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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To potty train at 16 months.

35 replies

likeacrow · 28/07/2018 19:46

I read that in the 50s the average age to potty train was between 15-18 months whereas now it's 3.5 years!! Shock

DD is 16 months and showing awareness of bowel movements, e.g. pointing at her nappy and saying "po po" (although not consistently) and taking herself off to a corner to do her business.

So we thought it would be good to at least start the process of getting her used to potties by having them in the house for her to get used to seeing. Although that's as far as we've got so far... But hey, it's a start!

Anyone else started potty training at a similarly young age?

OP posts:
minipie · 28/07/2018 19:59

From what I've read those 1950s toddlers weren't potty trained in the modern sense, ie taking themselves off to the potty or loo whenever they needed a wee or poo, taking down trousers, wiping themselves. It was more that they had a routine for weeing and pooing (partly natural and partly influenced by their parents, a bit like nap routines) so their parent knew when to put them on the loo. (I have a friend who insisted her DS was "potty trained for poos" at this age, in fact she'd just worked out he pooed after meals, so sat him on the loo then, and he'd got used to it). It's not the same thing.

Of course back then nappies were cloth (and leaked) and washing was harder work, so it was worth the effort of training into a routine and putting them on the loo regularly. Less worth it now IMO with disposable nappies or liners.

Not to say don't try, but don't expect the kind of full independent toilet use you might see in a potty trained 2.5 or three year old.

Of course, this being mumsnet, lots of posters will now come along with tales of their 14 month old who goes to the loo, wipes, flushes, washes hands...Wink

scolotti · 28/07/2018 20:02

My son was out of nappies fully by 18 months so possible , but rare. He couldn't walk till 14 months so it was a massive leap.

They have to be able to tell you when they need to go otherwise it's just a guessing game

oblada · 28/07/2018 20:03

Ive always started fairly young - 9-12months - to introduce the potty/toilet and encouraging regular use. But no it is not potty training in the modern sense and it needs you to be aware of your child a lot more. I have a 16months old and he goes on the potty/toilet seat every morning to do a poo and after naps and before bed. The morning poo is very consistent lol :)

Booboostwo · 28/07/2018 20:04

Give it a try and see what happens. My two were ready a lot later 2.9 and 2.5) and just did it without any special training, but my mum swears blind I trained myself at 12mo. Sounds like rubbish to me but she absolutely insists, whereas my brother wasn’t ready till 3yo.

Metoodear · 28/07/2018 20:06

My youngest was dry night and day the day before she was 2 however she is

A self cleaning baby’s

TroubledLichen · 28/07/2018 20:08

I have a relative who bought up her children in the 60s and is insistent they were all trained by 1. Which I’m sure must have been more about recognising visual cues and sticking them on a potty frequently than actual awareness from the baby. But I’m sure that was easier than washing the cloth nappies by hand so I see why they did it.

By all means try it OP, just don’t force it if it becomes clear she’s not quite ready yet and as mini says it won’t be the same level of independence you’d expect from an older toddler. Good luck!

SleepWarrior · 28/07/2018 20:09

What's a self cleaning baby metoodear?

DasPepe · 28/07/2018 20:11

We have a 20 month old. (DD2) We’ve had the potty in the bathroom for about 6 months. She’s been sitting on it “for fun” up until now. In the last 2 weeks she went 3 times ( either and both poo and wee) on the potty, before getting in the bath. The first time she did pop she was definitely traumatized :)

It’s definitely worth starting. Don’t expect major learnings and interest will be wane and come back. But I think it definitely helps for when they are ready - at around 2.5 years. Then the switch won’t take so long I think

ChristmasFluff · 28/07/2018 20:12

What minipie said. It was the parents who were trained, not the kids. I used reusable nappies, and even those were a totally different kettle of fish to the old nappies, because of having a washing machine and tumble dryer rather than a twin-tub. My mum actually advocated 'potty training' from birth!

Dare I say it, I didn't even potty train particularly. I waited til he was dry in pull-ups, then moved to pants. Used to secretly smile at all the parents saying how their kids were 'dry', whilst hovering with a potty constantly, and washing sheets every morning.

Son was slow, but fully daytime continent by 4 (poo-continent much earlier). Night-time too by 5. No wet beds, no wet clothes, no hassle. And with him being physically slow, and also anxious, I think 'training' could have been counter-productive.

Whereas some kids I know (all girls) relished the challenge of potty-training and were dry early on (by 3) albeit with a few accidents on the way.

