Potty Training my 14mnth old son

Annie - posted on 06/26/2011

I started with my Son at 11 months because he was interested. He was/is an early talker and uses sign language so he tells us now( most of the time) at 17 months when he has to go. But I use yo take him every hour and make it fun with stories and songs and then he would just go. I say if you have the time and your little guy is at all interested then go for it!!! Toddlers know more than we think they do sometimes and they can be potty trained if you are both ready!

Annie - posted on 06/26/2011

I started with my Son at 11 months because he was interested. He was/is an early talker and uses sign language so he tells us now( most of the time) at 17 months when he has to go. But I use yo take him every hour and make it fun with stories and songs and then he would just go. I say if you have the time and your little guy is at all interested then go for it!!! Toddlers know more than we think they do sometimes and they can be potty trained if you are both ready!

Dara - posted on 10/26/2010

I have two daughters and my pediatrician said no earlier than two. I know boys are much different and usually more difficult but with any kid just don't push. I just finally got my oldest potty trained a couple of months ago. We started in January when she turned 2 and she wasn't all that interested. I did the sticker charts and this and that and not until it came down to a day I was out of diapers and we went panties all day did she really get it and that was about 5 months in. Our pediatrician said to really watch starting too early because if they have a painful bowel movement they will associate that with the potty and it could end up taking much longer.

Stephanie - posted on 10/19/2010

Actually, I have found that the best way to know is when he starts sitting on the potty (on his own) in his clothes. That´s fine in the beginning. Just let him do so and play with the potty itself, when the time comes. Later, you can begin to see your son begin to slowly gain control of his pee and poos. And, that, I know, takes some time. Then you can try first without a diaper on, then pullups perhaps and lastly but not leastly real underwear. It also helps when your son is in the so called anal stage, as a well known psychologist called it, and you will know it when he is suddenly interested in the poos and the pees. That usually comes sometime between 18 months and 2 to 2 and a half years. Sometimes earlier, but not always.

Tina - posted on 10/18/2010

I, too, have heard that it takes boys much longer than girls to learn to use the potty. I have also heard, about my nephews, that when they show interest, you need to jump on the train and encourage them and stay consistent. When they stop, you stop, until their ready again. One of my nephews is just two yrs and still will not potty in the potty, but will sometimes tinkle in it. Another nephew is excited that he just started poo in the potty at 4 1/2. It really does depend on the child.
I have a little girl. I got some great advice in the "What to Expect the Toddler Years". It is a great source of information. Since my (almost) 17 mont started walking a couple months ago, she follows me into the restroom when I have to go.. for obvious reasons, I can't leave her out there alone...lol. Well, she seemed somewhat interested, so we got her a musical potty chair and she sometimes sits on it while I do what I gotta do. She doesn't really seem interested in it alone, but she likes to watch me flush the big toilet. We say all gone yuckies and wash our hands.
I am just exposing her to her own seat now so she gets used to it. No pressure.
According to the book, a sign is when they ask about it, or sometimes when they have less wet diapers at night.. I found that interesting. You might try looking up the potty training portions of "What to Expect the Toddler Years" for some other good advice.

Emma - posted on 10/18/2010

he is too young so he wont understand the concept...we tried for ages but it was only just after his 2nd birthday he did his first wee on the potty, he got praised so that helps. your son will train when he is ready.

Jill - posted on 10/18/2010

Hi Venetia,
Potty Training your child is not so much about age as about if your child is ready. You can tell if they are ready by seeing certain signs of readiness. (staying dry fro a few hours during the day, showing an interest in the potty, taking diaper off, understanding simple commands etc... for more Go to http://www.pottytots.com and get on the parent's page and tips. You will find answers to Frequently asked questions and the signs of readiness. It definitely depends on the individual child when they will be ready. They need to be physically ready (bodies developed) emotionally ready (want to learn to go potty) and cognitively ready (able to understand what they are doing and how to go potty--make connections between the feeling of having to go and getting to the potty)
Potty Tots Program is a lot of FUN for toddlers and it builds self esteem by the children feeling like they have accomplished this "all by themselves". It Takes the "power struggle" out of potty training." and you can introduce it early so when they are ready they already know what to do!The Potty Tots characters act as their little friends and "coaches" for potty training. Then they don't feel alone in the process and they are motivated to learn to go potty.
I hope this helps! Good luck!

