For the past couple weeks, I haven't been able to close the bathroom door when I use it or else there are screams and tears and banging on the door. When he hears the bathroom door open, he comes running down the hall "Pah? Pah?!" (Translation : Potty) and has to join me in the bathroom. He pulls out his little potty from beside the toilet and sits with me. When I stand up, he stands up. When I flush, he pretends to flush. When I wash my hands, he washes his hands. It's cute. But I'd love to go to the bathroom once in a while without an audience.
He is only (nearly-) 17 months so I am not expecting too much but we've begun with the journey towards big boy underwear!
Here are some tips of when your child may be ready to try on the potty :
- Has dry spells of two hours or so in a diaper
- Goes in larger amounts, rather than small amounts, in the diaper (Shows that his bladder is maturing enough to hold his urine)
- Will ask for diaper changes soon after using it. (They are aware of the feeling of pee/poo and don't like it - this will be helpful to encourage them to use the potty!)
- Shows interest in when others use the bathroom
- Verbal or physical signs of going - tells you, grunts or hides when poops
- Predictable schedule of bowel movements
- Doesn't poop during bed or nap times
- Can understand simple commands ("Go get your Panda" or "Please put this ball away" etc)
Just like walking, talking and anything else baby related, some children will master it at an earlier age than others. If your niece was potty trained at 2 years old and your son is pushing 3 but still not showing any signs of readiness, don't fret! Kids learn at different paces and this is a huge milestone! Let them set the pace!
Try to avoid potty training during big life changes, such as a move, new sibling or starting preschool/daycare. Their lives are already overwhelming, adding in potty training can cause too much stress on them and they may regress to the comfort and familiarity of diapers.
Up next in the series : Tips and Tricks for Potty Training!