The Potty Training Readiness Quiz

By Elizabeth Pantley, Author of The No-Cry Potty TrainingSolution

Potty training is easier and happens faster ifyour child is truly ready in all three areas: physical, cognitive and social.But the big question is: how do you know when your child is ready? If you havenever traveled this road before, you likely don’t even know what signs to lookfor. Take this quiz to find out where your child is on the readiness spectrum.

1. Ican tell by watching that my child is wetting or filling his diaper:

a. Never.

b. Sometimes.

c. Usually.

2. My toddler's diaper needs to bechanged:

a. Frequently, every hour or two.

b. It varies.

c. Every two to three hours--sometimesless frequently.

3. My child understands the meaning of wet,dry, clean, wash, sit, and go:

a. No.

b. Someof them.

c. Yes.

4. When my child communicates her needs,she:

a. Says or signs a few basic words and Iguess the rest.

b. Gets her essential points across to me.

c. Has a good vocabulary and talks to mein sentences.

5. IfI give my child a simple direction, such as, "put this in the toybox," she:

a. Doesn'tunderstand or doesn't follow directions.

b. Willdo it if I coach or help her.

c. Understandsme and does it.

6. Mychild can take his pants off and put them on:

a. No.

b. Withhelp he can.

c. Yes. 7. When I read a book to my child,he: a. He ignores me. b. Sometimes listens, sometimeswanders off. c. Sits, listens and enjoys thestory. 8. My toddler wants to do things“all by myself”: a. Never. b. Sometimes.

c. Allthe time!

9. Ithink that it's the right time to begin potty training:

a. No.

b. I'mundecided.

c. Yes.

Total thenumber of responses for each letter:

a. __________

b. __________

c. __________

Mostanswers are a: Wait.

Your little one doesn't seem to be ready justyet. Test again in a month or two.

Mostanswers are b: Time for pre-potty training--get ready!

Your child is not quite ready for activetraining, but you can take many steps to prepare your toddler for the future.Gradual introduction of terms and ideas will make potty training easier whenthe time comes.

Mostanswers are c: Your toddler is ready to use the potty!

It's time to start your potty trainingadventure. Good luck, and have fun!

Are youbetween two scores?

Just like any parenting situation, there arechoices to make. If your child is hovering between two categories, it's time toput your intuition to good use. Your knowledge of your own child can direct youtoward the right plan of action.

This article is an excerpt from The No-Cry PottyTraining Solution: Gentle Ways to Help Your Child Say Good-Bye to Diapers byElizabeth Pantley. (McGraw-Hill, 2006)

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You are welcome to reprint this article on yourwebsite or in your newspaper or newsletter, provided that you reprint theentire article, including the complete byline with author's name and booktitle. Please also send a link or copy to elizabeth@pantley.com. Thank you.

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