When To Start Potty Training

A New Look at Potty Training – Part 2
by Karen DeBord, Ph. D.
Courtesy NNCC

When To Start Potty Training

Parents can recognize some signs of readiness to help them know when to start potty training. These responses may be helpful during the toilet learning process. In general, children learn about bowel needs before urine needs. This is because children can generally control the sphincter muscle at an earlier age than they are able to recognize and control urination muscles.

9 Signs of When To Start Potty Training

• know names for most body parts.
• acquire the desire to be clean.
• urinate a larger amount at one time as opposed to dribbling throughout the day.

  There are many potential signs of when to start potty training:

• Parents may be able to recognize some signs that the child is ready to have a bowel movement and respond. As soon as signs of pushing and concentration are noticed, the parent may take the child to the toilet to finish.

• Children who can walk steadily from room to room; have the coordination to stoop and pick up things and can pull their pants up and down may have the physical ability to complete toileting tasks.
• Children who show an interest in and are motivated by wearing “real” underwear may be ready to learn toileting.
• Children need to be old enough to learn to gauge their own body signals and attend to them. Children who stay dry for several hours and feel the need to urinate (posture, gestures, verbal, or facial expressions are indicators) may be ready to begin the process.
• Girls usually learn toileting before boys. For girls, toilet learning may occur as early as 18 months and, for boys, around 22 months. However, there is no magical time to begin, and this process cannot be rushed. Each child will have his or her own schedule.
• Children begin toilet learning first in the daytime then progress to nighttime learning.

Problems in toilet learning often can be traced to parental stress or other struggles between parent and child. For example, if both parents work away from the home, the process may need to be started on the weekend. Or, if there is a family crisis or other major family event requiring the child’s or adults’ attention, the process may need to be delayed. The process should be discussed with child care providers, family members, and friends, and procedures should be agreed upon. Parents should be prepared with extra supplies such as clean underwear, clean-up supplies, and a child-sized toilet or toilet chair. In general, the learning process is least stressful when parents think through the process and give the child strategies and reinforcement to begin work on this special growing step.

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