Healthy Children > Ages & Stages > Toddler > Toilet Training > Typical Timetable of Development that Support Toilet Training

Ages & Stages

Typical Timetable of Development that Support Toilet Training

Age	Physiological and Motor Skills	Cognitive and Verbal Development	Emotional and Social Awareness
0-12 months		Begins to associate between cause and effect	Develops to enjoy prais and approval
12-18 months	Becomes aware of need to go May begin walking	Begins to associate fullness with elimination that follows May begin communicating verbally	Emerging desire to mimic other children's behavior Takes pleasure in "doing it himself"
18-24 months	Early ability to briefly control sphincter muscles Better able to sit still	Improves ability to picture a goal (using the potty) and remember it long enough to complete the act Increased ability to understand verbal explanations	Increased urge toward self-mastery Increased desire to please parents and win praise
24-36 months	Able to manage simple clothing	Improved memory helps child maintain potty routine Improved imagaination allows for learning through play (dolls, role playing)	Takes great pleasure in increasing competence Gender awareness encourages immitation of same-sex parent's bathroom behavior
3 years+	Gradual maturing of digestive system eventually leads to decrease in accidents and bedwetting by around age 5 or 6	Improved ability to break focus to go to toilet and to resist distraction while getting there	Peer pressure encourages toilet use Enjoys completing sticker charts and working to earn rewards

Last Updated: 5/11/2011

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