{"id":7825,"date":"2025-08-12T12:27:39","date_gmt":"2025-08-12T10:27:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.stepsintospain.es\/?p=7825"},"modified":"2026-07-01T11:36:57","modified_gmt":"2026-07-01T09:36:57","slug":"potty-training-before-starting-school-in-spain","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.stepsintospain.es\/es\/potty-training-before-starting-school-in-spain\/","title":{"rendered":"Starting School in Spain? Why Potty Training Can\u2019t Wait"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Last week, I was speaking with one of my American client families, who are right in the middle of&nbsp;<strong>potty training before starting school in Spain<\/strong>. Their daughter will turn three in September \u2014 the same month she starts school here in Madrid. And like most parents arriving here, they\u2019ve discovered that potty training can\u2019t wait until after summer. It\u2019s not just a developmental milestone; in Spain, it\u2019s a September deadline most schools won\u2019t bend.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It took me straight back to when my own three were starting school in Madrid. All November and December babies, all had to be completely out of nappies before September \u2014 not \u201calmost trained\u201d and not \u201cwe\u2019ll wear pull-ups just in case\u201d. Done. And believe me, I know how much pressure that can put on a household.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Why Schools in Spain Expect Potty Training by Three<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>In Spain, compulsory education doesn\u2019t start until six, but almost all children begin&nbsp;<em>segundo ciclo de infantil<\/em>&nbsp;(the first formal stage of school) in the year they turn three. When starting in September, schools expect them to be dry during the day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The reason is simple: teachers can\u2019t leave 20 three-year-olds alone to change a nappy (hallelujah, it used to be 25). Some infant classes (<em>infantil<\/em>) have an assistant, but not all \u2014 and you can\u2019t rely on it. It\u2019s also about hygiene, class management, and encouraging independence. Using the toilet without help is considered just as important as feeding yourself or putting on your shoes. It keeps the day running smoothly and avoids lessons being interrupted because someone needs changing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What \u201cPotty Trained\u201d Really Means in Spanish Schools<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Recognise the need to go and tell an adult.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Pull clothes up and down without help.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Wipe (as best they can \u2014 perfection is not expected).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Wash and dry hands afterwards (<em>soap can be hit and miss, I\u2019m afraid<\/em>).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s about the full routine, not just sitting on the toilet. For some children, especially if they\u2019ve had more help at home, that\u2019s a big step.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The Summer Before School \u2013 Your Training Window<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><br>If your child is starting school in Spain in September, the summer before is your golden opportunity to train. Here\u2019s what works:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Practise in different environments \u2014 school toilets won\u2019t look like your bathroom. Try at parks, caf\u00e9s, friends\u2019 houses.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Choose easy, cool clothing<\/strong> \u2014 lightweight shorts or loose skirts\/dresses that your child can pull up and down without help. In this heat, many children wear very little at home, but practise with some clothing so they\u2019re used to managing it before school starts. Avoid anything fiddly like buttons, straps, or complicated fastenings.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Teach the full sequence \u2014 toilet, wipe, flush, wash hands. <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Talk about school toilets \u2014 show pictures or visit the school if possible, so they\u2019re less intimidating.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Involve them \u2014 let them choose underwear, soap, or a special towel to make it fun.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">If They\u2019re Not Fully Ready in September<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Accidents happen \u2014 and they\u2019re expected. I still remember my own children coming home with more than one bag of soiled clothing in those first weeks.<br>If your child is starting school for the first time, in a new country and a new language, it\u2019s assumed they\u2019ll have a few mishaps while adjusting. The key is to be prepared:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Stock up on multiple sets&nbsp;<em>ropa de cambio<\/em>&nbsp;(spare clothes) \u2014 underwear, lightweight shorts or skirt, socks, and a top.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Keep at least one labelled set in their backpack every day.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Include a small bag for soiled clothes, so teachers can send them home discreetly.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>What\u2019s harder is if your child is still in nappies when school starts. In many cases, the school will ask you to keep them at home until they\u2019re trained or be available to come in for changes. For working parents or newly arrived families, this can be a real headache.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Potty Training in Spain vs Other Countries<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>In the UK, US, and elsewhere, it\u2019s more common for preschool children to still be in nappies, with staff on hand to manage changes. Here in Spain, the cultural expectation is different \u2014 nappies are for sleeping only once a child is three.