When should I start toilet training?

When should I start toilet training?

Most toddlers are generally ready for toilet training somewhere between two and three years of age, although some children are early starters and show signs of readiness to start using the potty at 18 months. Daytime toilet training is usually accomplished long before nighttime training, which may not happen until he's five or six years old.

Your child is ready for toilet training if you notice some of the following signs:

  • He begins to have dry nappies during the day - this indicates that he is starting to learn control of his bladder
  • He tells you when he's done a wee or poo - if he starts telling you in advance that he needs to do a wee, he's well on the way to toilet training
  • He tries to take off his nappy when it's wet or dirty, or complains about it being wet or dirty
  • He no longer does 'baby' poo, instead he produces soft but properly formed poo
  • He is curious about what goes in the toilet
  • He is interested when you go to the toilet - by watching you go to the toilet, he'll quickly learn what is supposed to happen there.  He'll also start to learn about basic hygiene practices.
  • He is interested in completing tasks independently
  • He understands and can follow simple instructions
  • He can get his pants up and down independently

This article was written by Ella Walsh for Kidspot, Australia's best parenting resource for babies, toddlers and preschoolers.

blog comments powered by Disqus

Nutritious first foods

  1. Apple and mango puree
  2. Apple and raspberry porridge
  3. Apple and raspberry puree
  4. Apple yoghurt
  5. Apple, pear and cinnamon puree
  6. Apricot chicken
  7. Baby bolognese
  8. Baby crispbread
  9. Baby guacomole
  10. Baby porridge
  11. Baby spaghetti bolognese
  12. Baby yoghurt
  13. Baby's first apple puree
  14. Baby's first vegetable purees
  15. Baby's rice pudding
  16. Baked custard
  17. Banana and avocado puree
  18. Banana oatmeal breakfast
  19. Banana pudding
  20. Banana teething biscuits
  21. Banana, raspberry and mango sorbet
  22. Bean, pea and potato puree
  23. Beef and vegetable dinner
  24. Beetroot and chickpea dip
  25. Beetroot and potato puree
  26. Blueberry, pear and raspberry swirl
  27. Boiled eggs
  28. Broccoli trees
  29. Broccoli, pear and pea puree
  30. Carrot and swede puree
  31. Carrot, corn and chicken
  32. Chicken and corn chowder
  33. Chicken, rice and vegetables
  34. Creamy sweet corn puree
  35. Delicious chicken dinner
  36. Easy beef casserole
  37. Easy chicken casserole
  38. Egg and vegetable omelette
  39. Eggless baby cereal cookies
  40. French toast soldiers
  41. Fruit jelly
  42. Fruit puree
  43. Fruity chicken and rice
  44. Homemade baby oat cereal
  45. Homemade brown rice cereal
  46. Homemade cheese sticks or cubes
  47. Homemade cottage cheese
  48. Homemade teething rusks
  49. Homemade yoghurt
  50. Hot corn cereal
  51. Lamb and pumpkin
  52. Nutritious teething biscuits
  53. Pea and zucchini puree
  54. Peach and mango mash
  55. Peachy chicken
  56. Pear and apricot puree
  57. Pear and rice puree
  58. Pear, peach and banana puree
  59. Penne pasta
  60. Pikelets
  61. Pumpkin and potato mash
  62. Pumpkin and spinach risotto
  63. Red egg
  64. Rice and lentil dinner
  65. Roasted pumpkin puree
  66. Steamed and julienned carrot sticks
  67. Stewed prunes
  68. Sweet corn and avocado puree
  69. Sweet potato and sweet corn mash
  70. Sweet veggie puree
  71. Weet-Bix custard
  72. Weet-Bix with apple and cinnamon
  73. Zucchini, potato and spinach mash