At what age did you introduce toilet training to your toddler?

Question

even just the basics, and what did you show/explain to him first? what signs did you look for to know when to take it to the next step, and what steps did you take?

my son knows the drill about getting his diaper changed, though he often doesn't like the playtime interruption (lol), though he often communicates that he wants to go to the bathroom after he has dirtied his diaper. he knows how the toilet works and always wants in the bathroom when mom or dad is in there, just so he can see how it works.

he's 16 1/2 mths old.

what made you decide to start potty training when you did, and how old was your child when you came to that decision?

Answer 1

I believe my son was almost 2 the first time he really showed an interest in it, we had bought him a potty chair which he did not like AT ALL. he wanted to go on the same thing that mom and dad were, so we bought him a little cushion seat that sits on the toilet (we introduced him to sit first, but he knew how daddy went and that was how he started standing to pee) his dad was really the one that wanted to get him out of diapers, so he took charge at first and would ask im constantly to sit on the potty and try, sometime he'd go sometimes not, we were on it all the time, especially when we knew he hadn't gone in a while or had a lot to drink.  and we would sing songs or i'd read him books, to keep him occupied because he got bored sitting there, I also put him in underwear during the day, because he would go in his diaper/pull up if it was on instead of telling me he had to go, so when he was in the underwear he wouldn't go in them, he had accidents of course but for the most part that worked very well for us!! he is now sleeping at night and nap times without a pull up it's been almost a week now! he just turned 3 in may, but it's like on day he woke up and decided he was a big boy!! he also really wanted to go to pre-school and we told him he had to be potty trained before he would go, so that gave him a drive boy he wanted to ride on that bus so bad!!! It really just took a lot of time, and consistency on my part! he was about 2 1/2 half when we really started pushing him we wanted him to get out of diapers so we could try for another baby, we didn't want 2 in diapers!! but i hope that helps you a little at least, oh and i didn't find that rewarding him with treates worked so well, but he did love to get stickers when he went on the potty and i gave him a small sticker for going pee and a big one for going poo, and i told him when he got 3 stickers he could get a special treat. He really liked that!! Kid are quite smart!! he'll pick up on it.

Answer 2

i started introducing potty training to my daughter at 8.5 months. early sure, and a lot of people are going to say omgosh that's a bad mother. But remember every child is different. At 8 months she stopped going ot the bathroom in her diaper at night and was dry after she got up. so I'd take her to the potty and she'd pee and sometimes even p**p at the same time. Some are going to say taht I have been the one potty trained. Yep I have been since I was one year old. I dont' push it on my daughter. She is to the point when she's about to go she'll say ACK over and over until I take her ot the potty. Most kids her age still go through roughly 10 diapers a day, at most she uses 3, and that's when mom gets busy and don't know sh'es about to pee every time. Most of the time she goes p**p in the toilet and she laughs and claps her hands while using it.

I made the decision after listening to several grandma's who said that kids can be potty trained by the time they are a year old. I DO NOT force it on my child, but I believe that if she's staying dry overnight and until I get her outo of the bed the next morning, and she pees 30 minutes after having a bottle she's telling me she is ready.

As far as how she was introduced she crawls into the bathrooom when me and her nana had to go and we'd tell her what we were  doing and that it wasn't anything to be afraid of.  

Answer 3

I thought I was jumping the gun a little when I bought a potty chair with three parts, the toilet seat, inside cup, and base that could turn over to be a stool.  My daughter was 17 mos and I placed the new toilet in her play area.  I knew she was ready to potty train when she informed me that the toilet belongs in the bathroom, not the bedroom.  She totally took the lead and basically trained herself.  By 22 months, she was finished completely with toilet training.  My son took longer, started about 2 yrs and finished about 2 1/2 yrs.  I would say having the training toilet around for your son to explore and be curious about is a good place to start.  Best wishes  :)

Answer 4

Potty train the kid when he's ready to potty train. Just do it before he goes to Kindergarten.

Answer 5

First, I would bring my daughter in the bathroom with me even when she was an infant and I would explain to her what was going on.  I would even talk to her when I was changing her diaper about the yucky stuff that was on her skin and how it feels so nice and clean after a diaper change.  We bought a potty chair when she was a year old and a video around 18 months.  However, she had other ideas.  She's 3 and just starting to get the hang of it.

Answer 6

I have always explained to my daughter what was what when changing her diaper (or doing anything else for that matter). Since she could walk (about 11 months), she has been following me to the bathroom. I explain what's going on there, too. One day (about a month ago), she comes up to me with a dirty diaper and says "poopoo!", then runs over to the bathroom. She loves to tell me AFTER she goes. Though, sometimes I have made it over to the toilet on time. She doesn't like sitting on the big one, so I got her her own potty chair (also a toilet... looks like one too). She sits on it, doesn't do too much, though. I encourage her, but allow her to go at her own pace. She sits her dolly on it and tells me "baby poopoo".

She's 15 1/2 months.

Answer 7

I was going to start potting training my 20 month old next week but his GI doctor at Vanderbilt Children Hospital told me that most children under the age of 2 does not know that they have to go until it happens. She also said if they want to go to the toilet let them and encourage but starting at the age of 2 would be better.

Answer 8

My two sons where 20mths old. And I didnt was any money on pottys, they have to learn to use the toilet anyways, so I just started with the regular toilet. The only thing is my 2nd son was smaller so I had to show him how to hold on and not fall in.

Answer 9

We tried with my daughter when she was 2 yrs. old with a potty chair. It was one of those that when you pee or poo it would play music. We tried letting her sit on it while she read a book, in the living room watching cartoons. Didn't work. She began showing interest again at 3 so we got her a Dora potty seat with a stool. It worked out great! Now my son who is 2 is showing interest so we're slowly introducing him to his 'Cars' potty seat. So far, so good :)

Answer 10

I bought a potty on her second birthday.  I knew she wouldn't be ready anytime soon, but thought I would let her see it.  She loved to sit on it, fully dressed -- with her feet in the 'pot' part of it.

When she was around 2 1/2 I started suggesting that she try and 'sit' ... which she would happily do for hours if I didn't get her get up.  (She's sit and read a book.)  But she never produced anything, and didn't understand that there was more than just 'sitting' involved. (She was a child [still is] who pee'd VERY infrequently, so I never 'caught' anything.)

I began real training when she was 32 months.  It was simply a matter of convenience.  She was between sessions at her playgroup, so we had a few days when I could stay at home with her and she could run around bare-bottomed.  She caught on pretty quickly once she could actually see what I was asking her to do, and within a week or so she was in panties and using the potty. (Though we used pull-ups for excursions out for another month or so. She began pooping on the potty at a little past her 3rd birthday, and was dry at night about a year later.)

I opted to start when my daughter was a little past 2 1/2.  She wasn't showing any specific signs

Answer 11

I tried introudcing it a few times when she was 2 and 2.5 years old - just 'cause she knew by now when she was going to pee.  In spite of that, at first she just didn't seem to take it seriously, later she took to peeing in the potty but not "doing" there.  A renewed effort to get her bowels under control at 3 led to much constipation trouble during the next year.  I don't know whether I put too much pressure on her or started too late.