When, and how, you start potty training your child is a contentious issue. Some experts say 18 months is too young, while some parents will tell you that their children started potty training at one year old. The truth is, when you start potty training depends on your child, and whether he or she is ready to start.
Your child will need some fairly sophisticated physical and cognitive skills in order to realise that he or she wants to go to the toilet, and to ‘hold it’ until they can, but there are ways you can start the process around this age.
Let your child sit on the toilet with his or her clothes on, to get used to the feeling. Try playing pretend games with one of your child’s toys, where you let the toy go to the potty too.
In most cases, children aren’t developmentally ready to start using the toilet until after two and it can be another six months or more after that before your child has mastered the skill, so patience is key!
Your child will need some fairly sophisticated physical and cognitive skills in order to realise that he or she wants to go to the toilet, and to ‘hold it’ until they can, but there are ways you can start the process around this age.
Let your child sit on the toilet with his or her clothes on, to get used to the feeling. Try playing pretend games with one of your child’s toys, where you let the toy go to the potty too.
In most cases, children aren’t developmentally ready to start using the toilet until after two and it can be another six months or more after that before your child has mastered the skill, so patience is key!