Everyone expects all journeys to have an endpoint or finish line, including potty training. Potty training is an important developmental milestone for toddlers and their parents. Generally, it involves patience, resolve, and perseverance. Due to the unique nature of potty training, most parents often wonder when to start or how long it should take to potty train their toddlers.
No matter when this potty training journey starts or ends for you and your little one, we’re here to supply all the info you need and guide you through the process.
Potty training simply means teaching your child to pee/poo in a controlled and hygienic manner. In other instances, potty training can be referred to as toilet training. Although the duration varies for each child, at the end of potty training, your toddler should be able to:
Unlike other developmental milestones like walking, talking or running, which occur according to a baby’s personal timeline, potty training is typically introduced by the parents. As expected, many parents worry about the ultimate potty training schedule- when to begin and how long it should last.
The American Academy of Pediatrics postulates that most toddlers begin to show signs of potty training readiness between the 18th and 24th month of life. Nevertheless, this range varies greatly depending on the child and other physical, emotional and mental factors.
To start potty training, your toddler should be able to:
Sadly, there is no right answer for this.
For most toddlers, potty training takes between three to six months to complete. At age 3, most children are expected to have completed potty training. However, this is just a range because each child is unique.
For each child, potty training begins with one key factor: Readiness.
To start the process of potty training your toddler, he/she must be display signs of readiness by exhibiting any or all of the key signs mentioned earlier in this article. After this, it is important for you to find and follow the right potty training schedule.
Finding and following the right schedule is really important because it plays a vital role in the success rate of potty training for most toddlers. In fact, the American Academy of Pediatrics has observed that the longer you wait to potty train your toddler, the faster the journey may be. In contrast, toddlers who are hurried into potty training face a higher risk for urinary tract infections, constipation, and bedwetting.
Therefore, we recommend that you follow a timeline that doesn’t pressure you or your little one. Also, the time taken to potty train your child may vary based on the technique involved. In some cases, potty training may be completed in just one week or last as long as three months in some other instances.
Although the three-day potty training technique has worked for many children, it requires complete parental involvement throughout the entire process. This is especially important because you have to change soiled diapers, increase fluid intake, and encourage potty use. The longer potty training techniques require parents to develop and maintain a training routine that helps the child take little (but crucial) steps every single day.
Furthermore, if your child does not respond positively to one potty training method, don’t get worried. All you need to do is try out another method or stall the process a little longer.
While potty training your toddler, you can apply the following the tips to speed up the process:
Ultimately, potty training is a personal journey for each child. Like every other developmental milestone, your child would get there at his/her own time. There is no need to rush the potty training process. Be patient, support your child, listen to his/her needs or challenges and everything is going to work out fine.
Finally, if you have major concerns about your toddler’s progress or response to potty training, please consult your pediatrician.
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