What age to start potty training?

Potty Training Age

The human body has a well defined and efficient waste disposal system. The kidneys filter the waste out of the blood and send this waste to the urinary bladder where it collects. The process of urination empties the bladder of this waste fluid. Solid waste from the digestive process is removed in the form of feces. For adults, both these processes, i.e. defecation and urination are normal and controllable. Adult humans have a remarkable ability to control their excretion systems. However, for a new born child, this system is virtually involuntary. This is why we tend to use diapers to collect the waste that is excreted from a child’s body.

Potty training is one of the first and most important behavior training exercises. As a child begins to grow, control over these processes begins to develop. Potty training involves the parent teaching the child about the necessary steps when the child feels the need to urinate or defecate. At the initial stages of potty training, the child may continue to use diapers but should be taught to report to either parent when urination or defecation has taken place.

Parents may wonder about what age to start potty training their kids. Typically, when the child is capable of walking unassisted, potty training should commence. This can be done by repetitive instruction and conditioning. When the child reports feeling wet or soiled, the parent should commend the child about this and encourage such communication to continue. Some children learn by imitation. In such a situation, the child will imitate the parent’s movements when the parent takes it to the toilet. This process can teach the child how to use a toilet and must be encouraged.

The guidelines for what age to start potty training suggest that this training can commence from as early as the age of 1 and a half. It should be noted that some children may require more time to develop control over their bowel and urinary movements and in such a situation it may be prudent to wait until the child is older, maybe as old as 3 and a half years old before potty training commences. Patience is a key to potty training and is often as important as the decision about what age to start potty training. When the parent is firm but patient, the child is likely to follow the instructions without feeling intimidated or nervous.

Submitted by P T on July 13, 2010 at 03:37

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