Using a potty is a new skill for children to learn slowly and at their own pace. Every child is different and some will have different developmental needs but most children can control their bowels before their bladder.

• by age 1, most babies have stopped doing poos at night
• by age 2, some children will be dry during the day, but this is still quite early
• by age 3, 9 out of 10 children are dry most days – even then, all children have the odd accident, especially when they’re excited, upset or absorbed in something else
• by age 4, most children are reliably dry during the day

It usually takes a little longer for children to learn to stay dry throughout the night.

Although most learn this between the ages of 3 and 5, up to 1 in 5 children aged 5 sometimes wet the bed.

For more information visit NHS How to potty train

Toilet training and School Readiness

Is your child reliably clean and dry in the daytime? If the answer to that is no, don’t panic! Maybe you’ve been trying but things haven’t been going well…

There can be reasons why children struggle to get their wees and poos in the potty or toilet. Help is at hand by visiting