Starting Too Early

My one-year-old is interested in the potty and seems ready to start toilet training. Are there negative psychological consequences related to starting this early?

As long as you limit your expectations and withhold negative judgment, there is certainly no harm in responding to your child’s interest in the potty and how it’s used.

Your one-year-old may be cognitively ready to make the necessary connections, and physiological readiness will follow soon enough. Meanwhile, responding to his curiosity and casually presenting him with the next step in the process will show him that you take his interests seriously and appreciate his desire to learn.

Be aware, however, that your child’s interest in the toilet may start to fade as the development of other skills takes up more of his energy and attention. This is natural, and he will come back to toilet training again when he is ready.