<br>For families moving here, this can be one of the biggest surprises. It can feel like an unmoveable deadline, but there\u2019s a silver lining: children are surrounded by peers training for the same September start, which often speeds up progress.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Early Potty Training \u2013 Good or Bad?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>From my perspective \u2014 and after guiding hundreds of families through this transition \u2014 early potty training works well if you keep it gentle and positive. It builds confidence, independence, and helps children settle more easily into the school routine.<br>That said, every child is different. Once you start, stick with it. Switching between nappies and underwear just delays progress.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p>If you\u2019re planning a move to Spain and trying to make sense of schools in Madrid, there are a few ways to get started \u2014 depending on where you are in the process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Some families begin with a clear overview of how the system works. Others prefer personalised guidance, or hands-on school search support.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You can see the different options here and choose what suits your situation.<br>\ud83d\udc49<a href=\"https:\/\/calendly.com\/stepsintospain\/quickchatmadridschools\">Reserva tu llamada gratuita<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Choosing a school in Madrid doesn\u2019t need to be overwhelming. I\u2019m Sin\u00e9ad Galvin, and through <a href=\"https:\/\/www.stepsintospain.es\/es\/how-to-get-started\/\">Steps into Spain<\/a>, I support families to make confident, informed choices across public, private, and concertado education.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Last week, I was speaking with one of my American client families, who are right in the middle of&nbsp;potty training [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":7826,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"disabled","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[46],"tags":[62,35,251,61],"class_list":["post-7825","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-schools-in-spain","tag-moving-with-kids-to-spain","tag-schools-in-spain","tag-sinead-galvin-education-consultant","tag-steps-into-spain"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.1 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Starting School in Spain? Why Potty Training Can\u2019t Wait - Steps into Spain<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Most Spanish schools expect three-year-olds to be potty trained by September. Here\u2019s why you can\u2019t leave it until after summer.\" \/>\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.stepsintospain.es\/es\/potty-training-before-starting-school-in-spain\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"es_ES\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Starting School in Spain? Why Potty Training Can\u2019t Wait - Steps into Spain\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Most Spanish schools expect three-year-olds to be potty trained by September. Here\u2019s why you can\u2019t leave it until after summer.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.stepsintospain.es\/es\/potty-training-before-starting-school-in-spain\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Steps into Spain\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/SineadSteps\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-08-12T10:27:39+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-07-01T09:36:57+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"http:\/\/www.stepsintospain.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Imagen-12-8-25-a-las-12.10.jpeg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1348\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"888\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"stepsint\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Escrito por\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"stepsint\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Tiempo de lectura\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutos\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.stepsintospain.es\\\/potty-training-before-starting-school-in-spain\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.stepsintospain.es\\\/potty-training-before-starting-school-in-spain\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"stepsint\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.stepsintospain.es\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/bb41389b9c1f31e8f9f009b4834a8a06\"},\"headline\":\"Starting School in Spain? Why Potty Training Can\u2019t Wait\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-08-12T10:27:39+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-07-01T09:36:57+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.stepsintospain.es\\\/potty-training-before-starting-school-in-spain\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":928,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.stepsintospain.es\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.stepsintospain.es\\\/potty-training-before-starting-school-in-spain\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.stepsintospain.es\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/08\\\/Imagen-12-8-25-a-las-12.10.jpeg\",\"keywords\":[\"Moving with kids to Spain\",\"Schools in Spain\",\"Sinead Galvin education consultant\",\"Steps into Spain\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Finding schools in Spain\"],\"inLanguage\":\"es\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.stepsintospain.es\\\/potty-training-before-starting-school-in-spain\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.stepsintospain.es\\\/potty-training-before-starting-school-in-spain\\\/\",\"name\":\"Starting School in Spain? Why Potty Training Can\u2019t Wait - Steps into Spain\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.stepsintospain.es\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.stepsintospain.es\\\/potty-training-before-starting-school-in-spain\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.stepsintospain.es\\\/potty-training-before-starting-school-in-spain\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.stepsintospain.es\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/08\\\/Imagen-12-8-25-a-las-12.10.jpeg\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-08-12T10:27:39+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-07-01T09:36:57+00:00\",\"description\":\"Most Spanish schools expect three-year-olds to be potty trained by September. Here\u2019s why you can\u2019t leave it until after summer.