Potty training is one of those highly controversial subjects that tend to turn the best of friends into seriously competitive moms. It’s a race to see who can potty train their child earliest and have bragging rights.
Potty training and when it happens has nothing to do with how accomplished the mother is. It is one of those things that will happen when the child is ready and not before.
Oh, you will see women who have “potty trained†their 18 month olds, but generally it is not the baby that is trained – it’s the mom.
She has to keep constant vigil of her child’s bathroom needs. The mom may take her to the bathroom on a 45 minute schedule or ask the child every ten minutes if she needs to go.
That is not potty training. That is mommy training.
A child can’t really be potty trained before she is ready. She can be coerced, bribed, disciplined, yelled at, and hovered over, but potty trained? No.
Girls are usually ready well before boys, but children are rarely ready before age two and for most it will be closer to three. It isn’t just their emotional development; it also has a lot to do with their physical development according to experts.
Researchers say that early toilet training can actually cause damage to the developing urinary tract.
Plus, you don’t want your kid to end up on a psychiatrist’s couch.
When a child is ready to move past diaper changes, it will take about three days to accomplish the transition. It might take longer for poop for a variety of reasons, and your child may not be able to get through the night without a diaper or disposable training pants.
You will probably be ready long before your child is.
Source: Â ABC News
