Toddler
Month 18 Worry: How Do I Start Potty Training?
The most common medical concern for parents of children this age
Potty training is a two steps forward, one step back kind of process. But rest assured: Your child will get there. Our pediatrician offers simple toilet training tips.
What's the Issue?
Potty training is an interesting developmental and behavioral milestone. The average age of controlling voiding and stooling habits varies by culture, race, socioeconomic status, and whether your child is male or female, just to name a few. Potty training theories abound by the so-called experts. So let's break it down. What are the fundamentals in beginning potty training for your child?
Consider the Numbers
In the United States, the average boy urine trains at 39 months of age, according to a Medical College of Wisconsin study. The average girl trains at 36 months.
In other cultures (Africa, Eastern Europe, China, the Arctic), babies learn to potty train about the same time that they learn to walk (about one year of age). This process, termed "elimination communication," begins between birth and six months of age and consists of very attentive parents reading subtle infant cues. Keep in mind that the average young infant pees 20 times per day. Those are a lot of cues!
Discarded disposable diapers are the third largest component of landfills (newspapers and fast food containers are first and second largest). There were about 18.6 billion diapers sold in the United States in 2006. Estimates tell us that over 40 million diapers are used each day in the US, or 467 diapers per second. Each child under the age of two requires 4.42 diapers per day. And the diaper industry is considered a growth marketplace!
What Parents Can Do
Start the potty training process in your child's second year of life and start gently. Put the potty in or near the bathroom and allow your toddler to see it as part of the environment. Allow her to sit on it with her diaper on.
Know that potty training is usually a two steps forward, one step back kind of process. Initial excitement may lead to general indifference or even anger … and then there are the toddler's feelings to deal with! Try putting your toddler on the potty without a diaper. Read a book on the potty while the bathtub is filling. If the process becomes stressful for you or your toddler, back off.
Related Links
- Article: The Importance of Nakedtime during Potty Training
- Advice: Diaper Change Struggle
- Slideshow: 15 Innovative Baby & Toddler Products of 2008!
- Quiz: Are You a Potty-Training Pro?
- Poll: Who's easier to toilet train?
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