According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, a child's readiness instead of his age should guide the potty-training process. Still, many parents of 3-year-olds feel pressured to help their children master toilet training. If you feel this way--whether because of criticism from friends or family members who feel your 3-year-old should be potty trained or because of a "diaper-free" policy at the preschool you want your child to attend--there are some techniques you can use to potty train your 3-year-old as quickly as possible.
Significance
Since most 3-year-olds display the skills necessary for potty training---including an interest in the process and the ability to stay dry for several hours during the day---quick-training methods often work well with this age group. Potty-training experts like Teri Crane, author of "Potty Train Your Child in Just ONE Day," and pediatrician Dr. William Sears recommend dedicating a day or weekend exclusively to potty training and motivating the child with plenty of praise and positive reinforcement, including tangible rewards like special parties, stickers or coins.
Time Frame
Most children show signs of potty-training readiness somewhere between 18 and 30 months, according to Kyla Boyse, R.N., and Kate Fitzgerald, M.D., of the University of Michigan Health System website. The average age for girls to master the toilet is 29 months, compared with 31 months for boys. And 98 percent of both genders successfully learn to use the potty by around 36 months.
Considerations
Appeal to your 3-year-old's growing need for independence by giving her the tools to take control of the potty-training process. Wendy Sweeney, the creator of the "Booty Camp" one-day potty-training method, advises against asking your child if she needs to go to the bathroom. Instead, give your child her own potty, and tell her to use it when she feels like she needs to go. Sweeney also urges parents to allow their children to help clean up after their own accidents to further enhance their sense of personal responsibility.
Warning
While potty training at 3 might seem easier for parents and preschoolers than earlier training, children trained after 32 months might struggle with urge-incontinence--a pattern of daytime and nighttime wetting--between the ages of 4 and 12, according to a 2009 research study published in the Journal of Pediatric Urology. Researchers Joseph Barone, chief of urology at Bristol-Myers Squibb Children's Hospital in New Brunswick, N.J, and Peter Stavinoha, author of the book "Stress-Free Potty Training" and a clinical neuropsychologist at Children's Medical Center of Dallas, suggest that the "ideal" time frame for potty training is somewhere between 27 and 32 months.
Misconceptions
Even if you feel like your 3-year-old is the last on the block still in diapers, Barone and Stavinoha offer reassurance that this is probably not the case. They discovered that the average age of potty training in the United States increased from 26 months in 1980 to 36.8 months in 2003. They advise seeking your pediatrician's opinion if your child continues to wet during the day at age 4 or if you suspect a physical reason behind the late potty training.
