When to start potty training

Sally - posted on 02/12/2009

I started my daughter on the potty as soon as she could sit up at 6 months. She's now almost 1 and goes on the potty every nappy change. She does the majority of number two's in there and normally a wee in between.

I'm not saying she's trained, not by a long shot, she doesn't have the capability to know when she wants to go but she seems to have picked up that potty is for going to the loo. I'm hoping that by the time number 2 comes along at the end of july she will be free of dirty nappies.

I guess I'm trying to say it's never too young to start but to be fully dry they need to be capable which I believe is around 2 years.

We never ever tell her off if she goes in her nappy, just lots of praise when she goes in the potty.

Best of luck!

Brenda - posted on 02/11/2009

Also another note, if you start too early, and succeed before a new baby arrives, you can expect them to regress due to the new baby's arrival.  Sometimes, its just easier to wait until they are ready.  :)  Good luck.

Ann - posted on 02/11/2009

I have a two year old and I'm due in May with our second child. I want to really start potty training him over the summer after the baby come so i won't have two sets of diapers for too long. We've been having him sit on his potty while either my hubby or I am in there so it won't seem too odd to him. and yesturday I sat him down and b/c he had just woken up his diaper was wet so I took it off and he went tee-tee for me. It was so neat, he just said "what was that" everytime he heard it, he smiled and we got out the training diaper for him to wear b/c of it. He loves the Cars on the training diaper. So one tee-tee down many more to go!

Rebecca - posted on 02/10/2009

Quoting Lenora:

Huh? See I wasn't really sure if my son is at the age to be potti trained but have been yrtin. Just that there's a new baby in the house that makes it harder with breast feedin. So waitin till his ready to do it himself seems normal?

I'm not in that situation, but I can tell you from my experience, by waititng that little bit extra, my daughter pretty much taught herself. We prepared her by talking about it alot, but by the time we strated, she knew what to do.

Lenora - posted on 02/10/2009

Huh? See I wasn't really sure if my son is at the age to be potti trained but have been yrtin. Just that there's a new baby in the house that makes it harder with breast feedin. So waitin till his ready to do it himself seems normal?

Brenda - posted on 02/07/2009

We just finished potty training at 3 1/2.  I pretty much let my son decide when he was ready.  We bought him his own potty and had it around since he was two, and then we watched potty movies like Potty time with Elmo and got potty books.  He understood the basics but he just wasn't really ready for it.  I think it took longer because I was trying to use pull ups.  Until I took the "diapers" away and put him in underpants he didn't really train.  I knew he was ready when he started dumping his pull ups into the potty, and that's when I took his "diapers" away and got him into underpants.  He was also staying dry all night.  That's a big one.  When they stay dry all night they've got the bladder control to start in on the training.  We used those little dum dum suckers as rewards (bribes whatever, but they worked) because he never had interest in the charts of the sticker rewards.  Our biggest challenge was getting him used to going when he needed to and not getting distracted.  But he's finally mastered it, but he pretty much did it at his own pace and I tried not to force him  I'm due in May with my second, and I really really encouraged him because I didn't want two in diapers....LOL.

Cecille - posted on 02/04/2009

I was wondering the same thing. My daughter will be 16 months when her brother is born, and I don't think she'll be quite ready then. However, I have a friend who has 2 kids who are 16 m0nths apart and she had her daughter potty-trained well before she turned 2. I think I'm going to start when she is around 18-20 months old. I can't even imagine what kind of terror it would be having to change 2 kids in diapers!

Rebecca - posted on 01/30/2009

I didn't start training my daughter until a month ago and she's going to be three next week. I was glad that I waited, because she really understands the concept of it and has hardly had any accidents. It's like she's been doing it her whole life!
I can understand the need to start soon-ish for you as you have one on the way. I found with my girl, I kept talking to her about it when I changed her nappy and I'd say things like "you're gonna be a big girl soon and use the potty!", but I made out like it was an exciting thing. I used to let her in when I went to the toilet (I know that's not for everyone!!!) and tell her what was going on.
Prepare her as much as you can, but she has to be ready to start. She'll let you know when she is :) I found a great book called the no-cry potty training solution by Elizabeth Pantley. It gave me some great ideas, but also helped with some of the issues I was having about potty training. I wish you and your family all the best, and hope you find the insight you're looking for :)