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.stepsintospain.es\\\/potty-training-before-starting-school-in-spain\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"es\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.stepsintospain.es\\\/potty-training-before-starting-school-in-spain\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"es\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.stepsintospain.es\\\/potty-training-before-starting-school-in-spain\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.stepsintospain.es\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/08\\\/Imagen-12-8-25-a-las-12.10.jpeg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.stepsintospain.es\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/08\\\/Imagen-12-8-25-a-las-12.10.jpeg\",\"width\":1348,\"height\":888,\"caption\":\"Potty training before age of three in Spain\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.stepsintospain.es\\\/potty-training-before-starting-school-in-spain\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.stepsintospain.es\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Starting School in Spain? Why Potty Training Can\u2019t Wait\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.stepsintospain.es\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.stepsintospain.es\\\/\",\"name\":\"Steps into Spain\",\"description\":\"Helping families find the Right School for their child in Madrid\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.stepsintospain.es\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.stepsintospain.es\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"es\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.stepsintospain.es\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Steps into Spain\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.stepsintospain.es\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"es\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.stepsintospain.es\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.stepsintospain.es\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2021\\\/05\\\/320-Color-Positivo.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.stepsintospain.es\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2021\\\/05\\\/320-Color-Positivo.png\",\"width\":320,\"height\":53,\"caption\":\"Steps into Spain\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.stepsintospain.es\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.facebook.com\\\/SineadSteps\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.instagram.com\\\/sinead.stepsintospain\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.linkedin.com\\\/in\\\/sinead123\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.pinterest.es\\\/stepsintospain\\\/_created\\\/\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.stepsintospain.es\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/bb41389b9c1f31e8f9f009b4834a8a06\",\"name\":\"stepsint\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"es\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/8cfb1d945ba14c4346649ac2707f88eec5eb08876532d1fab7208be2d9f58741?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/8cfb1d945ba14c4346649ac2707f88eec5eb08876532d1fab7208be2d9f58741?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/8cfb1d945ba14c4346649ac2707f88eec5eb08876532d1fab7208be2d9f58741?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"stepsint\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.stepsintospain.es\"]}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Starting School in Spain? Why Potty Training Can\u2019t Wait - Steps into Spain","description":"Most Spanish schools expect three-year-olds to be potty trained by September. Here\u2019s why you can\u2019t leave it until after summer.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.stepsintospain.es\/es\/potty-training-before-starting-school-in-spain\/","og_locale":"es_ES","og_type":"article","og_title":"Starting School in Spain? Why Potty Training Can\u2019t Wait - Steps into Spain","og_description":"Most Spanish schools expect three-year-olds to be potty trained by September. Here\u2019s why you can\u2019t leave it until after summer.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.stepsintospain.es\/es\/potty-training-before-starting-school-in-spain\/","og_site_name":"Steps into Spain","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/SineadSteps","article_published_time":"2025-08-12T10:27:39+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-07-01T09:36:57+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1348,"height":888,"url":"http:\/\/www.stepsintospain.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Imagen-12-8-25-a-las-12.10.jpeg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"stepsint","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Escrito por":"stepsint","Tiempo de lectura":"5 minutos"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.stepsintospain.es\/potty-training-before-starting-school-in-spain\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.stepsintospain.es\/potty-training-before-starting-school-in-spain\/"},"author":{"name":"stepsint","@id":"https:\/\/www.stepsintospain.es\/#\/schema\/person\/bb41389b9c1f31e8f9f009b4834a8a06"},"headline":"Starting School in Spain? Why Potty Training Can\u2019t Wait","datePublished":"2025-08-12T10:27:39+00:00","dateModified":"2026-07-01T09:36:57+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.stepsintospain.es\/potty-training-before-starting-school-in-spain\/"},"wordCount":928,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.stepsintospain.es\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.stepsintospain.es\/potty-training-before-starting-school-in-spain\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.stepsintospain.