Potty training is a very personal experience and it’s not the same for every child. There is no specific age when potty training should begin. You can start potty training when your child exhibits some of the common signs of potty training readiness. 

Here are some common signs of potty training readiness:

• Bowel movements occur at about the same time every day
  
  
• They are able to tell you when they have a soiled diaper.
  
  
• He or she can stay dry for a few hours at a time or wakes up from sleep dry
  
  
• Your child can pull his/her pants up and down.

• He or she watches you on the toilet and asks questions.
  
  
• He or she understand the terminology such as “poop”, “pee”, “dry”, “wet”, “potty”, “Let’s go to the potty”.

• Your child begins to talk about using the potty and knows when they have to go to the bathroom.
  
  
• They can understand the association between dry pants and using the potty.
  
  
• Your child wants to do things by herself or himself.

• They begin to imitate other members of the family.
  
  

Most kids are ready around the age of two or two and a half and girls tend to train before boys do. Boys are often able to gain control of urine but have problems with bowel control. With my own children, my daughter was going on the toilet consistently and staying dry at night at 18 months. My son showed absolutely no signs of wanting to use the potty until well after he had already turned three.

Over-anxious parents who don’t want to deal with the bother of diapers anymore often try to force their child into using the toilet before they are ready. This can be highly detrimental to them. You must wait until your child shows signs of readiness for potty training. Otherwise, it becomes a very long process filled with frustration.