When Do I know It's Time to Potty Train?

If you’re a parent of an infant or small toddler, you’ve probably fantasized about the day your little one is completely free of diapers. I know I did. It’s not that I didn't enjoy changing my little bundle of joy’s smelly diapers. Yeah, right! Who does? Okay, the experience can present a host of benefits, like bonding moments for you and your child, or how about an opportunity to potty train.

Is it not the most opportune time to introduce your little one to the potty? Make it a routine. Use the time to explain, or perhaps demonstrate, how mommy poops. When changing his/her diaper set them on the potty for a few minutes and explain the process of pooping in the toilet. Children often understand more than we give them credit for. They probably won't have to go considering they just eliminated into the diaper, but the physical act of sitting on the toilet right after you've changed them will help in making the connection. In various parts of Asia, Africa, Latin America, and Eastern Europe, parents use elimination communication as a potty training method. It's a way of speeding up the process by introducing the toilet early.

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"Common approaches in the United Sates include the Brazelton child-oriented approach, the guidelines of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), Dr. Spock’s training method, and the intensive ‘toilet training in a day’ method by Azrin and Foxx.” ~ Beth A. Choby, MD, and Shefaa George, MD, Toilet Training, AM FAM Physician. 2008;78(9):1059-1064

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According to the Child-Oriented potty training approach parents should wait until their child shows signs of readiness. When I potty trained my son at 15 months I wasn't consciously following any particular potty training method. I just wanted to ditch the diapers. The fact that he started walking at 10 months perhaps played into my decision to start potty training.

Plus, he was naturally energetic and SO eager to help me clean around the house. I knew I had an eager beaver on my hands, or as some experts would describe as a "spirited" child. I knew he would take to my potty training efforts quickly. Yes, of course we’ve all heard that girls are easier to potty train than boys, however, in my son's case he was a little easier to potty train than my daughter. I didn't start with her until a few months after her first birthday. I knew she loved going to birthday parties or anything to do with celebrations. So, on the day I wanted to start potty training her I decorated the bathroom and the rest of the apartment with balloons and streamers. She was excited! I then simply took her diaper off, set the potty in front of the television, and let her play and roam around our little one bedroom apartment in the buff. After sitting her down on the potty a few times she finally made the connection. I didn’t have to encourage her to sit or offer bribes (the television directly in front of her probably helped). She simply sat there for several minutes at a time fixated on the television and before I knew it she was urinating in the potty. Of course, there were accidents, and she took a little longer than my son to get the hang of it. I just didn't make it a big deal. One distinction between my daughter and son is that I vividly remember having my son clean up his accidents. My husband thought that it was extreme considering his age, but I explained that it aligns with the Montessori teaching philosophy of autonomy and self direction.

Potty training isn’t an exact science. Figuring out when it’s time to potty train or what method to use is pretty much left to personal preference and personality of your child. If I had to put my own personal method into a broad category it would probably be the Parent-Oriented approach, which is based on structural-behavioral training and operant conditioning. The various methods under this category typically are more intensive and use fast-track techniques that work best with engaged parents who are hands-on with their child's development. Regardless of which method you choose, the key to success is consistency, patience, and a little fun.