02/11/2022
To the mama wondering when to start potty training…
I think the perfect time, is when they show interest.
All three of my kids have showed interest at different ages… and more often than not, after a bit, that initial interest fizzled out.
Because curiousity and readiness are not the same.
I might be curious about sky diving… but am I prepared to jump out of a plane? 🤔
(That’s purely an example, I actually HAVE jumped out of a plane.)
Anyway... I know a lot of people swear there’s a sweet spot, a perfect age, a perfect technique. But, my personal favorite time to start… is when THEY want to.
My youngest hasn’t been ready, and though I keep checking in, asking if he’d like to try… his answer is almost always “nope”… and that’s fine, we go on about our day.
Well today, while I’m putting away laundry, I see him pretending to use a baby doll potty (just sitting on it in his pjs)… and shortly after he tells me he wants me to go to a different room.
So I let him know I’ll be putting away laundry, and I keep my ‘mom hearing’ turned way up… because what I don’t see with my eyes I’m always listening for. 👀
I hear him go into the bathroom and shut the door… so I’m giving him his little privacy but also making sure he’s not locking the door or getting creative with the toilet paper lol. After a few minutes, and a couple check ins, I pop my head in.
He took his own diaper off and climbed up on the potty himself and was giving things a try on his own terms. 💙
It reminded me of that time I was 15 and I asked my mom if I could just practice driving by myself because having someone watch me just made me so nervous. 😅 (of course she said no.)
But I was so proud of him.
One day, when our kids are all in high school… no one will be worried about who started using the potty when. Or how old their friends were when they used their last diaper.
In the end the choice is yours, but it’s really okay to let them move at their own pace.
-Mom Seeking Coffee ☕️