Having a baby comes with many joys, precious moments and hardships.
Looking after young children can be a blessing for many parents, but also have its own trials and difficulties.
As with many things, every child develops differently, and at their own pace. You can have 3 or 4 children, and none of them will be the same to bring up.
Wearing diapers is no different. Every toddler becomes potty trained at their own pace.
In the 1950s, potty training seemed to be the priority with rearing children, with parents trying to get their children out of diapers as soon as possible.
Nowadays, parents and children tend to work on potty training in their own time.
It can be appealing to get your babies out of the habit of wearing diapers sooner rather than later.
Diapers are expensive, messy and highly damaging to the environment.
It can also be very beneficial to potty train your babies from a young age so that they learn how to control their bladder, do not suffer from urinary infections and there are less accidents to clean up.
Having your babies wear diapers can be costly and time consuming. Newborn babies can go through 10 or more diapers a day (and countless wipes).
That’s right. 10 diaper changes. Whereas a toddler may use around 4 to 6 diapers daily. So it is understandable that you would love to get them out of their diapers as soon as possible!
However, not all children can be persuaded to use the potty from a young age. Some babies will find it distressing or unsettling to try something new, and will feel uncomfortable using the potty.
When do babies stop using diapers?
For some children, starting potty training can be exciting, and they can begin learning how to relieve themselves without their diapers from the young age of 18 months.
For others, it is a stressful time, and some children can remain in diapers until they are 3 or 4 years old.
It is important to remember that there is no right or wrong timeframe to potty training your child. It is a long process that is a learning curve with a step by step approach.
Most children will wear diapers for the first 2 years or so of their lives, whilst others may rely upon them for longer periods of time. However, there is no best time frame to keep your baby in a diaper.
It is important to remember that even if your child is 3, 4, or even 5 and still wearing a diaper, it is not a permanent problem.
Your child will want to be potty trained at one point in time, and we promise that you will not have a teenager still wearing diapers, so there is no need to worry.
When is the right time to give up the diapers?
In previous years, parents would rush to get their babies out of diapers at a young age because there was no such thing as disposable baby diapers.
They would have to wash and dry towels and sheets that were wrapped around the child.
Nowadays, we have so many options for diapers with huge multipacks to keep you supplied for every little accident.
However, after a while it can grow tiring to change diaper after diaper and you may be hoping that your child can give them up soon.
You can start thinking about getting your babies out of diapers once they begin showing some interest in the potty or toilet.
This may signify that they are ready to learn about using the toilet, and it is your job to encourage that curiosity.
If a child is unwilling to leave the diapers behind, it is the role of the parent to begin taking some steps towards potty training.
This could be done by encouraging sitting on the potty and waiting for something to happen, or reading a book about using the toilet and making it a fun experience for the child.
Children become used to their surroundings and do not adhere well to sudden changes, so introducing a toilet needs to be a slow process with small baby steps.
Try having them use their diaper only in the bathroom, or show them how mommy and daddy does it so that they realize it is completely normal to use the toilet.
Make them feel like a big boy or girl, and applaud the smallest steps. Getting angry and frustrated is tempting, but it will set you back in the long run.
A bad experience with potty training will ultimately lead to your child wanting to stay in diapers for longer.
Many babies are not completely able to understand signals or signs that they need to go for a pee or to poop, and are used to just going whenever the moment strikes.
It can take time, or up to the age or 2-3 years old to begin to understand when they need to go.
In many cases, girls can become potty trained at a quicker pace than boys, however most children are completely potty trained and out of diapers by the time they reach kindergarten.
The general agreed age to begin thinking about toilet training is from 18 months onwards. However, the typical age to try to have your babies out of diapers is 3 years old.
After making some forward steps in potty training, many children may lean more towards removing their diapers and opting for underpants throughout the day.
However, they may benefit from the extra security of pull up diapers to keep them dry at night, and make them feel more comfortable in leaving the diapers behind.