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Imagen-12-8-25-a-las-12.10.jpeg","keywords":["Moving with kids to Spain","Schools in Spain","Sinead Galvin education consultant","Steps into Spain"],"articleSection":["Finding schools in Spain"],"inLanguage":"es"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.stepsintospain.es\/potty-training-before-starting-school-in-spain\/","url":"https:\/\/www.stepsintospain.es\/potty-training-before-starting-school-in-spain\/","name":"Starting School in Spain? Why Potty Training Can\u2019t Wait - Steps into Spain","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.stepsintospain.es\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.stepsintospain.es\/potty-training-before-starting-school-in-spain\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.stepsintospain.es\/potty-training-before-starting-school-in-spain\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.stepsintospain.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Imagen-12-8-25-a-las-12.10.jpeg","datePublished":"2025-08-12T10:27:39+00:00","dateModified":"2026-07-01T09:36:57+00:00","description":"Most Spanish schools expect three-year-olds to be potty trained by September. Here\u2019s why you can\u2019t leave it until after summer.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.stepsintospain.es\/potty-training-before-starting-school-in-spain\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"es","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.stepsintospain.es\/potty-training-before-starting-school-in-spain\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"es","@id":"https:\/\/www.stepsintospain.es\/potty-training-before-starting-school-in-spain\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.stepsintospain.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Imagen-12-8-25-a-las-12.10.jpeg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.stepsintospain.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Imagen-12-8-25-a-las-12.10.jpeg","width":1348,"height":888,"caption":"Potty training before age of three in Spain"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.stepsintospain.es\/potty-training-before-starting-school-in-spain\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.stepsintospain.es\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Starting School in Spain? Why Potty Training Can\u2019t Wait"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.stepsintospain.es\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.stepsintospain.es\/","name":"Steps into Spain","description":"Helping families find the Right School for their child in Madrid","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.stepsintospain.es\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.stepsintospain.es\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"es"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.stepsintospain.es\/#organization","name":"Steps into Spain","url":"https:\/\/www.stepsintospain.es\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"es","@id":"https:\/\/www.stepsintospain.es\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.stepsintospain.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/320-Color-Positivo.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.stepsintospain.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/320-Color-Positivo.png","width":320,"height":53,"caption":"Steps into Spain"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.stepsintospain.es\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/SineadSteps","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/sinead.stepsintospain","https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/sinead123\/","https:\/\/www.pinterest.es\/stepsintospain\/_created\/"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.stepsintospain.es\/#\/schema\/person\/bb41389b9c1f31e8f9f009b4834a8a06","name":"stepsint","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"es","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8cfb1d945ba14c4346649ac2707f88eec5eb08876532d1fab7208be2d9f58741?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8cfb1d945ba14c4346649ac2707f88eec5eb08876532d1fab7208be2d9f58741?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8cfb1d945ba14c4346649ac2707f88eec5eb08876532d1fab7208be2d9f58741?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"stepsint"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.stepsintospain.es"]}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.stepsintospain.es\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7825","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.stepsintospain.es\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.stepsintospain.es\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.stepsintospain.es\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.stepsintospain.es\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7825"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/www.stepsintospain.es\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7825\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":21978,"href":"https:\/\/www.stepsintospain.es\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7825\/revisions\/21978"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.stepsintospain.es\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7826"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.stepsintospain.es\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7825"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.stepsintospain.es\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7825"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.stepsintospain.es\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7825"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}