Title: When to Start Potty Training Your Toddler | Parents
Headings: When to Start Potty Training Your Toddler
When to Start Potty Training Your Toddler
What’s the Best Potty Training Age?
How to Start Potty Training
Gradually introduce the toilet.
Follow a schedule for potty training.
Offer Praise and Rewards
Teach Proper Hygeine
Understand that potty training takes time and effort.

Content: Keep a few children's books about potty training to read with your child. And bring up the subject of the potty in conversation; saying things like, "I wonder if Elmo [or your child's favorite stuffed animal] needs to go potty" or "I have to go pee-pee. I'm headed to the potty." The idea is to raise awareness about going potty and make your child comfortable with the overall concept before they’re ready to potty train. Follow a schedule for potty training. "The key is having times throughout the day where you ritualize using the potty so it becomes more of a habit," says Wendy Sue Swanson, M.D., a pediatrician at Seattle Children's Hospital. Consider having your child sit on the potty every two hours, whether they have to go or not, including first thing in the morning, before you leave the house, and before naps and bedtime. Tell them to remove shorts or pants first, their underwear ( or, if you're using them, training pants) next, and to sit on the toilet for a few minutes (allot more time, if you think they have to poop). Read a book or play a game, like 20 Questions, to make the time pass in a fun way.