EVERY parent will know the struggle of being unsure when your child is ready for potty training.
Well for any new, or newish, parents out there, potty training expert Katie Fenske, known as @itspottytime_ to her TikTok following, has shared seven signs that your child is ready for potty training.
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Katie’s first tip is the age of your child, she says that most children will be ready for potty training at around 20 months old.
She adds that you can start earlier if you want but 20 months or older tends to be the best bet for quick potty training.
The second sign is your child being able to communicate using one to two words or words or symbols.
“Being non-verbal, or having speech delays, is not an indicator [that they’re not yet ready], as long as they can communicate their needs,” says the parenting expert.
The next sign, shared by Katie, is if your child is able to follow simple directions of one to two steps, such as being told to put a toy in a basket.
If your child has begun trying to do things, such as getting dressed, independently then this is also a sign that it may be time to start saying goodbye to nappies.
Katie says: “I know it’s frustrating when you’re in a hurry and you’re trying to get your kid dressed and they’re saying ‘me do it’ or ‘me dress’, but that’s a good sign that your child is ready to potty train.”
Another sign is if your child starts imitating your behaviour, or the behaviour of others around them.
The sixth sign is your child becoming aware of poo or urine in their nappy, Katie says that this awareness can be clear in a number of different ways:
“This might look like hiding in a private area to go poop, or even patting their diaper and saying ‘poop’ or ‘wet’.”
And the seventh sign is that your child is beginning to take off their own clothes and nappy, this goes alongside becoming more independent and developing awareness of bodily functions.
Finishing her video, Katie adds that your child does not need to show all of these signs but that they can be used as a good indicator that they’re ready for potty training.
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