Shenzhennifer
Registered User
I was reading the Baby Whisperer, which said that the ideal time to start potty training was 9-15 months. I am very intrigued and am wondering if anyone has started this early and what their experience was.
When did you start with Potty training?
- Thread starter Shenzhennifer
- Start date
About 9 months with both my boys, but more a case of the adult care giver being aware of their pattern of when they usually go for a poo. Then also get them in the habit of doing a wee before bathtime. A case of sitting them on the toilet, if they go that's great. If they don't it doesn't matter. Got them both in the habit of sitting on the toilet. Did not do "real" toilet training until they were both 2 years old.
I definitely don't agree with this at all. The right time to potty train is when it's the right time for the child full stop. This could be 16 months, it could be 3. My first was potty trained (day and night) within a week by 2 and a half. My second is now 2 and a half and there is no way we'll be done before 3, 3 and a half.
A friend of mine started early and is still training her son 3 years later. Seriously.
If the child is ready it will learn quickly. If it's not and you press on regardless it could become a real issue and a real way for them to get some control in their life. Nothing like peeing in your pants to show mum who's boss!
PurpleFlower
Registered User
How can you tell when is the right time?
My parents-in-law started putting my son on a potty when he was about 2-3-months-old. I think a lot of Chinese people do what's called in the West, "elimination communication"--predicting when your baby is going to go and anticipating it. A lot of Chinese kids in Mainland China go diaper-less (as I'm sure you've seen). So, my son has been using the potty since he was really small which now makes it a lot easier to potty train him. We bought a little toilette seat that goes over the toilette for home about the same time the parents-in-law started training him. So, when we could see the signs of him about to go (especially #2) we would put him on the toilette. In the past 6 months he has started showing a genuine interest and understanding of using the toilette and the past 3 months he has decided to start "potty training" himself--this means he tells us most of the time when he needs to go--and he gets quite upset if we don't take him to the toilette. Sometimes he doesn't tell us in time or he misjudges (it's not #2, but gas instead) but he's getting there. We put him on the potty in the mornings when he wakes up, after meals and before bedtime. Dadda has even started to teach him to go standing up (which apparently is really important to Dadda). My son will be 2-years-old in about 2 weeks. Oh, and we've found it pretty important to put briefs on him around the house--then he really gets the understanding of what he's actually doing when he goes. And gosh, those little boys briefs are just too cute--he especially likes the ones with Thomas the Train and Cars on them. I don't even think they make briefs that small in the States.
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Hilarious! Yeah, I was a strong-willed [*no really?!*gasp*] child and I can remember doing exactly that at least on one occasion. I think I was like 6-7-years-old! It wasn't because my mom pushed potty training with me, though--it was just to see what her reaction would be. Let's just say it wasn't pretty.
My girls were both 2y9m and did it in 2 days or so. My twin boy is almost 3 and he's going on the potty twice a day but still wears a diaper. He's slightly slow on speech as well, so the communication isn't optimal, but he's certainly getting it. My oldest was dry overnight very soon after (before age 3) and my twin girl is still in a pull up in bed (lazy type)
For me, a child isn't potty trained if they can't tell you they need to go, pull down their pants, sit, wipe (or make an attempt to wipe, #2 is still quite hard), flush, wash hands and go.
I don't think a child is truly trained if I need to put him / her on there, at certain times, take their pants of, and basically do all the work for them.
For me, a child isn't potty trained if they can't tell you they need to go, pull down their pants, sit, wipe (or make an attempt to wipe, #2 is still quite hard), flush, wash hands and go.
I don't think a child is truly trained if I need to put him / her on there, at certain times, take their pants of, and basically do all the work for them.
I agree with you. That's what I meant by "proper" potty training. However, I know several children (both local and expats) that are 5 years plus who still have an adult wipe their bum after a poo....
I think if you're going by the "is able to go to the toilette, sit on it, wipe, get down and wash hands" by himself, most people don't fully train their child until they are about 5-6-years-old. Even if your child could do most of the above, just for the height issue, you'd often have to lift the child up onto the toilette when you're out of the house. I don't think many people hold to that standard when they consider their child potty trained. I would consider my son fully potty trained if 1) he could communicate that he had to go to the toilette all of the time--and make it to the toilette in time to go on the toilette 2) he never wore a diaper--even at nighttime. I know of several children who are already in elementary school and still wear pull-up diapers at night because they tend to wet the bed. I would still consider them potty trained, though.
My son started showing an interest at around 12mnths. By 15 mnths he was using the potty about 80% of the time. Now (at 22 mnths) he's dry during the day (even for naps). We still put a diaper on occasionally if we're going out and don't know when we'll be able to get to a toilet, but he'd rather hold than pee in a dipe.
He also sleeps without a diaper about 3 nights a week and we've only had one wet bed since we started doing this 2 mnths ago.
He also sleeps without a diaper about 3 nights a week and we've only had one wet bed since we started doing this 2 mnths ago.
Shenzhennifer
Registered User
Koan - when your son showed an interest at 12 months, what did you do - did you just start taking him to the potty at his `poo/pee` times?
At around 12 mnths he was stopping and pausing to pee, then asking for his dipe to be changed immediately. We got a potty when he was about 13mnts and stopped using dipes at home.
At first we'd grab the potty whenever he peed and say something like "Pee goes in the potty." He soon realised what it was about and would indicate when he was about to pee so we could get to the potty. As he got older he got better and holding, as well as indicating earlier.
It wasn't until he was about 18mnths that he went to the potty by himself, although he still tells us when he needs to go so we go with him to help him tip it out and wash his hands etc.
At first we'd grab the potty whenever he peed and say something like "Pee goes in the potty." He soon realised what it was about and would indicate when he was about to pee so we could get to the potty. As he got older he got better and holding, as well as indicating earlier.
It wasn't until he was about 18mnths that he went to the potty by himself, although he still tells us when he needs to go so we go with him to help him tip it out and wash his hands etc.
Thank you for sharing this - I was starting to worry that my girl, who will be 3 at the end of Jan, is still not showing any interest in going on a potty/toilet. My son was clean during the day at 2, only taking a couple of weeks, and of course I've based her potty training on his! She tells me when she does a number 2, and when I say shall we do it on the potty/toilet, she gets a bit scared and says no! Best to wait a couple more months!