To jump straight on the toilet, NO potty?

[whenyouwantalittlesomething]

DS has surprised me by showing an active interest in the loo over the last few days.

It's surprising because he's very 'baby' like despite walking at 8 months. Vocally, he says no other words than 'no' and 'dog'. The no is consistent, the dog word has to be prompted out of him.

I'm wondering if he's still really not ready which is fine, but I've been wondering if it's okay to just put him on a toilet (with a child's seat), and skip the potty stage?

I explained this to SIL who has him a few days a week whilst I'm working and she disagrees, saying not to do that.

We don't have a downstairs loo so I'm supposing it may be harder.

However, the thought of a potty doesn't appeal to me at all and I remember being told I put straight on a toilet... And I was dry by 22 months.

AIBU?

How old is your DS? Are you sure it's an interest in toileting and not an interest in playing in the toilet. Every toddler I know is interested in getting their hands in the toilet 🤢

DD2 went straight from nappies to the toilet, think she sat on the potty once and decided it wasn’t for her! DD1 is only 14 mths older and DD2 always did everything much sooner than expected because she was desperate to do what her sister was doing. She was (and still is fiercely independent (her catch phrase when tiny was ‘don’t help me’) so I just let her get on with it, worked for us.

We are potty training now and have barely used the potty, mainly just toilets which is much easier. (DD was interested in the toilet months ago but when I sat her on it she screamed to her off). No harm in trying DS on there and seeing how it goes.

I did, much easier.

Ds is a very late toilet trainer (finally there with wees at 3 1/2) and never wanted to use the potty at all so I just went with him. Dd was much of earlier, fully trained by 2 1/2 and definitely seemed to need the potty first. I think it’s probably a good idea to have one available but encourage the toilet if you can.

DS1 & 2 both went straight on the toilet, that also the plan for DS3!

Ds used a potty but dd wouldn't so we went straight to the toilet with her. It's fine. Maybe have a potty downstairs too though. It would make life easier. How old is he?

I'd say it's almost impossible without a downstairs loo. if he is wiggling or starts squatting you've got about 20 seconds to get him on a potty so you can cheer a success rather than clear a mess.

and ideally you'd want him being able to go by himself without too much involvement. if you had a downstairs loo and kept door open with toddler seat and step that's one thing, but he's never going to realise and have the time and focus to get himself upstairs at first.

maybe after initial potty training when he's more predictable and can hold it and knows where it's supposed to go.

YANBU. We went straight to the toilet and it made life so much easier, we didn't have a downstairs toilet either but it was no issue once he got the hang of letting us know he had to go right away. It wont do any harm to sit your DS on the toilet and see how he goes.

DD hated using the potty and went straight on the toilet using one of these padded child’s toilet seat with steps You could keep it at home for him to use if he wants to and not make a big thing of it.

I remember around Easter when DD and her baby ‘friends’ were about 18 months and all the other mum getting really excited they had potty trained their children, they really hadn’t and it took a long time for them to be dry day and night, partly I suspect because their bladders are so small at that age. We waited, gave DD the option of using the toilet seat or not and DD announced that she wasn’t wearing nappies anymore at about 2.5 years old and that was it.

That toilet seat is brilliant because it is padded and they can sit on the for along time and also because of the steps and handle she could get up and down them without help. It did however mark the toilet seat and rub some of the surface of so put a cheap one on before you use it.

I did just the toilet with my ds. Never even purchased a potty.

Thanks so much!

DS is 20 months now. I just sat him on the toilet and he looked and me like I was an imbecile quite similar to the cold look of a cat.

We used the potty a handful of times. I never took a potty out, we just used toilets so quickly at home used the toilet. However without a downstairs toilet we'd have struggled. How old is your son?

How old is he? Do you have a downstairs toilet? We don't and having a potty downstairs was useful.

20 months? Wow. Both my boys were nearly 3.

Is the purpose of putting him on the toilet just to let him get used to the idea and for fun or are you actively trying to toilet train him Op?

My dd never used a potty. Straight to toilet with a child seat. I really don’t see why you cant

I never bought a potty because the idea of cleaning one makes me heave.

DS used a toilet with no issues. I did buy him a step and toilet seat so that it was easier for him to use.

My DS1 refused the potty. Even bought a potty that looked like our toilet..but he still wouldn't use it, and insisted on using the main one..why wouldn't he, when in his head everybody else in the house uses the big toilet, so why wouldn't he..I think it's a good thing 😊

Try him standing instead

DS was the only boy in nursery to stand. Why do something twice?

My DD absolutely point blank refused to use a potty 🤷‍♀️ Having done it this way now, I can’t see the point in using a potty in future!

I can see no benefit in trying to toilet train a child who is non verbal and only 20 months old, especially if the only sign of readiness is interest in the toilet - they all like to mess about with toilets at that age.

I went straight to the toilet with mine as well, it was fine. Got DC one of those child toilet seats with a step so they could climb up by themselves, which they loved

Yes you can skip the potty, we never had one for any of ours. However, when you say he is showing an active interest, what do you mean?

DS1 had a potty for ages and loved it. DS2 refused to sit on any potty and went so far as to throw his duck-shaped potty at DH's head when I dared to leave it in the bathroom one day. We gave up and went for a little tiny stepladder-seat thing from Amazon for him to get on and off the toilet. Worked like a dream.