Potty training: how to start & best age to potty train
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.
Shouldn't we wait for 'signs of readiness'?
No! Many children and particularly those with additional needs, will never give any signs that they are ready to potty or toilet train.
Very few children wake up one morning and announce they want to stop wearing a nappy! It's a bit like expecting a child to be able to run before they've had a chance to crawl.
You don't need to delay potty training and wait for signs of readiness. Prepare your child by teaching them the skills they need.
What is the best age for potty training?
Most children are ready to master potty independence and lead in many parts of the process from around 18 months. The majority of children will be capable of doing most things including wiping by themselves when they start school.
Research shows it is better for your child’s bladder and bowel health to stop using nappies between 18 and 30 months.
The longer you leave it, the harder it can be for your child to learn this new skill and accept not having a nappy on anymore.
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.
3 steps approach that we use:
Step 1: Preparation
Here's how to help your child gain body awareness and prepare them for potty training:
- Check that they are passing some soft poo every day and there’s no underlying constipation. If you think your child might be constipated, it's important to sort this out before you stop using nappies. Read our information about how to spot and treat constipation.
- Make sure they are having plenty of water-based drinks on top of any milk. Keeping their bladder and bowel healthy and working properly will help with potty training.
- Try to change nappies or pull-ups as soon as they are wet or soiled. This teaches your baby that it is normal to be clean and dry.
- Once they can stand, do nappy or pull-up changes standing up and involve them in cleaning up and flushing poo down the toilet. Talk to them whilst you're doing it so they begin to understand where wee and poo goes and the language we use for the toilet and how our body feels.
- Regular, short periods without wearing a nappy or pull-up can help prepare your child for how it will feel when they stop using them completely. Let your child have some nappy off time for up to 30 minutes after they've done a wee or poo. This will help them get used to not wearing it, without having an accident.
- If you use disposable nappies or pull-ups, you can add a washable, reusable cloth flannel into it so that it feels wet when your child wees. This is because disposables instantly wick away the moisture, making it harder for your child to feel when they have done a wee. Make sure to remove the cloth as soon as it gets wet to avoid nappy rash.
Step 2: Practice
From the time your child can safely sit up by themselves, they can start sitting on a potty with your help.
Good times to try a potty sit include:
- Shortly after they wake up
- After mealtimes
- Anytime you know your child needs to go (if you see them straining for a poo for example).
Once you've helped to grow your child's body awareness and they begin to develop confidence in what they've learnt, you can then start to build in and give opportunities to practice some more advanced skills. These include:
- Words or signs that they can learn to help communicate their needs to you
- How to push their pants down and pull them up again afterwards
- Good personal hygiene: the correct way to use toilet paper for wiping, handwashing and drying
Don't forget at this practice stage they can still wear a nappy, but it will boost their capabilities and awareness if they have some nappy free time and potty sits.
Dress them in loose fitting trousers during these periods rather than pants as they may confuse this with wearing a nappy.
Step 3: Stopping using nappies
Whatever stage your child is on their potty learning journey, stopping using nappies is a big change for them.
Here are some tips to help make this stage easier for you both:
- Make sure it’s a good time for you as well as your child. It’s best to avoid doing it at a time when there are any big changes or disruptions to your child’s or family’s routine.
- When you are ready, tell your child it is time to stop using nappies. You may like to help your child to say goodbye to their nappies and explain that from now on, they will do all their wee and poo in the potty or toilet.
- Make sure your child is drinking enough during the day. Aim for 6-8 drinks a day. Water is the best drink but milk in moderation and well-diluted squash is OK too.
- Dress your child in clothes that are easy for them to get on and off, so they can take the lead with using the potty. Some children learn best when they can be at home and naked from the waist down. Other children learn best when they are wearing loose-fitting trousers without pants.
- If you have a boy, encourage him to sit down on the potty for both wees and poos especially in the beginning. We empty our bladder better sitting down and it helps to prevent constipation.