What To Do Before Ever Seen Your First Readiness Signs

Yes, you can set a foundation for potty training when your child is a young toddler. Your child does not have a switch that turns on the minute he is ready for potty training. Before you even start potty training, you will change hundreds, maybe thousands of diapers!

As your child becomes interested in language, use these opportunities to familiarize him with potty language. Explain that you're changing his diaper because it's wet or because there's poop.

If you notice your child going to pee or poop in his diaper, mention it without any expectation to potty train yet. You will be putting words to your child's experience and helping him to understand what his body is doing. This is not a time to joke or laugh at your child, however.

Allow your child to join you in the bathroom. Again describe what you're doing. You are helping your child understand the world around him. When you talk about the dog peeing, the cat pooping, or the birds pooping on the side walk, think of this as a toddler science lesson called scientific observation and description for eighteen months olds. In these ways, you are building a meaningful context for his future potty learning.