Living with a toddler can be really weird sometimes. Trying to raise one is even weirder! Lately, when I walk into my 2-and-a-half-year-old daughter’s room, I find out she’s taken off her diaper and peed somewhere on her floor. It turns out that this was a sign she was ready to potty train. As a parent, it’s frustrating to have to find pee puddles on the rug in the playroom but our kids don’t really know the difference. It’s up to us to guide them. After speaking to the pediatrician and a few other moms, I learned there were many other signs that seem silly and frustrating but are really indicators that your child is ready to get out of diapers. Here are 7 Silly Signs Your Child Is Ready To Potty Train.
1. YOUR CHILD IS PUTTING THEIR HANDS DOWN THEIR PANTS.
It’s gross, it’s infuriating, and it’s embarrassing when it happens in public. It could also mean that your child is noticing the feeling that happens when they need to use the bathroom. Pay attention to this and you may be able to get them to a potty before they need a change.
2. ALL OF A SUDDEN, YOUR CHILD STARTS CRYING WHEN WET.
If your child didn’t use to cry when wet and all of a sudden they do, it’s probably a sign that they’re super uncomfortable with that feeling of a wet diaper strapped to their butt. Show them the potty and have them sit down when you change them. The child may begin to associate the potty with what it’s actually for.
3. WHEN YOU CHANGE YOUR TODDLER, THEY TRY TO TAKE THE DIRTY DIAPER OUT FROM UNDER THEM.
The first time, it might be funny. But when it happens often, you just want it to stop so you can get through those changes! This could be a sign that your child is trying to get that gross wet or dirty diaper off of them as soon as possible. The solution to this problem? Let them! Change your toddler in the bathroom and let them get involved, then put them on the potty and wash hands after you’re done. Your child is probably Ready To Potty Train.
4. YOUR CHILD LOVES TO RUN AROUND PANTSLESS.
It could be that your toddler loves to run around and feel that breeze on their butt. But it’s much more likely that they’ve figured out what’s going to eventually happen in that bulky diaper, and they want nothing to do with it.
5. THE BATHROOM SEEMS FASCINATING AND YOU CAN’T KEEP YOUR CHILD OUT.
You might be trying to get a moment’s peace for yourself or the bathroom has just suddenly become the place to be for your child no matter what reason they may have. Let your child explore. See what interests them so much. Let them learn about the potty and, if they have a child’s potty seat, let them check it out.
6. “POTTY WORDS” HAVE BECOME THE NEW MOST FUN THINGS TO SAY.
If your child has starting spouting words that have to do with the bathroom or become sincerely interested in potty humor, it might be a sign that they’re looking to get out of diapers. It’s hard not to laugh when they go there. Go ahead and giggle. We all do it.
7. THE POTTY IS YOUR CHILD’S FAVORITE TOY.
You may notice that your child has forsaken all their other toys for going to flush the potty and watch the water go away and then come back. The child may decide that their potty seat is something they must be able to see at all times. This can be a tough one to deal with, especially if the fascination has to do with flushing unwanted objects down the toilet
BONUS: GO WITH THE FLOW, LITERALLY.
All of these signs can be frustrating and sometimes funny to handle. Every child is different, but if you start a potty routine around these new signs and habits, you could learn that your child was just trying to tell you, in their own silly way, that they’re ready to ditch the diapers.
If you enjoyed these 7 Silly Signs Your Child Is Ready To Potty Train, don’t miss The Mouth-Breather at the End of My Bed & Things I learned About Sleepwalking.
