Too young to start potty training and switch to toddler bed?

Laura - posted on 09/09/2010

Potty training and switching from a crib to a toddler bed tend to follow the same general rule of thumb as teething and taking thier first steps. Each child will alert his or her parents when they are ready and each will follow their own personal sequence of events.

If your son is displaying signs of "being ready" then definitely follow his cue. Our daughter was walking on her own by 7 months but didn't conform to potty training till she was closer to age 3 yrs. Again for each child it will be different and there is no such thing as too early or too late if you are following your child's inner self. You're doing a great job, Mom! Pat yourself on the back.

Kelly - posted on 09/09/2010

I have tried on a couple different occasions to get my son interested in the potty chair, starting at 15 months. He is now almost 21 and still not into it! lol! But I don't want to push him into it and cause a fight or him to hate it. Some children show signs a lot earlier. My son isn't even doing what your son is. Though just recently he has started to point to his diaper when he goes in it. Maybe he will get there :) Just remember not to push him. My mom always reminds me that she tried with me for a week and finally gave up and said forget it! That same day I walked over and did it myself! Hehehe! Makes me laugh but makes me also remember that kids will, in most cases, tell you when they are ready!
As to the bed, I wasn't comfortable putting my son in his own at 16 months but that was a personal choice. Last month my sister came down to visit though and I let her sleep in my bed, since she is pregnant. My son's crib was in my room so he and I went to his room where I had already had a bed set up for him and was letting him take his naps in so he would get used to it. The first night in his bed and he was all for it! I think he got out a couple times but he was just having fun. It didn't take long for him to fall asleep. He is now sleeping in there every night and doing wonderful! I think he likes the freedom to get in and out of bed on his own :)
Good luck with all of it though!!!

Leanne - posted on 09/09/2010

if he's showing signs, start potty training. and i moved my son to a toddler bed at 16 months too, in preparation for starting school (they sleep on nap mats and cots in a toddler classroom).
best of luck!

Elina - posted on 09/09/2010

Yes Megan! We placed the potty in the living room - I made a little investment and bought nice looking potty :-)

Megan - posted on 09/09/2010

they say that putting the potty in the room where you spend most time during the day is the best way to start. let your son run around without his diaper on. eventually he'll either let you know that its too early to be training, or he'll take to it. but def dont try too hard, not worth it, and it can makes things harder and postpone his training altogether. hope this helps!

Elina - posted on 09/09/2010

I've had this idea that my daughter will "tell" me when she is ready to do things. We had a potty around and she started to use it when she was ready - this was when she was around 16 / 17 months.Of course this means that I introduced the potty to her and talked about using it. We stopped using diapers when she was 23 months - this was June which made it easier and when she returned to day care at the beginning of August she went there without diapers. She is using them now when she sleeps and I'm again following her guidance, as she is showing signs that she wants to get rid of them soon. She is my first one so I'm learning with her.

Laura - posted on 09/05/2010

There is a growing push to potty train kids younger and younger. The average age for kids is usually at 3 years of age--some do it earlier, some take a bit more time. Pushing a child when they are too young will lead to frustration and anxiety for everyone. In my opinion you should wait a few more months before trying. Your son is reacting to the discomfort IN the diaper and not neccessarily his body's urges.

Children develop the cognative recognition of what their body feels like when they need to use the bathroom only as they grow, usually around the age of 3. This is physological and will happen when it happens. Some kids form this mind/body connection early, others take some time.

If you think your child is developing these physiological abilities and cognative recognition of them, then go ahead and try. Do not force or punish him if he doesn't get it right away! Stop and wait a few weeks (or months if needed) before trying again. Set up your routine again and try. You can use some sort of "reward" system (sticker chart, M&M's, etc) to encourage him. If he doesn't seem to understand what's going on our what he needs to do after a week or so, stop again and wait. Pushing a child when they aren't ready will only make them frustrated and upset, as well as you, the parent. Frustrated or anxious kids don't want to do tasks that they know will make them feel this way--which is the opposite of what you want when potty training! It took about 3 stop-n-go tries before my daughter got the hang of it--at around 3 years of age. We had started trying right after she turned 2, but Nature and her natural development had other plans. Your best tools, as a parent, will be patience and consistancy when tackling this.

As for the toddler bed--do what you think is best for you and your child. Be aware, though, that a toddler bed will give your son freedom to roam whem he wakes up, especially at night. While cribs may seem like "prisons", they are designed to keep kids safe, even from their own natual tendencies. Sixteen months seems a bit young to me--why not make a toddler bed a birthday present for his 2nd birthday? A bit more maturing will help him stay in place as he will be better able, cognatively, to follow rules and such. Again just my opinion. Good luck!

Kellie - posted on 09/04/2010

hiya .,
my son is 15 months next week im starting him potty training to, i dont think its to early i think because they show the signs there tellin u they r ready so go with the flow.. n my son is already in a toddler bed its not to early i dont think but he really hated his cot so for me it was the only way to get him to sleep he has the rails at the side n if u do decide to get a toddles bed it u let your son get off n on the bed in the day they realise how to do it and have less chance of fallin if they gt off in the nightt xx