Child Proof

You Don’t Need to Put Your Kid in Potty-Training Boot Camp

There are advantages to letting toddlers take their time with the process

Photo: d3sign/Getty Images

Amazon is overflowing with books that promise you can potty train a child in three days or less. That might sound comforting in theory, but in practice it can drive parents — and kids — to frustration or even tears when training doesn’t go quickly or smoothly.

Here’s the news that might actually be comforting: Experts say there are many good ways to potty train, and there’s no need to panic if all the other parents in your Facebook group claim their kids are already diaper-free. When a child is ready, it is possible to potty train them in a matter of days. It’s even possible to do it in a few hours, sort of. But even if you don’t care about your rugs, there are good reasons not to rush anything.

“The challenge, as with many things in parenting, is judging: Is my child actually ready for this?” says Dr. Dipesh Navsaria, a member of the executive committee of the American Academy of Pediatrics Council on Early Childhood. To succeed at potty training, Navsaria says, toddlers need several skills, including but not limited to: the physiological maturity to hold in their pee and poop; the cognitive ability to understand the signals…