How do you we start potty training?

[LariyahSpen]

Posting again...

My daughter is 18 months next month and I wanted to get her started in using the potty in the hope she may be dry in the day before pre school next April.

Firstly do people think this is an ok age to start?

How do I start? I was thinking to start sitting her on the potty throughout the day at intervals and if she happens to wee or poo I'll make a big song and dance about how amazing she is?

What did everyone else do with their LOs?

Thanks

[LariyahSpen]

Amazing grammatical error on the title there

[allthecarbs]

At that age I started by introducing the potty at Bath time.
It depends on your child but I wouldn't expect them to be ready to train at that age, however there's nothing wrong with having it out and letting them get used to it.

[Cineraria]

I think younger ones can often do more than we expect, especially if there is no pressure on them that they must be clean and dry immediately, rather offering opportunities to try something new. I started using the potty very early with DS, not training exactly, just a chance to use it at each nappy change for ten minutes with a couple of easy to clean toys to play with. It was mainly to help with some food allergy related nappy rash initially. He really liked it, though, and stopped pooing in his nappy quite soon after that, except for whenever we try him on dairy to see if his allergy is gone as his need is just too urgent then. He gets quite cross about a nappy poo, and will also go over tto the potty when he's done it so I'm fairly sure he recognises that the potty is the best place for it.

I think it has helped him start to have some awareness of when he's having a wee too as he seems interested to see what is happening when he does it, for example, he points into the potty when he's doing it and will now climb out of the paddling pool whenever he wants to go so he can watch! He is still too young to control his bladder (11 months) so I wouldn't expect him to be dry for some time but hope to start proper training about the same age as you have.

[shiteattheseaside]

I read a book a while ago (think it was called ' how do eskimos keep their babies warm') and it had bits in it about how parenting differed around the globe. The lady writing it was chinese but living in america and she was gobsmacked at her chinese relatives telling her than in china they start potty training very very young, i.e:6 months. Well mostly just anytime they happen to wee or poo put them over a potty or loo rather than training as such. And they didnt put any presure on them or the child, as well as not being bothered about accidents on floor etc. Im not saying to potty train at this age, point of story is that any age is ok to start its up to you! I think the biggy is not to put presure on yourself or baby or set a date to be dry by

[Writerwannabe83]

My soon is 2yr 4m and from the age of about 22 months we had the potty out in the living room which he'd happily sit on but he thought it was a chair, he didn't understand it was for toiletting but we were fine with that. We started letting him be in the house without a nappy on and try and tell him that the potty is for wee-wee but he would still wee wherever he was standing. We accepted that developmentally he just wasn't ready to be trained so left it.

When he was just after two he started telling us when he'd had a wee in his nappy, he'd tell us when he was going to have a poo and if he recognised he needed a nappy change he would go and get a nappy, give it to me or DH and say "need bum change please".

He's now 2yrs 4m and a month ago we bought him another potty, a Mickey Mouse one that he chose, and again left it lying around the living room and let him go around without his nappy on and it was 50/50 whether he'd use the potty when he needed a wee or whether he'd just wee where he was standing. We carried on like this for a few days but realised he still wasn't developmentally ready so we stopped again.

Three days ago me and DH tried again and he took to the potty instantly. Every time he needed a wee he used the potty and will also sit on the toilet and have a wee. Me and DH couldn't believe it, it was like DS just instantly knew now that if needs a wee then he goes on the potty. We still use a nappy at meal times and overnight but otherwise he uses the potty throughout the day.

I do believe that unless the child is developmentally ready for it, which changes from child to child, then trying to get them potty trained can be difficult.

By all means give it a go but if after a few days she still isn't getting it then go back to nappies and try again a month later and if she gets it, great, if not then just try again in another month.

They all get there in the end and according to old wives tales girls take to toilet training much better and at younger ages than boys. I don't know if this is actually true though

[LariyahSpen]

Amazing!! Thank you all so much. A good point to make about not putting pressure on the whole thing which is what we've been trying to do....

I'm going to keep the potty around the house and see how it goes and also put her on before her bath as someone on here mentioned

Thanks all