Overview
When should you start toilet training your child?
Your child must be both physically and emotionally ready for toilet training. Most children are ready to start when they are between 22 and 30 months of age, but every child is different. Toilet training usually becomes a long and frustrating process if you try to start it before your child is ready.
Before children can use the toilet, they must be able to control their bowel and bladder muscles. Some signs of this control are having bowel movements around the same time each day, not having bowel movements at night, and having a dry diaper after a nap or for at least 2 hours at a time. Children must also be able to remove clothing and climb onto the toilet, communicate, and have mastered other basic motor skills before they can use the toilet by themselves.
Most children are physically ready to toilet train before they are emotionally ready. Your child must want to use the toilet and be willing to cooperate with you. Your child may even talk about being a "big boy" or "big girl" and wearing underpants rather than diapers. Training often doesn't go well if your child is in the stage where "no" is their automatic response to every request.
At your child's 2-year regular checkup, the health professional will ask you about your child's progress in toilet training. This is a good opportunity to discuss any concerns you have about your child's readiness.
How long does it take to toilet train?
A child is considered toilet-trained when he or she knows that it is time to go to the bathroom and is able to climb onto and use the toilet with little help. The average time it takes is 3 months. Girls usually are toilet-trained a little earlier than boys are.footnote 1
Your child will likely need help with wiping after a bowel movement until age 4 or 5. He or she may also need extra help in unfamiliar bathrooms, such as public restrooms, until about age 5 or 6.
What if your child isn't ready?
If your child resists using the toilet, your child probably isn't ready. Sometimes toilet training disruptions or delays are caused by stress or major changes in routine. Also, a child who is doing well with toilet training may suddenly have difficulty for no obvious reason. This is a normal part of toilet training. It is best to start or resume toilet training when your child is receptive to it and in a stable environment.
Your child's toilet training experience should be positive. If it becomes a struggle or a battle of wills, it is best to ease up or stop for a while. Although you may be ready for toilet training, your child may not be.
Your child is not ready to start toilet training if they show any resistance. Typically, a child objects by:
- Standing next to the potty and then going on the floor.
- Screaming and crying when taken to the potty.
- Seeming comfortable and even happy about sitting in a soiled diaper.
- Saying, "No potty!"
