Is Your Child Ready For Potty Training?

As most parents discover, there is no shortage of "experts" eager to tell you when to start potty training your child. It\'s easy to get caught up in the stories of babies being potty trained at eight months old and worry that your child is lagging behind.

The Only Rule

The first and only "rule" of potty training is RELAX. Trying to rush your child into toilet training will only upset and frustrate both of you. As a baby, your child took his first step and said his first word when he was ready; so it is with potty training. You can bet that in the "potty trained at eight months" legend, it was the parent who was trained, not the child. Anyone who sits a baby on a potty chair often and long enough, will eventually get lucky...but at what price?

The True Expert

The only one who can decide when your child is ready for potty training is your child. he will give you very clear signs that indicate he is ready to take this big step in his life. Some of the things you will notice are:

Curiosity- he\'ll follow you (and everyone else) into the bathroom, curious about what you\'re doing. Answer his questions at his level using the terms you want his to learn and use.

More Control- diaper stays clean for longer periods of time. You know you\'ve hit pay dirt when he wakes up dry after naps.

Wanting to be clean- as your child gets closer to being ready for potty training, he will begin to dislike the feel of a soiled diaper.

The Key to Potty Training Success

Patience and perseverance will win the day especially if you keep your expectations realistic. When you deal with accidents calmly and offer profuse praise for successes, your child will soon connect using the potty with praise and will want to do it more often. The potty training months can seem long, but keep in mind this is his last transition from baby to child. The time you spend sitting on the side of the tub encouraging him is precious and like all of babyhood, too quickly over.