Heidi - posted on 10/16/2010

my boy 15 month he will sit on the potty some time he normal has a daiper on but he will sit and try but he dose not like to sit on it with out a daiper. i not pushing him. he see his sister go on the potty so then he wants to try

Mary-Anne - posted on 10/16/2010

yes dont push him or it will back fire (so to speek) we bought a chair potty and both our boys got on better with it, we used to sit them on it and play games like rolling the ball to each other across the room and after a good game of ball he wee'd, treats can be good and they worked with my first but with my second he just wanted the whole lot and had a big paddy if he didnt get it so with him it was LOADS of praise, almost having a party after every go, they were both 26mths when they started on the potty. Hope that help, happy training x

Sarah - posted on 10/16/2010

dont rush into it there is plenty of time !! i tried potty training my first at about 16 months an if there not ready it can just be stressfull for all involved!! u cant help getting frustrated wen u feel ur trying so hard but keep failing! i would leave it till he is 2 but introduce the potty a bit earlier leave it in the room dont force it then start leaving his nappy off for a bit longer each time ( the summer is the best time for potty training).

Sarah - posted on 10/15/2010

Just my opinion, but if I'm having to make my child sit on the toilet every 15-30 minutes until something happens, it feels like I'm the one who's being toilet trained. My eldest got the hang of it around 2 1/2, fully daytime trained by 3. My middle child is 2 1/2, and although I suspect she's ready, as she communicates to me that she's going, and has shown interest in the toilet, I've got a newborn and can't focus on it. When the weather gets warmer, and she can run around in training undies, we'll work on it. But honestly, it's not worth the angst and frustration. Yes, nappies are a pain in the bum - but it's not forever, is it?

Heather - posted on 10/15/2010

I put the potty out around both my boys 1st birthday, they would play with it and sit on it and occasionally pee in it but not make the connection. As soon as they made the connection 1x i immediately praised and made a big deal out of it then i put them right into undies and never looked back. For my oldest it was 3 days of accidents then 1 more week of night diapers and he was totally done day and night at 21 months. With my youngest (i was a little lazier with him and i know he was ready before i leapt but he was in really cute cloth diapers and i did not want to give them up :o) he was 1 day of accidents and a few extra nights of night diaper then totally done at 23 mo nths old. When they were successful I praised them adn danced around with them and made a huge deal out of it and how proud they must feel. WHen they had an accident i gently put it back on them "oh im so sorry we waited too long this time, i know that must feel realy yuck, we will do better next time, im sorry you feel so wet adn sticky adn yucky", etc. I think the biggest thing is consistancy, I see no value at all in going back and forth or in using something like pullups that are just a glorified diaper that is more expensive. At night i sometimes used training pants just in case and my favorites are blueberry trainers, they are expensive but work really well adn they are not all baggy. Good luck, i def think that you are on the right track to start making him familiar with potty now. I also found that my friends that waited past kids 2nd birthday often had a much bigger power struggle on theri hands, it is nice to do it when they still are really excited to please mommy and daddy :o) good luck

Jacqui - posted on 10/15/2010

14 months is very early for a boy dont stress about it he will learn in his own time just make sure that you ask and ask and ask but no pressure we have a 3 1/2 yr who did it in his own time at about 3 he is completely trained now but he was much later than the others. All our children are different and all reach milestones at different times he will let you know when he is ready dont force him, enjoy him they grow up to fast.

