{"id":64117,"date":"2026-08-10T20:44:54","date_gmt":"2026-08-10T20:44:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.firstthingsfirst.org\/?post_type=first-things&#038;p=64117"},"modified":"2026-08-13T20:54:46","modified_gmt":"2026-08-13T20:54:46","slug":"potty-training-hidden-skills","status":"publish","type":"first-things","link":"https:\/\/www.firstthingsfirst.org\/es\/first-things\/potty-training-hidden-skills\/","title":{"rendered":"The kindergarten readiness skills hidden in potty training"},"content":{"rendered":"<h1>Potty training is practice for everyday independence<\/h1>\n<p>Parents often think of potty training as a milestone with a deadline, like before starting child care or preschool, or moving\u2014understandably. Child care programs often have toileting expectations, and diapers can feel like the final step before a child enters a new stage of growth.<\/p>\n<p>But it\u2019s not just about staying dry. Learning to use the toilet gives children daily opportunities to notice their bodies, communicate their needs, solve simple problems and care for themselves. These are the same foundational abilities that help children participate in preschool today and approach kindergarten with confidence tomorrow.<\/p>\n<h1>Potty training is really about self-help skills<\/h1>\n<p>For a young child, using the toilet is more complex than just knowing when to go. Children are learning a combination of physical, cognitive and social-emotional skills, including how to:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 16px;\">Recognize bodily signals<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 16px;\">Tell an adult they need help<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 16px;\">Pull clothing up and down<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 16px;\">Wash their hands<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 16px;\">Follow a routine<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 16px;\">Recover after an accident<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>These everyday tasks give children practice caring for themselves, not just in the bathroom, but throughout the school day.<\/p>\n<p>Social media might tell you the three-day method is the ultimate solution, but every child is different. \u201cThere are kids who potty train quickly. And there are kids for whom three-day potty training is a starting point,\u201d says <a href=\"https:\/\/health.clevelandclinic.org\/3-day-potty-training-method\">Ohio-based pediatrician Shannon Thompson<\/a>. There will be accidents, setbacks and days when your child wants more help than they did yesterday.<\/p>\n<p>That doesn\u2019t mean potty training is failing. Like every developmental skill, independence grows through repetition, encouragement and time. Remember: progress over perfection.<\/p>\n<h1>What does potty training have to do with kindergarten?<\/h1>\n<p>Kindergarten readiness is often thought of as knowing letters, numbers or colors, but teachers also look for everyday life skills. A child who can recognize their needs, follow simple routines, and ask for help when needed is better prepared to participate in the classroom.<\/p>\n<p>Potty training gives children opportunities to practice these skills every single day. The goal isn\u2019t simply being out of diapers, it\u2019s helping children build confidence in caring for themselves.<\/p>\n<p>Get support through the first five years<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">From classes and workshops to resources and support, find community through your potty training journey at a family resource center.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Find one near me<\/p>\n<p>Imagine Mateo, a kindergartner. During his first weeks of school, he notices he needs to use the bathroom, asks the teacher for permission, manages his clothing, washes his hands and returns to the classroom ready to learn. Maybe these moments aren\u2019t significant on their own, but together they show a child who can recognize his needs, solve small problems and take part in their classroom community.<\/p>\n<p>Years later, those foundations show up in different ways. A teenager who can organize a project, ask for help when needed or handle a challenge is drawing on the same early abilities built through everyday routines. The tasks change as children grow, but the basics are the same: noticing, trying, adjusting and trusting themselves.<\/p>\n<h1>4 ways to support potty training without adding pressure<\/h1>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 16px;\"><b>Keep routines consistent. <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Children learn best when bathroom routines happen regularly and predictably. Try a <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.first5california.com\/en-us\/articles\/potty-training-challenges-these-ideas-can-help\/#:~:text=discard%20what%20doesn%E2%80%99t.-,The%20timer%20game,-%3A%20This%20can%20be\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">timer game<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, starting with 15- or 30-minute intervals.<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 16px;\"><b>Let your child do what they can. <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Support their independence through small tasks, like flushing, washing hands or pulling up their pants. They might be slow or backwards, but that\u2019s part of learning.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 16px;\"><b>Stay calm after accidents. <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Accidents are part of learning, and a calm response helps children focus on trying again instead of feeling ashamed.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 16px;\"><b>Celebrate effort more than success. <\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/www.first5california.com\/en-us\/articles\/potty-training-challenges-these-ideas-can-help\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Praise your little one<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> for listening to their body, asking for help or trying independently\u2014not only for staying dry. <\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>How to reward potty training<\/p>\n<p>It&#8217;s a big deal. Skip the candy and try these ideas to celebrate and praise your child for their efforts.<\/p>\n<p>Learn more<\/p>\n<h1>Beyond the potty: building skills for school and life<\/h1>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Each trip to the restroom is a chance to practice communication, routines, problem-solving and self-care. Those aren\u2019t just child care or preschool-readiness skills, they help kids prepare for kindergarten and life. Becoming a capable, confident and resilient learner starts with support and encouragement through the early years.<\/span><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Potty training is practice for everyday independence Parents often think of potty training as a milestone with a deadline, like before starting child care or preschool, or moving\u2014understandably. Child care programs often have toileting expectations, and diapers can feel like the final step before a child enters a new stage of growth. But it\u2019s not &hellip; <a class=\"more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.firstthingsfirst.org\/es\/first-things\/potty-training-hidden-skills\/\">Read More<i class=\"fas fa-arrow-circle-right\"><\/i><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":71,"featured_media":64118,"template":"","tags":[38,71],"class_list":["post-64117","first-things","type-first-things","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-toddlers","tag-preschoolers"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v28.2 (Yoast SEO v28.2) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>The kindergarten readiness skills hidden in potty training - First Things First<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Why potty training also strengthens the everyday abilities children need in the early years, and eventually kindergarten.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.firstthingsfirst.org\/es\/first-things\/potty-training-hidden-skills\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"es_ES\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The kindergarten readiness skills hidden in potty training\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Why potty training also strengthens the everyday abilities children need in the early years, and eventually kindergarten.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.firstthingsfirst.org\/es\/first-things\/potty-training-hidden-skills\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"First Things First\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/AZFirstThingsFirst\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-08-13T20:54:46+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.firstthingsfirst.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Untitled-August-03-2026-at-11.58.50-3.png\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"750\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"393\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@AZFTF\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Tiempo de lectura\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"7 minutos\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.firstthingsfirst.org\\\/es\\\/first-things\\\/potty-training-hidden-skills\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.firstthingsfirst.org\\\/es\\\/first-things\\\/potty-training-hidden-skills\\\/\",\"name\":\"The kindergarten readiness skills hidden in potty training - 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