I don't claim to be an expert at this, but raising three kids did teach me a thing or two. The experts today say each child will start in their own good time, and that the potty training issue should not be forced. With that in mind, recognizing when a child is ready is very important. Here are four things to think about when deciding to start this major milestone in a toddler's life.
Is the child capable of pulling his/her pants up and down. When children are first being toilet trained, there is only a short period of time between them knowing they have to "go" and when they can't wait any longer.
Does the child understand simple instructions and do they follow the instructions when you ask them to. If they ignore you or throw a tantrum, they are probably not ready.
Can the child speak and/or understand enough vocabulary to know what you are asking them to do?
It is more difficult to toilet train a child if they are still urinating many times a day. If they urinate only a few times (2 to 4) daily, they have probably matured enough physcially to be potty trained.
Encouragement should be given at all times.
The main thing to do is not let the child see your frustration when things are not going so well. This is especially true if they have accidents at night. There are various ways to deal with bed wetting. I would advise you to seek advice from your pediatrition.
Whenever you decide to start, I have several potty training aids below that I know you will find very helpful for each stage of the process.
