Physical Readiness
- Are you noticing fewer wet diapers? Is your child dry for 2 hours at a time?
- What about your child’s biological rhythmicity? Are his/her bowel movements pretty regular?
- Do they have the physical skills to pull up or down their diaper/pull up?
- Are they able to get on/off the potty or toilet alone or with a little help?
Cognitive Readiness
- Are they following simple instructions? Eg: Pick up your blue truck, hand me your cup, pull down your pullup….
- Does she/he recognize that they are going? You could tell not just by the words they use but the pause they may take while peeing or one very obvious one is seeing them duck into a corner or under a table.
- Does he have an understanding or comprehension of the toileting language? They don’t necessarily need to be verbal to have the comprehension.
Behavioral Readiness
- Does your child show interest when you or a sibling go to the bathroom? Is he/she a curious bystander?
- Is your child asking to use the potty? Are they showing interest in the stories you read? What is their innate temperament like? Do they like/dislike change? What about when a new object (like the potty) is presented? These are important questions to ask when determining if your child is ready to start the process.
- What is your child’s typical response to a rule or instruction in your home? For example: What do you think would happen if you told them that when they need to have a bowel movement they do it in the bathroom? (Even keeping their pull up on)
- Most importantly: Are there any signals you see that show a desire to use the potty?
If you see that your child is showing the signs of readiness as listed above, then it may be time to prepare for the process. Please ask to call a meeting with your child’s teacher BEFORE you start the process so we can all be on the same page.
Lisa has an additional document to share about the actual process, once you have noticed your child is 100% ready to start the process.