Potty Training!!!

Potty Prep

Is it Time to Try?

If you're not sure when to introduce the potty, consider more than your child's age. Watch for these six important signs, says Elissa Levine, MD, a pediatrician in Charlotte, North Carolina. (It may still help to know that girls are typically ready to start training at around 2 1/2 and boys at about 3.)


Your child shows an interest in the potty process. For instance, he follows you into the bathroom or wants to flush.
She tells you when she's about to poop or pee or you can see from her squatting, grunts, or facial expressions that she's about to go.
He wants to be changed after pooping.
She's not constipated.
You have a reasonable amount of time and energy to devote to this intensive, sometimes frustrating process.
There aren't any major events going on in the family, such as a new baby or a recent move.

Pre-Training Training

Before the "official" toilet training begins, warm him up to the idea with these tips from Parents advisor Ari Brown, MD, a pediatrician and coauthor of Toddler 411.


Explain the bathroom routine in positive, child-friendly terms. During a diaper change, you can say, "When we eat or drink, our body takes what it needs and then the rest gets turned into pee or poop. It's like our body's garbage."
Be a role model. Let your child watch you use the potty. Although it might seem strange, Dad may want to sit down while peeing at the beginning in order to simplify the process for your toddler.
Pretend that her doll or stuffed animal is using the potty. Seeing her "friend" go through the motions in a relaxed, playful setting can relieve any stress she may feel about graduating to the potty.
Practice sitting on it. Suggest visits to the potty first thing in the morning, before her bath, and before bedtime. Just don't expect success at this point. Getting her on a schedule early may save you from constantly asking her to go when the real training kicks in