Week 1 Lesson: Dreaming of Diaper-Free Independence?

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Week 1 Potty Lesson

Welcome to the Prepping for Potty Training Challenge! At the end of these eight weeks, you'll have begun your child down the long (sometimes bumpy!) road toward diaper-free toddlerhood. By then your child will have the tools he or she needs to make trying to use the toilet easier and more successful.

As you can imagine, using the toilet by himself is an incredible move for your child toward greater independence. But as you likely watched your child take his first steps with mixed emotions ("Yes! He did it!" and "There goes my baby!"), so too will potty training contain accomplishments and small setbacks.

Some things to consider as you begin this Challenge:

• Each week, we'll reveal some signs of potty readiness and a related assignment that will familiarize your child with the training process. Please note: These readiness signs are most evident once a child's second birthday has come and gone. That said, your child—not the calendar—is the best indicator of toileting readiness. Watch your child closely to see if her body, mind, and emotions have developed to the point where she's ready to learn to use the potty.



• Eight weeks may be precisely the adequate amount of time for your child to develop an interest in the potty, and—hurray!—he may want to use it independently once you've completed this course.



• However, as you know, children develop on their own individual timetables, and the same goes for potty training. If your child doesn't seem to be exhibiting the readiness signs as you go along, you can certainly continue on this Challenge, but know that your results may not be as solid as they would be if your child was showing she was truly ready.



• The purpose of this course is to ready toddlers for potty training—not necessarily have them fully trained by the end of week eight. But at course end, you will be able to feel confident that your child has been given a solid toileting foundation.

This Week's Readiness Sign

Is your child interested and curious about toileting? Does she follow you or her siblings into the bathroom, want to flush the toilet or hand you toilet paper? If she is, this interest will naturally lead to practice, which in time will lead to performing on the potty.

Don't miss the Week 1 Potty Project: Procure the Right Tools