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When to Start Toilet Training
If you're a parent of a toddler, it's natural to wonder about the right time to start toilet training. This question crosses the minds of almost every parent, and the answer largely depends on your child's age, personality, and readiness.
Whether you're a first-time parent or have trained a toddler before, this post will offer you practical tips and perspectives to help you navigate the experience with ease and success.
In it, we'll explore the clues to look out for to know if your child is ready for potty training, as well as the typical duration for mastering this important life skill.
The answer to this question varies a lot, and really, there’s no ‘perfect’ time to begin toilet or potty training. Every child will become ready at their own pace, but many parents start training their toddler from around two or two and a half years old.
Children younger than 12 months old typically have no bladder or bowel control. Between 12 and 18 months old they have very little control, and usually children can control their bowels before their bladder.
Most children won’t have full bowel and bladder control until around 24 to 30 months old, and boys often start later than girls, meaning it can take them longer to learn how to move on from nappies.
Don’t worry if your little one does start potty training a little later than their peers, this may just mean that they’ll learn this new life skill faster and have fewer ‘accidents’ along the way.
You can look out for the following signs to know if your toddler is ready to begin potty training. The more or these signs you spot, the quicker your little one should be able to learn how to use the potty.
Do they…
Can they…
Potty training is an important milestone in a child's development and requires patience, persistence, and a lot of preparation. It's essential to prepare your child well in advance to ensure a successful and stress-free potty training experience.
It usually takes three to six months to potty train, but each child is different and yours will take it at their own pace.
They’ll still have accidents every now and then, and some children can go through relapse phases of wetting themselves or wetting the bed after they’re fully potty trained. If this does happen, it’s important to stay patient and remember to praise them whenever they make progress.
Want more toddler toilet time tips? Head to our dedicated blog post on toilet training.