- Hi, I'm Dana, welcome to this week's video.
I get asked a lot of questions
about when it is the right time to start potty training
and my best advice is when you decide you're ready
to start potty training.
It really is a commitment you need to make
that you're ready, there's nothing in your life
that's really going to stress you out too much more,
there's no important things at work happening
or no trips you're taking soon
and you feel like I have a couple of weeks
where I can really dedicate myself
to teaching my child how to use the toilet.
Now, of course, we wanna look at
also the child's development.
At the two, two and a half into the third birthday,
that's usually the timeframe where we start to feel like
okay, I've changed enough diapers now,
it's time to move on from this.
So we can't start too young.
We want our children to be able to understand
a couple of simple instructions.
That's basically the rule of thumb around that
but one of the mistakes I see a lot of parents making
is that they're waiting for their child to agree to this.
Most children are not going to agree to this.
If given the chance to potty training or not,
most kids are gonna say no
because they don't understand what that means.
It's scary because it's new, it's different,
I don't like it, there's change involved,
we don't like change.
So it would be a little odd for a child to go,
oh yes, please, let's start this very challenging process
of learning to use a toilet.
They are most likely going to say no.
Another thing is that they don't wanna stop playing.
If I'm playing with my trucks or my dolls or whatever
and I have to use the bathroom, I just go in my diaper.
I don't have to stop, I don't have to do anything.
Now we're gonna potty train.
That means I have to leave my precious toys,
get up, walk all the way to the bathroom,
get my pants down, use the toilet, wash my hands.
What a hassle.
Really, it's a hassle.
So they are going to say no.
Even if they kinda seem a little curious
and they've maybe used the potty a few times
and they think it's kinda funny and it's a novelty,
when you actually start potty training,
you are going to have pushback somewhere.
All three of my children,
my daughter was the easiest child to potty train
but even for her there was a day or two there
where the answer was no, I'm not using this potty
but the thing to keep in mind
is that you've decided and you are the parent,
you actually are allowed to make these sort of decisions
and once you've decided to do it, you have to keep going.
If you give in every time your child says no,
I don't want to, well, you will teach her
that that's all she has to do really
to get out of just about anything.
So if your child says no, they will not use the potty,
well, then it becomes the easy way or the hard way.
We can walk there peacefully and you can try
or mommy will have to take you there
while you kick and scream and you'll have to try anyway.
If you're getting a lot of pushback in that regard,
I agree you wanna kinda keep this as positive as possible,
setting a timer is a great way
to take the pressure off of you.
Just say, okay, we don't have to go right now,
let me set the timer and when we hear the bell
then we're gonna go and if you set it for half an hour
or every 45 minutes is a good timeline,
every time that bell goes, let's go try.
You don't have to go but we're gonna go try.
The bell has gone.
That is what happens when the bell goes
and off you go to the bathroom
and pretty soon your child will oh, there's the bell,
I guess we're gonna go try and they'll come around to this
but I think the most important thing to remember
is that you get to make these decisions.
You're allowed and you're the boss and you should.
Thanks so much for watching today.
Sleep well.