We do not even consider it a problem until a child is at least 4 years old and has not achieved bowel control, and 5 years old and has a problem with wetting. It is important to rule out any physiological reason for the problem. Without a physical or medical cause, parents may do best with guidance from a mental health professional about setting up an appropriate behavioral plan. If a child is involved in the cleanup, it should be done without fanfare. It is best for a parent to stay calm about the situation rather than embarrass or reprimand the child.
Children are master imitators.
They often learn new behaviors by modeling the behavior of older siblings or parents. Children at the toddler stage are naturally curious and may benefit from actually seeing how it is done. Certain parents must keep in mind their own standards about privacy and limit exposure as children get older. At some point it may be necessary to actually have your child use underwear, even before he is fully trained. The problem with pull-ups and training pants are that they are almost too successful.