Before the widespread availability of disposable diapers, the vast majority of children were potty trained prior to their first birthday.
It wasn’t until the 1950s and 60s in the United States when people started waiting until after the first year, with the idea that the child would be fully trained by age two. It was a Dr. Brazelton who first introduced the idea of potty training readiness when he originally argued that a child is ready to be trained only once they start walking, between the ages of one and one and a half. That was considered a substantial delay at that time.
Fast forward fifty years and we find the majority of parents being advised to wait until their child has the verbal and motor skills more often associated with a three year old.
Is this progress?
In the meantime, the rest of the world has continued to happily potty train their children without disposables and without undue pressure, punishing, or other psychological damage during the first two years of life. When you consider that throughout history, all over the world, in every culture without disposable diapers, children have been and still are trained far earlier than what is now common place in this country, you have to ask yourself the question, “Are we doing the right thing?”
Potty Training Facts
- The average age for potty training is on the rise. In the 1940s, the average was 18 months. Today, averages in this country have risen to 39 months for boys and 35 months for girls.
- Early toilet training has no effect on personality. Dozens of studies have clearly shown that, contrary to popular belief, the age of potty training has no effect on personality.
- You can begin toilet training at any age, but your child’s biology, skills, and readiness will determine when they are truly ready. Parents wield all the power.
- Teaching your child how to use the toilet can, and should, be as natural as teaching him to build a block tower or use a spoon.
- A parent’s readiness to train is equally important to a child’s readiness to learn.
- Potty training doesn’t need to be expensive. A potty chair, a dozen pairs of training pants and the proper outlook are all you really need.
It’s never too early and never too late. Start potty training your child today!
Download the free report, “The Truth About Potty Training in America” and learn:
- The percentage of the world’s children toilet trained before they can walk
- Why America is in last place and falling further behind
- What American doctors either don’t know or don’t understand
- Why every day you wait to potty train your child only makes the process more difficult
- The primary roadblock to widespread acceptance of early potty training
- What 50% of children can before their first birthday
- What you can do to start potty training today
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Very interesting and thought provoking! Is one of the reasons why potty training has been deferred to later ages simply a result of marketing etc for the disposable nappies market?
Our daughter was potty trained before age two. We went out, let her pick some big girl panties and then quarantined her naked in the kitchen/dining (i.e., hard floor area) for 24 hours. Done. There was some crying and a little terror when she realized she was making quite a mess, but it worked. Still used pull-ups at night for a while, but we were fine during the day after 24-hours. It never occurred to me to try earlier, but I can see now that I could have. I know some parents aren’t as lucky. We really have overcomplicated parenting on so many levels, haven’t we?