Toilet Training Review -Child

Summary of Recommendation and Evidence

Population	Recommendation	Grade (What's This?)
Screening of both Genders	This screening is recommended for children.	B

When to start toilet training a child?

Signs that your child is ready include the following:

Your child signals that his or her diaper is wet or soiled.
Your child seems interested in the potty chair or toilet.
Your child says that he or she would like to go to the potty.
Your child understands and follows basic instructions.
Your child feels uncomfortable if his or her diaper is wet or soiled.
Your child stays dry for periods of 2 hours or longer during the day.
Your child wakes up from naps with a dry diaper.
Your child can pull his or her pants down and then up again.

You may start noticing these signs when your child is 18 to 24 months of age. However, it is not uncommon for a child to still be in diapers at 2 and a half to 3 years of age.

What if the child has an accident?

The child may have an occasional accident even after he or she learns how to use the toilet. Sometimes, children get too involved in activities and forget that they need to use the bathroom. Suggesting regular trips to the bathroom may help prevent some accidents.

If the child does have an accident, stay calm. Do not punish the child. Simply change the child and continue to encourage the child to use the potty chair.

How long will it take to toilet train the child?

Every child is different. It may take as long as 3 to 6 months for the child to be toilet trained during daytime. It may take longer to teach the child to use the toilet during night time when his or her bladder control is reduced. It is important for you to be patient and supportive. If after a few months, the child is still resisting or having difficulties with toilet training, talk to your family doctor. The most likely reason the child has not learned to use the potty is that the child is not yet ready for toilet training.

How to prepare the child for Toilet Training?

Allow the child to be present when you go to the bathroom and make the child feel comfortable in the bathroom. Allow the child to see urine and bowel movements in the toilet. Let the child practice flushing the toilet.

Before toilet training the child, place a potty chair in the child’s normal living and play area so that the child will become familiar with the potty. Allow the child to observe, touch and become familiar with the potty chair. Tell the child that the potty chair is his or her own chair. Allow the child to sit fully clothed on the potty chair, as if it were a regular chair. Allow the child to leave the potty chair at any time. Do not force the child to spend time sitting on the chair.

After the child has become used to the potty chair and sits on it regularly with his or her clothes on, try having the child sit on the potty without wearing pants and a diaper.

The next step is to show the child how the potty chair is used. Place stool from a dirty diaper into the potty chair. Allow the child to observe the transfer of the bowel movement from the potty chair into the toilet. Let the child flush the toilet and watch the bowel movement disappear down the toilet.

Toilet training troubles

Learning to control bowels and bladder is a big task for your toddler and sometimes there can be problems caused by:

Starting too soon – may be because of pressure from relatives or friends, e.g. ’Surely Tom isn’t still in nappies?’
Parents feeling they must get their child trained by a certain age or date. If the child feels tension and pressure they may become afraid of making a mess, and it will be hard for them to get it right. Toilet training works best when there is no pressure for either the parent or the child
Children and parents getting into a battle over toilet training. Toilet training should not become a power struggle
Changes or stress in the child’s life, such as a new baby in the family. They may see you happily changing the baby’s poo-ey nappies and feel cross or insecure about the new baby. If the child asks to wear a nappy again, let them for that day. Ask them the next day if they could manage without one. This can happen on and off for several weeks until they feel secure again
A child being unwell - Temporary loss of control is also common when a child is sick.

If you think the child is not trying to use the potty or toilet you may find yourself becoming angry and even wanting to punish them. Try again in a few weeks when things are less tense. Spend extra time making them feel special before you start again.

What about training pants?

Doctors disagree about whether to use disposable training pants. Some think that training pants may confuse children and make them think it is okay to use them like diapers. This may slow the toilet training process. Others think training pants may be a helpful step when you are training the child. Sometimes, training pants are used at nighttime, when it is more difficult for a child to control his or her bladder.