Is
your child able to tell you when he pees or poops? If your
child is able to verbalize when they are making a bodily function
this is a good sign of readiness.
Does
your child take his diapers off when they are vet or dirty?
Many children start to get uncomfortable sitting in their
diaper when they are ready to potty train.
Has
your child tried to sit on the potty or flush it? This is
another sign of readiness. In fact, some children practically
potty train themselves and climb up on the potty all on their
own when they are ready.
Once
you decide your child is ready and mom is ready you can start
potty training. Try to find a time when you can dedicate several
days to this. Once your child starts to get it, it can happen
fairly quickly.
Here
are some ideas that work for many moms
Take
your child to the potty every time you go to the potty.
Do
naked potty training. Sometimes seeing themselves peeing helps
them understand what is happening. This can be messy. If you
don't think your child is ready for this you can use underwear
so that he feels wet when he goes.
Reward
your child. You can use candy, stickers or toys. Charts are
okay but children like to have an immediate reward. Start
with rewards for sitting on the potty and then go to rewarding
for going on the potty.
If
you have a boy, you can also get some dry cheerios and let
them practice aiming at the cheerios.
Try
potty training for a few days but if you are not seeing
any progress then take a break for a few weeks. You
don't want this to be stressful for your child and
you don't want it to become a power struggle. Try
again when you and your child are up for it.