Using a chart can be very helpful when monitoring your child's progress. Each section of the chart serves its own purpose toward achieving your overall goal of a diaper-free child. The date will help you monitor step-by-step progress as your child uses the toilet more and diapers less.

Additionally, the date will provide you with a written record of when you began potty training. Because parents often realize they have tried to begin potty training before their children are ready, the date can help you remember how old your child was when you started and how long you should wait before you try again.

Next, the “Day in Progress” section can help you monitor how long it is taking to achieve complete potty training. If your child appears to be diaper-free after only a day or two of potty training, you have extra cause to celebrate! At the same time, you also have extra cause to watch carefully for accidents or steps toward regression. If your child is taking longer to potty train, you may want to consider taking a break from the process. Overall, monitoring the number of days in your child's potty-training progress will help you as the parent to maintain patience and rationality in what you expect of your toddler.

Finally, the time chart can help you notice patterns in your child's elimination habits, assist you in creating patterns to help your child know when to use the bathroom, and aid you both in anticipating when you will need to take your child to use the toilet. By recording the time your child uses or tries to use the toilet each day, you will be able to help yourself set up a routine for when to use the bathroom. By including diaper changes, you will also be able to see patterns in when your child tends to soil her diaper, particularly after naps or in the late afternoon when children are most likely to be tired and/or hungry.

Of course, the charts also offer the added benefit of tracking your progress. By using the time chart each day, you and your child will have a visual reminder of how she is improving and how close she is to leading a diaper-free life!