If you are the mother of a child, the father of a child or just happen to spend some time in the company of anyone with a child you will be familiar with the agony that is toilet training.
Take a quick scroll through any Facebook parents’ group and you’ll read the same questions again and again.
“When did you know your child was ready?”
“My son refuses to poo. What do I do?”
“Help! Toilet training regression.”
“What age should I start toilet training?”
While the answers are reassuring and fall into the “don’t worry they won’t be wearing nappies when they are an adult” area it can be a trying time for all involved.
But the experts are telling us that it may be modern parenting that’s making it so difficult.
Studies show us that in 1957, the average age to start training was 11 months, and 90 per cent of children were dry during the day by age two.
Yet a 2003 survey found that only 50% of children were toilet trained by the age of three, while according to British statistics now it’s not until the age of four that children are dry.
It's concerning that a recent survey found more children were starting school without being toilet trained than five years ago.
Anecdotally the teachers suggested the reason was due to children not being trained at home, before starting school, as well as the reliance on pull-up nappies.
The Telegraph reports that one teacher said “school toilets are not designed for changing children. I end up supplying wipes and even spare underwear from my own pocket. Accidents do happen, but the expectation that I’m part of the toilet-training process is a step too far.”
Top Comments
I put the training potty in the bathroom and waited. Eventually my son asked what it was for. I told him . I waited a couple more months then caught him on it, using it "like mommy does". I threw his nappies away that instant . He was 80% trained by the next day. 100% a few days later . Its products like pullups that screw with their heads. Is it a diaper is it underwear?? Worst product ever for potty training imho. Seriously. Confuses them. Yes you'll have to deal with accidents but omg you're a parent so get over it . Better to deal with accidents over a few days then constantly switching back and forth from underwear to diapers. And like it or not pullups are a diaper .
Btw my method worked exactly the same way for my daughter too. In fact it has worked exactly this way for 85 children and counting. You know why? It lets kids tell you when they are ready. Not the other way round
I was highly motivated to get on with it by the expense of disposable nappies and the fact they were big kids who grew out of their reusable ones earlier than expected. There are some battles I picked and some I didn't but for this, I was more than ready and they were doing it no matter what!