Is Your Child Ready For Potty Training

Potty training your child can be a major parenting challenge. One common misconception about toilet training is that age is the only significant determinant. Some parents fall into the trap of toilet training their child even when he or she is not yet emotionally and mentally prepared.

Unfortunately, potty training turns into a long drawn-out task in which parents become more frustrated while the kid becomes more resistant to the whole process.

Because it cannot be emphasized enough that potty training takes a lot of careful preparation, there are some important factors you should take into account in order to make the entire training process successful.

Here is a very simple checklist for you to use in order to determine if your child is ready for potty training.

1. Your child is uncomfortable with dirty diapers.
Your child is ready to be potty trained when he / she is psychologically ready. One clear example of this is when your child is already aware that his diapers are soiled or dirty.

2. Your child is physically ready.
Your child needs less supervision from you when walking or sitting down. It will be difficult for you if you start training your child if his balance and motor coordination skills are not yet fully developed.

3. Your child's bowel movements are moist and regular.
One important aspect of potty readiness is observing your child's physiological functions. Newborn babies' bowel movements are erratic - some as frequent as every time you feed them, while some are less frequent - 4 to 5 times a day. But when you start feeding him/her solid food, bowel movements become more regular.

In addition, his stools are more moist and well-formed - not loose or watery. Another important consideration is if he can control his bladder longer during the day.

4. Your child gets more curious about your bathroom habits.
Curiosity and children are two words that go naturally together. When your child expresses greatest interest in your bathroom habits such as observing you while you're brushing your teeth, consider this as a sign that your child is psychologically ready to be trained.

5. Your child can understand simple commands and can express his thoughts.
Toilet training involves a lot of interaction with your child. If he can follow simple commands from you such as: "Please hand me the toy.", you'll find it easier to explain the whole potty process. In addition, if your child can easily express when he's about to go, it's one major sign that he is ready.

6. Your child shows some signs of independence.
Some studies reveal that potty training is one way of instilling the value of independence in your child. One way to know if your child has already showed some signs of independence is to observe if he puts his toys in their proper place.

Although this list provides you a snapshot overview of what signs to look out for, the key to successful potty training is still your dedication to training your child.

You'll hit some snags every now and then but remember, it's all part of the process. More importantly, it's imperative to assess if you yourself are ready, because potty training always involves two parties - your child and you.