Published: July 28, 2024
By: Cheryl Maguire
According to the millions of potty training books, my twins demonstrated all the signs of being ready to finally use a toilet. In fact, my children did everything short of pulling off their diapers and hopping on the toilet.
Unfortunately, all the potty training books fail to mention how to recognize “parent readiness.” Here, I will attempt to fill the void.
Enthusiasm to clean yet another mess: Many parents spend an absurd amount of their waking hours cleaning, whether it’s the food smeared on the furniture, the diaper cream used as finger paint or the toys strewn across every inch of the house. The sheer thought of encouraging another mess can send some parents right over the edge.
However, there comes a time when the diaper messes become so appalling that cleaning up after potty training sounds promising. If you’re wondering what I’m talking about, just wait. You’re much better off remaining in a state of blissful ignorance until then.
Motivated to do more laundry: The endless amount of laundry parents face daily can devastate even the most methodical among us. When potty training a child, accidents happen, leading to more laundry. Parent readiness becomes apparent when you nearly break down in tears as you launder mounds of bedding every morning, thanks to stripped-off diapers. Suddenly, cleaning a few extra outfits seems minimal.
Eagerness to spend all day in the bathroom: It’s difficult to imagine having to add another activity to an already busy schedule, much less one that involves sprinting to the bathroom at a moment’s notice because your potty trainee is doing the pee-pee dance. But when you add up all those dollars spent on diapers and wipes, spending extra time in the bathroom seems somewhat desirable.
Readiness to deal with accidents in public: Taking a toddler out in public is not for the faint of heart. New and fascinating items bewitch them, causing them to behave more like a pinball than a small human. Their attention span can also be likened to the size of an unstable subatomic particle – causing you to move at warp speed to accomplish anything. Public “accidents” naturally create yet more obstacles to any outing. Discovering your child bathing in toilet water enhances your readiness to deal with public accidents.
Willingness to use public restrooms: Many self-proclaimed germaphobes avoid using public restrooms. Toilet training your child means frequent visits to even the worst public bathrooms. Yet, finding your child throwing their dirty diaper across a room that is not a bathroom helps you quickly overcome this hang-up.
Admitting your child is no longer a baby: This is by far the most challenging step for any parent. On some level, they will always be our babies. After learning to use the potty, the next step is going to college – or that’s how it feels sometimes. Statistically, most college students end up moving back home anyway, so you need not worry about them leaving you anytime soon.
Hopefully, these signs of parent readiness will help you know when it’s time to potty train your toddler. If you’ve got a friend exhibiting these signs who’s also in denial, feel free to leave a copy of this article discreetly on their desk.
Cheryl Maguire, the mom of twins and a daughter, shares the signs of when it’s time to ditch the diapers.
