What age to toilet train

Deciding what age to toilet train, or at least to give it a go, can be a complicated decision. How do you know if your little one is ready? Is there a right or wrong time to try? Can you leave it too late? Here’s our top tips for knowing when to ditch the nappies.

When to toilet train?

• There is no right or wrong age, it varies from child to child.
• When you think that they might be ready, give it a go, but don’t be worried if they don’t seem ready yet.
• Everyone will have an opinion on when you should stop using nappies, but really it’s down to you and your baby.
• Don’t worry about it too much, if your little one is ready then it will be fine, but if they’re not, that’s fine too.
• Try to choose a time when you don’t have to go out too much for a few days.
• Keep your little one in undies as much as possible once you start, to stop confusion.
• Take your little one to the toilet or put them on the potty regularly. Even if they have just had an accident, try them every couple of hours.
• Don’t ask if they need the toilet, just ask them to try. It takes some children a while to realise that they need to go, before they try.
• Warm days are a good time to start, as you can do without outer layers and just wear undies and a top; much less washing to deal with.
• Don’t worry about night times to begin with. Being dry at night is a lot to do with hormonal changes, your child will be dry at night when they are ready, so don’t try and force the issue. It varies a lot from child to child.
• Try not to make a big deal out of any accidents, if you are not worried, then your child is less likely to be anxious about it and less likely to have any issues with using the toilet.
• Some children take to a potty fine, but others start off on a toilet. Sometimes this can be because they see you use a toilet and begin to understand what it is for.
• Accidents can happen for years after your child is out of nappies, sometimes completely out of the blue. Don’t worry if this does happen, they will grow out of it eventually.

What age to toilet train

What age did your little one leave the nappies behind and move to big kid undies? Let me know your top tips for toilet training in the comments.