If you are thinking about potty training your toddler but are not sure when to start, here are ten signs to watch out for that indicate your little one may be ready to start the potty training adventure.
Your little one…
1. Can Follow Simple Instructions
For example, ‘Please go and fetch Daddy the remote control’ 😏 or ‘Go and find me your other shoe please…’
2. Shows An Interest In The Toilet
Watching you or their siblings going to the bathroom or showing interest in sitting on the potty (if you have one).
3. Has Predictable / Regular Bowel Movements
This will help a lot in the early days of potty training as you will have an indication of when they may need to use the potty. e.g. If they tend to go first thing in the morning or after a meal, then you would encourage them to sit on the potty around these times.
4. Doesn’t Like Having a Wet or Dirty Nappy / Diaper
They may ask you to change their nappy when they pee / poo or may even try to take off the dirty nappy themselves.
5. Understands the words for ‘pee/wee’ & ‘poo/poop’
Communication plays a big part in potty training, so if your little one can understand the words for pee, poo and potty it will make the whole experience a lot easier for both of you.
6. Has A Dry Nappy After Waking From A Nap
If the nappy is dry a couple of hours after you last changed it, it shows that they are gaining more bladder control.
7. Likes To Help With Getting Dressed / Undressed
If they can help with getting their clothes on and off, this will definitely help in the potty training process. Particularly if they can pull their own trousers / pants down when they need to use the potty.
8. Will Tell You When They Have A Wet / Dirty Nappy
Communicating to you that they have done a poo or pee shows that they have an awareness of their body / bowel movements.
It will help when potty training as they should then move on to telling you when they need to use the potty…
…or if not, at least tell you that they have pooped behind the sofa.
9. Can Sit For A Few Minutes At A Time
If your little one can sit and occupy themselves for a few minutes at a time (5-10mins preferably) either by reading a book, watching a cartoon or playing with a toy, this will help when they have to sit on the potty.
10. Is Aware of When They Are Doing a Poo
Either going very quiet and standing still, or you know that little squished up face they sometimes do…
My Daughter Fee showed most (but not all) of the above signs, so we gave potty training a shot. You can read about how we got on here.
If you think your little one is ready and want to get started, you can also check out my Potty Training Checklist which lists all of the items I would recommend to make your potty training adventure easier.
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