The process of teaching a small child to pass urine or faeces in a toilet, so that he or she no longer requires nappies.
Helping a child learn to control urination and bowel movements. In infants, these functions are not controllable but occur involuntarily. Before children can be toilet- trained, they must first be able to recognize urine and feces as coming from them and to link these events with the physical signals preceding and accompanying them. Children’s muscles and nerves must also develop to the point where control of these functions is possible, which normally does not happen until they are about 18 to 20 months old, and the bladder and bowels must grow large enough so that they can store waste for a time, which usually does not occur until about 30 months. In addition, children must have the general communication skills and motor skills to be able to understand and respond to the toilet-training process.
Various methods for helping a child gradually achieve bowel and bladder control. Most children are not ready for toilet training until age 2, although it is also normal to begin a little later.
Teaching a child to control urination and defecation until placed on a toilet. The bowel movements of an infant may habitually occur at the same time each day very early in life, but because the child does not have adequate neuromuscular control of bowel and bladder function until the end of the second year, it is not advisable to begin this training until then. Close to that time, placing the child on a small potty chair for a short period several times a day may allow him or her to stay dry. First the diapers are removed while the child is awake, later removed during naps and the child told he or she should be able to stay dry. This schedule may need to be interrupted for several days to a week if the child does not remain dry.
The act of instructing a young child to attain full control over their bowel and bladder functions. Generally, a child is not expected to achieve complete toilet training before the age of three and may naturally require more time to achieve nighttime dryness.
Until around 18 months of age, the process of emptying the bladder or bowel happens entirely reflexively. At this stage, the child hasn’t developed the ability to associate the acts of defecation and urination with their outcomes, and they lack the voluntary control over these actions.
Around 18 months of age, a child is typically able to signal that they have urinated or had a bowel movement, but they aren’t yet conscious of these actions beforehand. At this point, the child isn’t fully prepared to use a potty, but they can practice sitting on it. By the age of two, a child becomes aware of the impending need to urinate or have a bowel movement and communicates it. At this juncture, the child is prepared to begin using the potty.
Toilet training should be undertaken with a calm and patient approach. It’s important to avoid pressuring a child into sitting on a potty. Initially, boys tend to urinate while sitting down but quickly acquire the skill to urinate while standing up.
Once a child gains confidence in using the potty, they can gradually transition to using the toilet.
Once the child has developed a reasonable level of control, they can be encouraged to go without diapers during the daytime. However, it’s recommended to continue wearing diapers at night until the child consistently wakes up dry.
Toilet accidents, especially instances of wetting, are prevalent until the age of five, as young children can only delay urination for a short period of time. Certain children might experience a return to soiling or wetting when they are anxious or facing stress.