
If your child is within the recommended age for potty training, then these are the 7 signs you should look for that tells you your toddler is ready for it. This article will serve as a guide for 2024 as we’ll touch on some topical things. Without further ado, let’s start.
1. When Your Child Shows Interest
Seeing signs of interest is the easiest way to know when to start the process. This is quite possibly the preferred route to take since it completely falls in line with your child’s views and emotions. No one wants to be forced into doing anything and neither does your kid.
Whenever you notice a sudden urge or desire for potty training then do know this is the time to act. You can even make it that much fun for them by reading stories, watching videos, and even letting them play games on your smartphone while doing it.
2. Less Frequent Diaper Changes
Whenever you notice that your toddler needs changing the diaper less frequently, then do know this is a clear and obvious sign that they are ready for potty training since their blather can actually handle it.
If your child stays dry for longer periods of time, usually three or more hours, then that means the bladder capacity is increasing, making them less prone to wetting themselves.
If this is the case, then you should immediately start potty training as there isn’t a better time for it. Since their blather can actually hold, they won’t need a diaper on them for an entire day.
3. If Your Toddler Hides
Some parents have expressed concerns for their children hiding behind the couch or other furniture simply to pee or poop. We’ve seen dozens of these posts on forums, and we are genuinely concerned about how concerned these parents are.
If your toddler hides behind the furniture to pee or poop, then you got nothing to worry about, as this is yet another sign that they’re ready to start potty training. Some experts even say that this is a sign of rebellion since they don’t want to wear diapers anymore.
There is so much information online that it would be unimaginable to get this wrong. From guides on how to teach them to reviews on which potty chairs are the best; the Internet has at all.
But a recent trend with millennial parents involves around the usage of a travel potty seat as the best way to teach your toddler how to use the toilet. For more information on the topic, make sure to visit oneproudtoddler.com.
4. When Your Child Shows Signs Of Independence
We mentioned somewhere at the beginning of the article that showing signs of independence is a clear and obvious signal that your child is ready to go potty training.
Even if your child is completely unaware of what they’re doing, they will know that it’s time to ditch the diaper and choose the toilet. But you can also read through these signs by simply listening to what they’re saying.
If you hear your child saying things like “I’m ready” or “I can do this myself” then you should immediately ditch the diaper and start the process. There is nothing sweeter than witnessing your child transitioning from a baby to a more independent baby.
5. If They Start Undressing Themselves
One of the biggest issues with using the toilet is that your child has to learn how to unzip their pants. As weird as that sounds, it is no doubt a real-life issue for some kids during the early stages of their lives.
If you start by training too early, then it might be hard for them to undress or unzip their parents so they can use the toilet. But as soon as you see them do it themselves, and as soon as you see them undress a romper, then you should immediately start the process.
6. If They Can Actually Follow Instructions
One reason why it’s unwise to start the process too early is generally down to your kids showing difficulties in following your instructions and orders.
Going to the bathroom and using the toilet is a pretty straightforward thing for every sensible adult in the world. But we are dealing with toddlers and toddlers are significantly harder to teach something than adults.
Even the simplest things can sometimes take hours to explain, and this is exactly why we wait until they’re ready. One sign that says they’re ready to start potty training is when they actually listen to you and listen to your instructions. If they managed to hear you out and follow through everything you said to them, that is a generally good sign that you should start the process of learning how to use the toilet.
7. If They Have The Patience To Sit
The last sign we’ll discuss is also pretty straightforward and it is closely tied to how patient your kid is. Using the toilet, especially to poop, can sometimes be a lengthy process. This means that it requires quite a bit of patience from your kid’s end.
Being patient enough to see through the process is not that easy when toddlers are in question. If your kids start showing signs of patients, then make sure to immediately start the process.
