Toilet Training

This usually commences from approximately 18 months to 3 years of age, once the child starts to show signs of awareness of their wees and poos and is able to follow basic instructions. To show that they are ready, you may notice that they start to pull off their nappies, tell you when they have had a wee or poo, wake up from a nap with a dry nappy, hide behind the sofa when they need to poo, or show an interest when others are using the toilet.

To prepare for this next venture, you will need to invest in a suitable potty or toddler toilet seat with footstool and ensure that the environment is inviting, e.g. a poster on the door for them to look at. Be prepared to normalise the concept of toileting, ensure that they are wearing loose clothing that is easy for them to pull down, commence good hygiene steps from the beginning and and give plenty of praise for even the smallest achievements such as sitting on the toilet (even if they don’t actually have a wee or poo). Boys and girls often learn at different rates, and it might take longer for your child to get it. However, if your child has not mastered this by the age of 4 years, it might be time to seek some advice from your pelvic health Physiotherapist.