Tips for Potty-training Success

Parents often look forward to the time when their child is already completely potty-trained, because that means they don’t have to change or buy diapers anymore. However, they should realize that a child isn’t going to master the habit after just a few trips to the potty. In fact, most kids take several months to get fully potty-trained.

The key to successful potty training lies more on physical and emotional readiness and less on age. Many kids want to learn how to go to the potty by themselves at age 2, while others might not be ready until they’re 2 1/2 or older. Don’t rush to potty-train your child. If you start to train him too early, it might take longer for him to learn.

To know if your child is truly ready, you need to ask yourself these questions: Can your child understand and follow directions easily? Is your child able to tell you when he or she needs to go? Does your child seem more interested in the potty chair than in wearing underwear? If your answer is yes to these questions, chances are high that your child is ready for potty training.

Once you start training, though, remember that no matter how well the process is going, you’ll likely face some problems. Talk to a pediatrician before you try to fix such problems yourself, to confirm that it is, indeed, a problem that needs fixing and not just a normal part of the potty-training process.