When should I start potty training?
First of all, you should know that there is no official or standard age for the question of when should I start potty training.
Second, you don’t need to potty train your child if he doesn’t want to. Potty training requires patience from start to finish.
Your child can copy others without instructions, as long as you make it clear what to do and where to do it. You should not force your child to use a potty if he doesn’t want to or if he isn’t ready to start. Some doctors or experts may tell you that the human body does not develop the ability to control the bladder and bowels until he is two years old. Therefore, two years is usually the age for most children to start potty training. A small fraction of parents began potty training when their children were as young as 4 months old.
Children under the age of two cannot control themselves when they are going to pee and poop. The muscles that control the bladder and rectum are not mature enough until they are between 18 months and two years old. Some signs of this control are having a bowel movement at the same time every day, not having a bowel movement at night, and having a dry diaper after a nap or for at least two hours at a time. Children must also be able to climb, talk, remove their clothes, and master other basic motor skills before they can use the bathroom on their own. Waiting for the cues when they are ready is the key to successful training. Starting too soon can result in some serious accidents.
Check these questions to make a judgment:
1. When and how to start using the bathroom?
2. How to hold out until I get to the bathroom?
3. How does your child flush?
4. How does your child put clothes on and off?
5. How to wipe his butt without your help?
Most children are physically ready for potty training before they are emotionally ready for potty training. Your child must want to use the bathroom and be willing to cooperate with you. He or she may even talk about being a “big boy” or “big girl” and wear boxer shorts instead of diapers. Generally, potty training doesn’t work well if your child is at the stage where “no” is his automatic response to every request.