How to start & best age to potty train
Learning how to use the potty independently and stopping wearing nappies is a big milestone for your child. There are lots of new and exciting skills for them to learn with your help.
It begins with preparation to use the potty, next is practising potty skills before eventually stopping using nappies as your child gains confidence.
When should you start potty training?
Before they can start training, your child needs to be given lots of opportunities for learning. Babies are born ready to learn new skills with our help and the best way for them to do so is through practice and repetition.
That’s why it’s important to think about potty or toilet training in the same way we support children to develop other skills such as brushing their teeth or using a spoon.
Just like when helping them to walk and talk, you can start teaching your child to use a potty before they stop using nappies. This gives them all the time and practice they need to succeed with being independent from nappies when the time comes.
How to prepare for potty training
The getting ready stage for potty training needs to start early, take time and be a gradual journey you go on together. It can help to think of it as a ‘potty learning process‘ which will pay off in the long run.
Potty learning means helping your child use a potty or toilet as part of their overall learning. Most parents find a good time to start helping their child learn potty skills is from the time they can sit up, usually around 6 – 9 months.
By starting the process early and gently, when the time comes to stop wearing nappies, your child will already have some skills to make this transition easier and less daunting for you both.
It will be a lot less stressful for you both if you tackle potty training as a gradual process, rather than an event that can be completed in 3 days!
Supporting children with additional needs
Almost all children can learn to be clean and dry. Children with special needs such as delayed speech, autism or a physical disability may find the process more challenging.
Children with an additional need often need more support with learning to use a potty or toilet, but we recommend following the same 3 step process: preparation, practice and then stopping using nappies.
The longer they wear nappies, the harder it may be to introduce a new place for them to wee and poo. Therefore, it’s important not to put off potty training for too long.
Signs your child may need to wee or poo:
- They may tell you
- They may fidget, go quiet or hide
- They may crouch down and start to strain (for a poo)
If you see any of these signs or you know your child needs to do a wee or poo, gently direct them to use the potty. Some children may prefer to go straight to using the toilet. If this is your child, get a children’s toilet seat and a step stool to help them to feel secure and relaxed. Having feet firmly on the floor or a stool is the ideal position for fully emptying the bladder and bowel.
This will increase their chance of success whilst they are still learning how to respond to their body’s wee and poo signals. Doing this helps your child to understand what is expected of them.