Cara - posted on 10/15/2010

I started training all of my children (and daycare children) at 18 months. We have a child toilet ring to place on the regular toilet. For the children who are scared I give them a bag with a special treat (cheetos, raisins etc) to encourage to sit longer. If they get off they loose the bag. When a child goes potty we have a special 'pee on the potty' song and crazy dance we do to make it exciting. The child, and any other child who did the song and dance with me, gets a special piece of candy.
It often takes multiple months for kids this young to potty train. Sometimes they do really well and then have a set back. Don't get frustrated. Just keep going. By their 2nd birthdays, or shortly after my kiddos were mostly in underwear with the occasional accident

Sherri - posted on 10/14/2010

when he is ready. my oldest started at two off and on, did not get it till he was 3. My youngest is 19 months old, and likes to sit on the toilet, but i know hes not actually ready to train.. i say start at two and go at their pace.

Raquel - posted on 10/14/2010

I suggest putting him in cloth diapers asap. It is very uncomfortable when the go in the cloth, and there is more incentive for them to want to go on the potty. We used disposables with our older 2 children, and they were potty trained at 2 1/2 years (both girls), our boy was put in cloth from day 1, we also used a little Elimination Communication. He is 22 months old, always poops on the potty, and usually pees on the potty. I don't recommend forcing it, though, as your son may get more resistant to the idea.

Ashley - posted on 10/14/2010

You really should wait until he shows an interest, or you'll just be at it longer. My son just one day jumped up and went to the bathroom, he was almost 2 1/2. He is still learning god bless him! He only does well if he is naked, if i put him in under pants he just goes in them. He is better at poo than pee, by that i mean he will pee in the floor cause its easier. He has a new sister so i think she may be the reason for the set back, but now he is trying again so all is well again. They say its normal for kids to back slide on potty training when they get stressed. So just go with the flow!

Christine - posted on 10/14/2010

Everyone has to make their own decision about what is right for their child. And for some that is sooner than others. For my son, we had a potty around 18 mos, we showed him how we pottied, we talked about it, and we read books about it, but we didn't pressure him. He'd ocassionally use the potty. At 2 1/2, when some of his friends at daycare were starting to use the potty at school, he became much more interested. He'd use it at school, so we figured why couldn't he do that at home! We started with a silly little "potty party" on the Saturday morning of a three-day weekend, invited over his cousins, played some games, gave him some potty-related presents, and started a sticker chart and M&M rewards. By the end of that three-day weekend (we didn't go out much), he was doing really well, and I say he was fully daytime potty-trained (pee and poop) within about two weeks. He still has an accident now and then when he is really distracted, but most of the time he knows when he needs to go and gets there in time. I think if we had started officially potty training earlier than we did, we would have just been setting ourselves up for more stress and frustration. Who likes to harp on their kid every 15 minutes about going to the potty? It's exhausting. And probably not much fun for the person being harped on either. So for us, waiting till he was really ready made the whole process quick and virtually painless.

Renee - posted on 10/13/2010

Most children, no matter boys or girls, don't gain control of the bladder muscle that tells them when to go and when to hold it until the age of 3. That's why there are so many accidents and what not, but when they can communicate you that they need to go potty, that's when you start training. If they show no signs, interests, or verbal ability to let you know then it's not time.

Leigh - posted on 10/13/2010

About 2 1/2 years is a good age. You cannot rush it though, it is a timely and hard process! But if you are determined, try giving him a magazine or book on the potty, that help a friend of mine's little boy that didn't like sitting on the potty. Also, try talking to him about interesting things.

