Pre-Potty Training for Two Years Old
How do you know when to start potty training is the million dollar question? This is a tough question because every child is different. It was common several decades ago for parents to sit one year old babies on the potty. Can you believe that? Parents would hold their babies on the potty until they made a bowel movement.
Some parents still believe you should begin using the potty immediately following the first birthday. Pediatricians encouraged that practice in the late 50’s and early 60’s. You may still have some older people in your family who practice the habit. Doctors have conducted more research since that time. They have discovered that early training hurts in the long run.
Research now shows that it is the parents who are learning the system with early training. It’s not the babies. It appears that introducing the potty too early leads to a relapse among toddlers. Most pediatricians are encouraging parents to wait until after 2 years old. They say most kids fewer than two year old are not emotionally or physically ready before then.
Here are three negatives in a nutshell:
- Potty training too early frustrates kids
- The frustration leads to a prolonged training period.
- Kids who potty train too early end up training almost twice as long
Potty after 2 Years Old
Potty training after two years old seems to be the most popular choice these days. Statistics show that most children learn to use the potty between two to five years old. Here’s your big dilemma. How soon after two years old or how soon before three years old should you begin training? That’s a very good question. Most pediatricians say the answer depends on your child. Let’s talk about the “five ready signs” that you need to proceed.
Is Your Toddler Ready?
Good question, huh? We should thank our lucky stars that there are signs you can look for since every child is so different. The right time to start training is the moment your toddler realizes he is about to urinate or have a bowel movement. On the average, your toddler will have a bowel movement once or twice a day. The movement will also occur around the same time every day. He knows he’s doing it if he looks down after urinating or having a bowel movement. He may not realize he did if he doesn’t indicate to you that he did it. In this case, you may want to hold off on training until he’s older.
I believe if your child can show you that he has to use the bathroom then its potty time! Here are some other indications that your child may be ready. He is ready if he peels off his own pants! You’re long, long, long overdue if your child says, “I have to go potty.” Let’s face it, if he can say it, he can do it!
My son use to have a crazy dance I called, “the potty dance.” He would hold his crouch and go in circles. It was kind of embarrassing in public, but that was his way to let me know that he had to go! What sign is your child exhibiting? My kid at one point snatched the diapers off and declared, “I don’t want to wear. I want underwear!” I couldn’t imagine why he would mess in the baby underwear if he wanted them! He was long overdue!
Is your child overdue? He is if he is interested in how other people use the toilet. You may even notice that he remains dry during the day for hours. He may stay dry at night as well. I’ve heard of some kids having a bowel movement in the same area in the house all the time. I think that’s so weird. But, hey, if it’s happening to you, he’s ready! These are all great signs that your kid is ready! Here are the signs in a nutshell.
Five Ready Signs
Takes Off Own Clothes
Let’s face it. The first step to becoming dry begins with your toddler’s ability to recognize he has to go to the bathroom. The second step is his ability to pull down his pants, or lift up her dress. The third step is actually going to use the potty. I say if your child begins insisting on taking off his clothes then he probably is ready to begin training for the potty.
Talks about Using the Potty
He may say, “I want to use the potty.” Or, he may just point to it and sit down. Either case he is showing an extreme interest in the little chair. Well, what do you do if he’s interested in sitting; maybe he’ll be interested in using it. You never know unless you try. Hey diapers are expensive why spend more on them if you don’t have to.
Does a Potty Dance?
Remember my daughter’s potty dance? I think she is a genius, but surely she’s not the only child to have a potty dance. Does your little one have a routine? Does he stomp, turn, twist, and grab his groin like Michael Jackson? If he does, then that’s his potty dance. He’s ready, ready, and ready if he has his own version and he dances it whether there’s music on or not.
Shows an Interest in the Bathroom or Toilet
This is the big koruna of all ready signs. The big earthquake so to speak. If you child is curious about the bathroom or toilet, then he’s ready to learn how to use it. Is he curious about how it flushes? Well, that’s because he wants to know how that giant white chair works. Why does it make that sound? It’s a noise like no other. Listen. I hear this all the time. “I can’t keep him out of the bathroom. Hello? He’s not being bad when you have to drag him out of the toilet. He wants to know what the toilet is. He wants to know how it works. He is ready, ready, and ready for potty training. Did I mention he’s ready! Okay, I guess you get the message.
Stays Dry Overnight & During Naps
This is a hard readiness sign for me to understand. Remember my son never stayed dry overnight until he was potty trained. He barely stayed dry during naptime. He was always having accidents. However I did have greater success with my daughter staying dry overnights and at naptime. In any event, your child is ready if he displays this sign.
Does your child exhibit any two of these ready signs? If so, you’ll want to read through this e-book a little faster than normal because you have a lot of work to do! Let’s take a look at training techniques and the tools you’ll need for success!
