>>parents are too eager to potty train

When you consider that parents change roughly 4,000 to 6,000 diapers per child, it’s easy to understand their desperation to be done with diapers. But this urgency can actually lead to more frustration for both parents and children, and can cause a delay in getting potty trained. Parents should initiate potty training when their children show clear signs of readiness: shows interest in the potty, pulls pants up and down, stays dry for two or more hours and indicates a need to go potty. Research by the American Academy of Pediatrics found that children are typically ready to begin potty training between 22 and 30 months. The median age when girls could independently enter the bathroom and urinate by themselves was 33 months. For boys, it was 37.1 months.

Before beginning potty training, demystify the toilet and potty chair for your child. Let him sit on both with his clothes on. Allow him to watch you use the toilet; remember that children enjoy imitating parents. Let him flush the toilet occasionally. Buy some “big kid” underwear with your child’s favorite character on it. Let him wear the underwear for a short time each day. Point out how comfortable it is compared with a thick diaper.