Potty training age: When to start potty training

The appropriate potty training age can be tricky to find. You need to figure out what’s optimal for your children. If you start out too soon, you’ll set them up to fail. Your children need to be developed physically and have a sense of the bladder and rectum sphincter. This usually happens when they’re around 1,5 to 2 years of age. At this point you can introduce them slowly to the potty or toilet, but they also need to show an interest themselves. Your children need to go through and master the below 3 phases, before they can lose their diapers completely during daytime.

  1. Realize that the diaper is wet and think it’s nice to get it off
  2. Realize that he or she is peeing or pooping, and will mention it while it happens or right after it’s happened
  3. Let you know before pooping – and, later, after peeing

Average potty training age

There are cultural differences in relation to potty training age. However, many children stop using diapers during the day between the age of 2 to 3. At night between the age of 3 to 5. Be aware, though, that this is on average. Some are younger and some are much older.

Be patient and supportive

There is a tendency for grown-ups to think that faster equals better. This is not the case. Children who are pushed to much will sometimes come to a standstill or even regress. Using the potty should be a positive experience, and a child should never be scolded for having an accident. Read more about how to successfully potty train your children.

Girls tend to be faster

When you’re thinking about the optimal potty training age, you need to be aware that girls are often a bit faster than boys. If you have fraternal twins it may very well be that the girl twin will be many months ahead of the twin boy. Don’t expect the same of your children, and accept that potty training age is individual and depends on the child.

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