When To Start Potty Training Girls

Unfortunately, there is no master rule book when it comes to potty training girls. Every family has a different schedule, which largely dictates the needs + readiness of the girl. Before you begin to navigate this rite of passage, you need to equip yourself with the knowledge + tools to make it as painless of a process as possible. Here are three things to consider before you start potty training girls.

When to Potty Train Girls

One of the biggest questions of parents who are looking to potty train is when to start the process. There are a variety of signs that you can look for in your daughter to determine if she is ready.

Some of the most common signs of readiness include waking up dry from naps, hiding when she is going in her diaper, an interest in adults using the bathroom, telling you when she is going to the bathroom in her diaper + taking her soiled diaper off.

It’s important to start potty training earlier rather than later, especially when she starts following one step commands, uses a small vocabulary + is curious about the toilet.

How Long it Takes

How long potty training takes can depend on what kind of potty training method that you decide to use. A child-led approach such as the Brazelton Method can take longer than a process that is dictated by the parent.

For those parents wanting to rip off the band-aid + just get it done, you might want to consider the popular 3 Day Method. Although this requires that you put your life on hold for three days, many parents report success with this method.

I have potty trained two out of three girls so far + I will say this: If she is not ready then do not force the issue because it just ends up frustrating you + her.

My oldest was a nightmare to potty train. She was 99% potty trained + then she totally regressed. She showed signs of being ready early (at 18 months) but did not end up being potty trained until right after she turned three.

Nighttime potty training was a totally different animal with her (+ my middle daughter, who daytime potty trained herself at two + mostly woke up dry at the age of three).

Starting Too Early or Too Late

Timing is truly everything when it comes to potty training. If you start this delicate process too early, you run the risk of your daughter failing + becoming discouraged. If you start the process too late, then you might miss that window when your daughter is the most amenable to getting out of diapers. While this is not a universal truth, the golden age of potty training for girls seems to be between the ages of two + three.

It is important to remember that every child is different. There is no one-size-fits-all approach to potty training. Recognizing this truth can help you with the patience you need to go on this parenting journey with confidence + gentle guidance.