Is your child ready?

Potty training success hinges on various milestones rather than age. These milestones include how your child moves, acts, talks and controls the urge to urinate or pass stool.

Certain clues can help you figure out whether your child is ready to start potty training. Ask yourself if your child:

• Signals a need to use the bathroom, such as hopping up and down or tugging the pants.
• Can walk to the toilet and sit on the potty chair.
• Can pull clothes up and down.
• Can wait two or more hours at a time before urinating.
• Passes stool three or fewer times a day.
• Comes to you when a diaper needs to be changed.
• Knows that the toilet and potty chair are used for passing urine and stool.
• Enjoys sitting on the potty chair.
• Usually follows your directions.
• Can ask questions with one word: Here? Where? Now? What? When? How?

If your child does most of these things, your child might be ready. If you answered mostly no, you might want to wait. Waiting makes sense especially if your child is about to face a major change. For instance, your family may be in the middle of moving or getting ready for the birth of another child.

Your readiness is important too. Let your child's motivation and skills lead the process rather than your eagerness. Try not to equate potty training success with your child's intelligence or equate potty training trouble with stubbornness.