What is the right age to Toilet-train your little one?

Toilet/potty training is an important developmental milestone for both kids and parents. Helping your little one start to use the potty (or toilet) is a challenging as well as a very exciting step for you.

A child is considered fully toilet trained when he/she is conscious of the fact that he/she needs to pass urine or open his/her bowels and can go to the toilet alone without reminders from the parents.

A child’s ability to use a toilet is influenced by gender, race, culture, socioeconomic status along with the temperament of the child. There is considerable variation in toilet training techniques across different generations and cultures. In most countries, the age at which toilet training is achieved is increasing, this is possibly due to the introduction of easy to use and disposable diapers and nappies. In 1947, 60% of children were toilet trained by the age of 18 months, whereas in 2003 they weren’t even taught until 36.8 months.

Girls generally toilet train earlier than boys. This is thought to be the fact since girls are more influenced by socialization and that boys must adopt different postures for toileting depending on whether they want to pass urine or stools.

When to start toilet training?

Each child is unique and so the toilet training age will differ from one child to another. Starting too early will only lead to frustration for you and your child. Starting too late can be expensive as the cost of nappies goes up, also it hampers the independence of the child and restricts social activities. In addition, there are also certain health risks associated with delayed toilet training which include urinary tract infections, bladder dysfunction, constipation and/or diarrhoea or hepatitis A.

You can look for these signs in your child to see if he/she is ready for toilet training:

• Is able to walk and sit for a couple of minutes
• Is showing signs of being independent when it comes to completing some tasks.
• Is curious in watching others go to the toilet (this can be awkward or make you uncomfortable at first, but is a good way to introduce him/her to the toilet and things around)
• If he/she has dry nappies for more than 2 hours in a day
• Informs you (or shows obvious signs) when he wets or soils his nappy – if he can tell you before it happens, he’s ready for toilet training
• Does not like to wear a nappy or removes it off when it’s wet or soiled.
• Passes soft stools regularly.
• Is able to pull up and down his pants.

Remember, toilet training your child is a journey, so do not rush into it and make it a happy experience for both the child and yourself.