Molly - posted on 10/13/2010

I also wondered about this and found that my daughter started to want to go on her potty when she saw me going to the loo. It was not long before she started telling me that she needed to go on her pottie for a wee or a poo. She is not yet completly dry and when we go on long journeys she still has a nappie on. But she is getting the hang of it. We have managed a few dry days so far. She started wanting to go on her pottie at around 18months. I tried before and got the same reaction you did. She didn't like it atall. So give him a little time and if he sees what you do I am sure he will catch on soon. Good luck. Take care Moll :)

Dixie - posted on 10/12/2010

my boys wouldnt even go near the potty till they were 3 1/2 for some reason boys are a little late and Ive heard that their bladders develop later than girls. You should absolutly have the potty out and try to introduce it so when he is ready than he will go right to it pluss if you wait till they are ready it will be easier on you and your child with less aggrevation.

Margaret - posted on 10/12/2010

my daughter is 19 months, and i was trying to potty train her for a little while a few months ago. she would get really excited to sit on her potty and did pee a few times, we kept at it for a week or so but then she would get mad/frustrated and not want to go on the potty. I just figured okay she isnt ready and i am not going to force her to use it... i will try again when she shows interest again and see what happens. I definatly would reccomend you don't force him, if he wants to try and go awesome! if not then no biggie. he'll do it eventually :)

Sarah - posted on 10/07/2010

I agree with Marcy. It is SOOOOO much EASIER when you let it be their achievement and not yours. I often times say potty training is much like walking. All kids do it (unless there is a physical reason they can't). Just like walking there are things you can do to encourage them, but they do it when they are ready and in their own time. Some kids are walking at 8 months others not until 18 months. This is just like potty training some are ready at 18 months others not until 3 1/2 yrs. At 14 months that is a little early to start. They have to be able to tell you when they have to go and at that age they are not able to have the verbal skills yet. They will show you signs when they are ready. Follow their signs and go with their pass. Most of the times boys are not ready to start potty training until 2 1/2 to 3 yrs. When you push it or start too early you only cause more frustration for both you and him and this can possibly make it a longer process and a later age to when he does potty train.

Marcy - posted on 10/07/2010

Honestly its so not worth the fight ladies. Potty training should be gently guided my the parents and our kiddos should be driving the train. I think up until about 2 and a half it should be, at most, guided trips to the potty if showing some signs that they are ready and perhaps some type of reward system. It seems to be like when they turn 3 and sometimes a little longer for boys its like a light goes on and they get it. Good luck I know its hard.

Susan - posted on 10/07/2010

My son is very stubborn and giving me such a hard time for potty training..he has only just turned 2 1/2 yrs old.I keep getting the flack from my mom and family why he isnt trained by now and i should have alot more patience, with patience he shold be and would be trained by now. He had a potty to sit on but kept wanting up from it and nothing to do with it. Now he has a cushioned one on the toilet seat and still not wantint to sit long on it. The odd time he will go wee on it just before bath but we have to really hold him down.All he does is keep saying No More or All done.even though he did nothing. My mom says leave him with nothing on and let him just go and watch him for accidents, but its not that easy.Arrrggghhh I new i would really hate this time of a milestone.

Frustrated Me

Venetia - posted on 10/05/2010

Thanks Anmarie. That was very a useful and encouraging piece of advice.

Anmarie - posted on 10/05/2010

Hi, My son is 20mths and is "wee" toilet trained in the day time, it has taken about 2mths to get him to this stage. He hated the potty so I brought a padded toilet seat insert so he could sit on the toilet and he slowely got the jist of it. For the first month I would sit on the floor in the toilet and if he got off i'd put him back on he would be so stubborn\. Eventually when he did his wee he would run and wash his hands and i'd get him a treat. When he cottoned on to "if i doo this I get this" BANG he only does wees on the toilet. Poos on the other hand is a total different story I think that will come down the track at some stage.

Marcy - posted on 10/04/2010

Start around 2 1/2 years old for boys....and don't really start focusing until 3., if you push him you are going to get frustrated and so will he. When they are ready they just need a gentle nudge in the right direction. You can however bring out the potty seat and show him how it works and maybe sit him on it but I honestly wouldn't do more than that he is still WAY to young.