It can be hard to know when to start toilet training. Most children are ready to start when they are between 24 and 36 months of age, but every child is different.

Children go through a toilet readiness phase that won't be the same for every child. Watch for physical and emotional signs that your child is ready to toilet train. Things going on in your family affect your child during this phase. It is not advised to toilet train during a time of family change, such as when there's a move, a new baby, or divorce.

When your child is ready to toilet train, the learning phase can begin. During this time, provide opportunities to toilet train and encourage your child.

Physical readiness

A child is physically capable of being toilet-trained when your child develops muscle control over the bowel and bladder. This rarely happens before 18 months of age.

Some basic signs that your child has bowel and bladder control include the following:

• Bowel movements occur on a regular, somewhat predictable schedule.
• Bowel movements do not occur during the night.
• Diapers frequently are dry after waking from a nap or for at least 2 hours at a time.
• Facial expressions, grunting, or squatting show an awareness that your child is passing urine or stool.

It helps if your child is able to remove clothing and climb onto the toilet with some help. And your child should be able to communicate with you about the need to use the toilet using words, gestures, or signs.

Emotional readiness

Your child may be physically ready to toilet train after 18 months of age. But emotional readiness may take more time. Your child will need to co-operate with you during the toilet-training process.

Your child shows emotional readiness for toilet training in several ways. Your child may:

• Tell you when their diaper is dirty and ask to have it changed.
• Be eager to please and able to follow simple directions.
• Tell you that they want to use the toilet or wear underwear instead of diapers.
• Act interested when other family members use the toilet.

Delays in toilet training

It is normal for your child to be doing well with toilet training and to suddenly begin having problems. For example, he or she may try to "hold it" for long periods or want to wear diapers again. This does not mean your efforts have failed.

Stress in the home can interfere with a child's toilet training. For example, toilet-training setbacks can be related to the arrival of a new baby, a move, a change in preschool or child care, family conflict, or illness or death of a close family member.

A child's toilet habits may also be affected if he or she gets an illness, especially one that has a long recovery time.

Sometimes your child will not co-operate—for no reason that you can figure out.

Negative reactions typically do not help. Children need frequent praise throughout the entire process of toilet training.

Measuring success

You will know your child is toilet-trained when they regularly anticipate the need to use the toilet and with little help are able to climb onto and use the type of toilet (potty) (Figure 1) that you provide. This process takes time, from weeks to months. Each child is different. But most children are successfully trained by age 3 or shortly thereafter. (Girls are typically trained a few months earlier than boys.) Your child may still need help now and then, such as with wiping, until age 4 or 5. Your child may also need help and reassurance when using a toilet in an unfamiliar place, such as in a public washroom, until about age 5 or 6.

Many toilet-trained children sometimes wet or soil their pants during the day, usually because they get distracted. For example, your child may ignore the need to use the toilet because they do not want to interrupt playtime. These accidents may occur until your child is 5 years old. Stress can also cause a child to revert to wetting their pants.

Most children sometimes wet the bed at night until about 12 months after they use the toilet during the day. Many 3-year-olds wet the bed at night at least once a month. Nighttime bedwetting may even occur sporadically into school age.

Figure 1 - Toilets for Toddlers

Toddler toilets help with toilet training. They are the right size for a child. Your child can use these aids until he or she is big enough to sit on a regular toilet.

A potty chair is a type of a toilet small enough for a child. It sits on the floor, and you can pick it up and move it to another place if you need to. Your child's waste collects in the potty chair's pan or bowl. You'll need to empty and clean the pan or bowl after each use.

If your child uses a potty seat (also called a toilet seat), his or her waste goes into your regular toilet bowl. Firmly attach the seat to your toilet. And make sure your child has a sturdy step stool to help him or her reach the potty seat. Often a step stool is included with the potty seat. Many potty seats have handgrips or armrests.

Current as of: October 24, 2023

Author: Ignite Healthwise, LLC Staff
Clinical Review Board
All Healthwise education is reviewed by a team that includes physicians, nurses, advanced practitioners, registered dieticians, and other healthcare professionals.

Pressure to toilet train your child

You may be confused about when to begin toilet training. This is not surprising, considering that most people are bombarded with advice and expectations from relatives, friends, and daycare providers. You may also have personal reasons for wanting your child toilet-trained, such as being pregnant and wanting to avoid having two children in diapers at the same time. Balancing all of these factors can be a challenge.

Resist pressure from friends or family to toilet train your child too early. Parents often feel that their child should be trained by a specific age or to meet a deadline, such as for a requirement to enroll in a particular daycare. You and your child are less likely to become frustrated and more likely to have a good experience with toilet training if it is not forced. Staying positive and relaxed is an important part of training your child.

Your child's physical and emotional readiness for toilet training is the most important aspect of the timing. Although you can begin toilet training your child at an earlier-than-average age, it usually takes longer. Also, both you and your child will likely become frustrated if you try toilet training before your child is physically and emotionally ready.

Common behaviours during toilet training

Accidental wetting or soiling

Toilet-trained children may have some accidents up until school age. A child who has an accident during the day is often in the middle of playing and simply holds it too long. Nighttime accidents may occur frequently within the first 12 months after children learn how to use the toilet during the day.

Touching the genitals

Sometimes toilet training sparks curiosity about where urine and stool come from, prompting some children to feel and touch their genital area. This is a normal part of how children learn about their bodies. Don't shame or punish your child for this behaviour. You can explain the function of the genitals and suggest that they are personal body parts to be looked at and explored in private.