The first question most parents ask when considering toilet training is “what is the right potty training age?”

This is a crucial question; get this wrong and both you and your child will end up frustrated for months or even longer.

A toddler who is not ready to be potty trained will be uncooperative, confused, indifferent and resistant to your teaching. This attitude can spill over into other areas and cause difficulties between the child and other family members, too.

The solution to this frustrating scenario is to assess your child’s potty training readiness signs. There are a number of readiness cues which, when observed on an ongoing basis in your child, will tell you with confidence it’s time to begin potty training.

So while the average potty training age in the western world is between two and three years of age, that fact alone does not tell you if your toddler is ready to successfully toilet train. Some children are ready earlier than two and some are not ready until later.

Here are some common readiness signs for potty training.

– Telling you (the parent) that she is wet or soiled.

This is a great sign because it tells you that your child is becoming aware of peeing or pooping in her diaper. She cannot be expected to control those urges until she is aware of them.

– Asking to be changed.

This is closely related to the previous readiness sign. A child asking to have his diaper changed is uncomfortable with being wet or soiled. A child feeling this way may potty train very quickly.

– Waking up dry from naps or staying dry for two or more hours.

A child must be able to hold his urine for a period of time in order to be potty trained. Waking up dry is especially useful as a readiness sign. When you begin toilet training, taking him to the potty as soon as he wakes from a nap will usually result in him going in his potty chair – a success!

– Able to follow simple instructions.

In order to effectively use the potty chair, your toddler must be able to take simple direction from you. Can he put away a toy? Throw away a piece of paper? Shut a door? Give a hug?

– Be (mostly) cooperative.

The age of two is famous for being uncooperative. So making this the correct potty training age seems a bit daft.

Nevertheless, you are looking for a general spirit of cooperation in your toddler. A genuine desire to please you, because you cannot force your child to be potty trained. She has to do it for herself, with your assistance.

This is not a complete list of potty readiness signs, but if your child is showing several of these on a regular basis, pay attention! It may be time to begin potty training! (Check the author’s resource box for a free potty readiness log that you can use to determine if your toddler is ready to potty train.)

So remember, a potty training age is not a strictly chronological event. Checking for potty readiness signs is a far more reliable way to determine whether or not your toddler is ready for this important growing up milestone.

Author Bio: Colleen Langenfeld has toilet trained 4 kids and has a free potty readiness log for you to get right now. Toilet train faster using her potty reward charts and creative ideas plus uncover more about the best potty training age by visiting her website today.

Category: Parenting
Keywords: potty training age,potty training,toilet training,potty train,readiness signs,potty readiness