At what age should a child be out of diapers?

Question

What is the proper age for a child to be potty trained? What is to old to be still in diapers?

Answer 1

Most toddlers are able to potty train between the ages of 2 and 3. If you try to potty train too soon you will actually be defeating your purpose because it will take longer to potty train because your child will become frustrated and associate using the potty as an unpleasant experience.

Each child is different. All the experts will tell you that you should watch for your child's signs of readiness before beginning. Some signs of readiness are...
-Waking up from naps and/or from bedtime without having soiled their diaper.
-Having more predictable patterns in which they soil themselves. (Example -most kids will "mess themselves" after a meal, after sleeping, things like that.)
-The ability to follow simple instructions.
-Showing interest in using the potty.
-Showing signs of not liking to wear "messy diapers"
-If he/she is able to tell you when he/she is going potty in his/her pants, or tells you after he/she has done it.

The child doesn't have to show every sign to be ready; just a few signs are a good enough indicator.

Introduce him/her slowly. Buy a potty training story and read it to him/her. Make a lot of reference to the child in the story as "a big boy/girl like you". Help the child to identify himself/herself with the child in the book. Then go buy a potty training toilet that sits on the floor with your child. Tell him/her that he/she is a big kid like the kid in the story so you are going to go out on a special shopping errand to buy him/her his/her big kid potty. If possible let him/her help pick it out. Make it seem as special and important as possible to stir the child's enthusiasm. Remember a child loves nothing more to please his/her parent. Show how pleased you are with the entire process -and especially when he/she successfully goes potty in the toilet each time he/she does.

It is also recommended to let the child get use to the potty before having him/her use it. Let the child sit on it for the first time with his/her clothes on and get use to it before proceeding. Once the child is use to it, take him/her at regular scheduled times to sit on it (preferably time that you know he/she usually goes potty -like after drinking/eating and after he/she has been sleeping). Some people give the child a book to look at while sitting to encourage the child to stay on the potty. The first few times your child will go on accident on the toilet. After a few times of going by accident he/she will start to learn to go on demand. I helped encourage my daughter to go tinkle by running water while she was on the potty. If the child screams or cries on the potty he/she is not ready yet. Forcing him/her will make him/her afraid to use the potty and it will take forever to get him/her to train! Use lots of "calm" praise whenever your child goes potty in the toilet!

Answer 2

It depends on your child. Some children aren't fully potty trained until they are 4 years old. It does depend on your child's development. Make sure he/she is ready for it. There is a list of indicators that your child is ready to potty train, including knowing the terms "pee" and "pooh" or whatever they may call it, emptying their bladder all at once rather than a little at a time spiratically, etc. www.babycenter.com is a great support and information website for your child. You should go there and setup an account, it only takes a few minutes, and then do a search for potty training. It will give you numerous articles including the one that I mentioned. Good luck!

Answer 3

At around 2 years old u should start the potty thing. if is your first child it might take a little longer. Try pull ups and potty seats. My kids by the time they were 2 and half they were all using the toilet. No problems. But all kids are different.

Answer 4

Girls potty train sooner than boys, and children after the first sometimes potty train sooner to be like big brother/sister. By 3, though, they should be out of diapers. 3 and a half is too old.

Answer 5

depending on the child it could be as late as 4 and a half but some children are potty-trained by 2

Answer 6

Most children are potty trained by 3.

Answer 7

I just read an article on this in Parents Magazine. It really depends on how mentally and emotionally developed your child is. They are ready to train between ages 2 and 3.

Answer 8

atleast by 2 years the child should be out of diapers

Answer 9

Well hopefully around 3. If the kid is still in diapers by ten, THEN you've got yourself a problem.

Answer 10

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