When is too old in toilet training?

Learning to toilet themselves is a big and important milestone for a child.

This milestone can start to occur at 18 months for some children.

For other children they can still be in the process at 3 years.

It is generally encouraged to encourage and support a child in the toilet training process by their 3rd birthday.

Be mindful that is not considered that there is potentially a toileting delay until a child is approaching their 4th birthday and is still not toilet trained.

Culturally the age may vary.

A child who has not started toilet training by this age may find that it can impact their self-esteem.

Additionally, it tends to pose problems for the child within many environments or situations i.e. if they attend a child care centre, nappy changes, etc.

A child needs to display signs of readiness.

This aids in the timeline for starting toilet training.

If a child doesn’t display any of these signs it may be more challenging to start toilet training.

• A child needs to be able to focus on a task.
• They need to show an interest in their bowel movements and toilet training.
• They need to have developmental skills. Generally a child under the age of 18 months does not have control over their bladder and bowel to succeed in toilet training.
• Able to express their needs.
• Have longer periods of dry nappy.
• Can follow one step directions.
• Demonstrates a desire to have more independence in general.
• Self helps skills. A child doesn’t necessarily need to be able to master dressing themselves or pull up and down their pants but this does impact the success of toilet training.

• It would be as with toilet training at any other age.
• Remain relaxed, positive and make it as fun as possible.
• Experiment with a potty or the toilet.
• If they are ‘slow’ to follow the lead of you then offer rewards.
• Praise.
• Reading books, etc.
• Follow your child’s lead.
• Resist forming expectations.
• Play close attention to the child’s cues for toileting. It may assist in helping your child acknowledge them as well.
• Find opportunities for your child to have independence.
• Use common and straight forward terms for toileting.
• Remind your child to use the toilet or potty. They can be easily distracted and may need prompting. Ensure there is no pressure but rather a gentle reminder.
• Remain calm if there are accidents. Accidents will happen. Becoming frustrated or scolding may result in regression.
• If you have concerns about your child with toileting it is recommended to see your Dr as there may be a underlying cause. It may be a time to seek professional advice as there may be an underlying cause for the delay that is best to be checked and be ruled out or addressed.