Is your child ready to potty train?

The 8 readiness signs this quiz checks

Age is a guide, not a rule. This potty training readiness quiz looks at what your child can already do, one sign at a time.

1. Does your child stay dry for 2 hours or more during the day, or wake dry from naps?

   Longer dry stretches mean the bladder is maturing and can hold and release on a rhythm rather than constantly dribbling.

2. Are your child's bowel movements fairly regular and predictable in timing?

   A predictable poop time gives you a natural window to offer the potty and makes early success far more likely.

3. Does your child go quiet, hide, squat, or signal in some way when they poop?

   This shows body awareness: they feel the urge coming. That awareness is the foundation everything else is built on.

4. Can your child pull their own pants up and down, even clumsily?

   The motor skill matters more than people expect. A child who can't manage clothing fast enough will have accidents that aren't about readiness at all.

5. Can your child follow a simple two-step instruction, like 'get your shoes and bring them here'?

   Using a potty is a multi-step sequence. If two-step directions are still hard, the bathroom sequence will be too.

6. Does your child show any interest in the toilet, in underwear, or in how you or others use the bathroom?

   Curiosity is motivation you don't have to manufacture. It makes the process collaborative instead of a fight.

7. Does your child tell you (or show you) when their diaper is wet or soiled, or seem bothered by it?

   Caring about the sensation is what creates the internal "I'd rather be dry" drive that carries training past day three.

8. Can your child tell you what they need with words, signs, or clear gestures?

   They need to be able to say "potty" (or their version) before the urge passes. Communication is the difference between a near-miss and a save.

Want the longer version first? Read the readiness checklist.