Dreamingofkfc · 28/07/2018 20:12

My son was aware of his toileting at that age, getting him to be properly out of nappies was completely different game. I went cold turkey at 2.5 years and he went through so many pants in a day. Left it till 3 and he one day just said he wanted to use the potty and he did and never really had accidents (apart from at nursery). We never had any issues, didn't have to cart around a potty or anything and he very quickly got used to toilets out and then at home. Very easy process. My second is 2.5 and flatly refusing, so I'm not pushing it....he'll get there soon enough.

LML83 · 28/07/2018 20:16

I know people who have done it before 2. But they still need help with physically getting on and off the toilet and wiping for a while.

You won't know until you try. If there is no improvement within a few days stop. I tried for a week and it was awful. When she was ready a few months later it was relatively easy.

SleepWarrior · 28/07/2018 20:16

My grandmother swore she never had to clean a pooey (cloth) nappy after 6 weeks.

Obviously that wasn't fully potty trained, but her being so close to her baby that she could see that particular expression and hold then over the potty.

Massive incentive when you'll be the one scrubbing it clean later.

Baaaaaaaaaaaa · 28/07/2018 20:18

I had two children in the seventies, both potty trained by 18 months. I had another child in the ninties. That child was also potty trained by 18 months. All three were able to tell me when they needed to go to the toilet (wees and poos). And all three were dry in bed, at night, by two and a half. They also only took a few days to potty train. All three had been in terry nappies and all three. Went straight into proper knickers/underpants.

Do what you feel is right for your child.

FudgeJungle · 28/07/2018 20:19

My eldest two DSs were both potty trained a week after they turned 3. My youngest DS was potty trained at 2yrs 11months. There's no way they would have been ready any earlier.

ifoundthebread · 28/07/2018 20:22

My mother claims all 3 of her kids were trained at 1. What she doesn't specify is if that is 12 months and a day old or 23 month and 29 days, there's a big difference. My daughter started potty training at around 20 months, was still in pull ups over night for a few months and has had a couple of regressions since but think she's cracked it 100% just after her 3rd birthday.

Fishywishyhead · 28/07/2018 20:25

My middle one was out of nappies day and night without accidents at 20 months though she was cloth bummed. I suspect her spending lots of time around the house without a nappy on helped as she knew when she was weeing due to the puddles. Thankfully we have wipeable floors.

Tizzlebizzle · 28/07/2018 20:28

I find it hard to imagine the average age now is 3.5?? Everyone I know did it between 2.3 and 3 so even allowing for more doing it later, 3.5 average seems wrong as would suggest lots if children still not trained by 4.

MorrisDancingViv · 28/07/2018 20:35

As pp have said, the pain of washing cloth nappies made it an incentive to get children out of nappies ASAP.

I have a SIL who will proudly tell people that her dc was toilet trained at 18 months. He wasn't imo, she just made him sit on the potty every half hour since he was 6 months old (& I'm not exaggerating) so they didn't need nappies. Our dcs are very close in age, I started potty training dd 3 months before she turned 3, by the end of 3 months she was taking herself to the toilet. SIL dc still needs to be told to go and regularly has accidents.

That said, if you think your dc is showing signs as being ready there is certainly no harm in trying.

LaurieMarlow · 28/07/2018 20:36

Give it a try if you want. Personally, I wouldn't at that age. We started DS (NT/bright) at 2.5. It was a year before he was actually potty trained and we nearly broke our washing machine in the process. Blush

I wish I'd waited until 3 as the kids in nursery who did it later picked it up with much less hassle.

llangennith · 28/07/2018 20:52

It wasn't just the nuisance of washing terry nappies. They weren't very comfortable to wear when wet or soiled, and the rubber (plasticky) knickers that you put over the nappy must've been annoying for the child.
The child was much more aware of when they started to wee so most mothers had their children out of nappies long before the 2nd birthday.
Not hard for a toddler to say 'wee wee' or 'poo' or even go and get the potty.

Original poster
likeacrow · 28/07/2018 20:53

@Tizzlebizzle Maybe 3.5 is the average at which children are fully potty trained these days, rather than the average age potty training is started at. I'll try find the article.

Interesting responses, thanks everyone.

OP posts:
BumbleBerries · 28/07/2018 20:54

I've not tried it but might be worth looking at this as she's not that old some of it might help
www.bornready.uk

Greenwomanofmay · 28/07/2018 20:55

I've been sitting my DS on the potty since he could sit up. He's thinks the potty is great, we occasionally catch a wee. I think we will start potty training in the autumn when he's about 15 months as he's already aware when he's done a wee or poo and I'm not sure I'll be able to persuade him to keep nappies on once he can undress himself!

Original poster
likeacrow · 28/07/2018 20:55

The child was much more aware of when they started to wee
That totally makes sense.

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