You might be ready to ditch diapers – but is your toddler? The single most important step in successful potty training next to patience is the right timing, so taking the time to consider WHEN to introduce the potty is crucial. Potty training readiness is an important milestone in a child’s life, and as with all developmental milestones, it’s impossible to get a child to progress until they’re physically and mentally ready to do so.
Instead of setting deadlines to have your little one potty trained by a certain age or date or letting friends or family pressure you into jumpstarting the potty training process based on how everyone else thinks you should go about it, wait until your kiddo shows signs of readiness to start training.
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Signs of potty training readiness
The mastery of potty training requires recognizing the body signals for having to go, and having control over the bowel and bladder muscles.
While there is no best time to start and no set age at which children are expected to master this complex set of skills, there are several signs that indicate your toddler may be physically and mentally ready to start with toilet training:
- interest in watching you use the bathroom
- pulling at their diaper when wet or dirty
- staying dry for longer periods of time during the day
- waking up dry from a nap
- having dry diapers in the morning after waking up and then peeing immediately
- hiding when peeing or pooping in a diaper
- letting you know they’ve just gone or are about to go
On average, healthy children start showing signs of potty training readiness around ages 18-24 months.
(If your toddler has a developmental delay or special health care needs, you may need to watch more closely for cues that signal your child is ready to start using the potty. Consult with your child’s health care provider for guidance.)
Essentially, if your toddler is drier for longer, announces or is aware of peeing and/or pooping, and seems interested about the concept of others using the toilet such as by asking you questions about it, it might be a good time to start training.
In contrast, if your child doesn’t mind wearing dirty diapers and shows no awareness of eliminating urine/stool and zero curiosity about using the potty, these are all signs that your child doesn’t have good bladder and bowel control and is NOT ready for potty training. Additionally, it’s also a good idea to delay training if your family is going through big changes such as welcoming a new baby or moving, which can be disruptive to the toilet training process.
Boys VS. girls: boys are known to often take a slower approach to potty training, but the readiness signs are the same for both boys and girls.
Related: Best Non-Toxic Pull-Up Diapers for Potty Training
Average age for potty training
In the United States and Western countries in general, the average age kids start potty training is between 2 and 3 years of age.
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends waiting with potty training until your child is at least 18 months of age, together with assessing their readiness level.
It’s important to remember that every child is different. Some kids show signs of readiness to potty train very early, and for others it doesn’t happen until much later on.
Since toilet training is a developmental milestone based on physical and emotional readiness rather than age, there is no single right age to expect to see signs of readiness or to plan on starting potty training.
How long does potty training take?
In the 1930s and 1940s, most children were potty trained by 28.5 months of age. Since then the average age to complete toilet training has steadily increased. Nowadays, only about half the kids in the U.S. are diaper-free by 3 years of age. [source]
It can take a few days, a couple of weeks, several months, or even longer to fully toilet train a child.
How fast your little one masters using the potty will depend on many factors besides their readiness level, such as their gender (boys tend to complete potty training about 2-3 months later than girls), their temperament, as well as the route you’ll choose for potty training. There is a gradual approach to potty training, and a faster way to potty train.
Additionally, daytime potty training is generally easier vs. nighttime training. Staying dry at night often takes significantly more time.
Popular potty chair options for you to consider:
Final words
Don’t force you child into potty training if he/she doesn’t seem ready. If you start too early, it may ultimately take longer to potty train your little one.
Resist outside pressure and well-meant advice by friends and relatives. There is no rush. So what that your friend’s kid has already been potty trained at the age your child is now. Potty training is not a contest. Let your child guide you and watch for subtle cues showing their readiness to start training.
Even if you feel like you’ve been waiting for a long time and your child shows no signs of readiness for toilet training and happily soils one diaper after another, I PROMISE you that it won’t last forever. You will eventually start seeing dry diapers and other indications you’re close.
While your little one gains full control over his bladder and bowel movements, having accidents is completely normal and expected. It takes lots of patience and reminders to master the elimination process. Accidents can occasionally happen even AFTER your child has been toilet trained – but ONE DAY things will click, and poof, your baby is a big kid!
