The Problem With Child-Led Potty Training
Many Americans are waiting for their kid to be “ready” to use the toilet—and waiting, and waiting, and waiting.
The United States is grappling with a potty-training crisis, as more children enter school unprepared to use the toilet. In Utah, a new law mandates that children be toilet trained before enrolling in public school. Kansas and at least one Florida district are considering similar measures. The issue isn't limited to U.S. schools; in the United Kingdom, over a quarter of children weren't toilet trained when they started primary school last year, according to a nationally representative survey.
This trend has been growing for some time, driven by factors such as the easy availability of disposable diapers, which reduce the mess of untrained children, and the time constraints faced by many working parents. However, the fundamental issue lies in the child-led approach to potty training, which emphasizes waiting for children to show readiness before beginning the process.
While respectful parenting philosophies aim to empower children, they often lead to delays in potty training. Official guidance on toilet training has evolved over the past century, urging parents to wait for signs of readiness, such as expressing discomfort in soiled diapers and a desire to wear "big-kid" underwear. However, the definition of readiness is subjective, and no clear consensus exists on the signs of readiness or the appropriate age for starting training.
This has resulted in a significant shift in potty-training timelines, with only 21% of children now beginning before their second birthday, compared to 80% in the 1950s.
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