Potty training 20 month old?

[Vizzini]

I know that under two is early, but I'm pretty sure DD is ready. We bought a potty a few months ago for her cousin to use and recently (prob the last month) she's been weeing in it when we take her nappy off at night or in the morning. The last week or so she has been pooing in it too. She's very vocal and articulate and she has started telling us when she needs to go (and waiting until we get there). We've been giving her a sticker each time and making a fuss (is this wrong?) and she's got 20 or so stickers in the last week.
I'm considering taking her out of nappies over my Christmas holiday (4 weeks) and seeing what happens. I don't want to do it too early (genuinely not trying to make her grow-up too quickly) but equally she seems keen. If we start and then stop if she's not ready would that be a problem?
My other thought is what do we do about nights. Would she stay in a nappy until older or not?
Sorry for the ramble! Hope it makes sense. TIA.

DD potty trained in 4 days at 22 months, it was obvious she was ready. I say go for it.

(DD isn't night dry yet though - she's in a cot and can't undress herself, so we still use nappies).

It was stickers, fuss, ignore accidents for us too.

Thanks Kenobi. It's good to have some reassurance. My friend (who has 3 DC) says to wait until the summer, but I don't want DD to lose interest.

I'm thinking of starting to train my 22mo in the next few weeks - like you I think she is ready and I don't want to wait only for her to lose interest!

She is ill at the moment though, and then we are moving house, so will have to wait a while.

But I say go for it. You can always put it off a bit longer if it isn't working.

BTW, it sounds like your DD is actually pretty much trained. Just take the nappies off, make sure you offer the potty to her very regularly until you're sure she understands her wee and poo cues and be prepared to wash trousers/stains out of carpets every now and again.

We went with DD and ceremonially bought knickers (which she 'chose') so she understood that she wasn't wearing nappies any more, and got a book about how great using a potty was. It all made sense to her very quickly.

We all (children of the 60s-80s) trained much younger - about 16 months - as terry nappies weren't that comfy, so it's totally doable.

She does still occasionally have (wee related) accidents - if she's too excited and isn't listening to her body for example, but she trained 6 weeks ago and has had maybe 5 accidents.

By very regularly, I mean about 15 mins after she's had a drink, offer it every 5 mins until she does wee and so on!

Great advice - thanks. I'll give it a shot and see how we get on! We'll take a trip for knickers and a book. I think we'll spend our time in the rooms with laminate floors to save the carpets !

Sounds like she's half way there already!

20 months is the earliest age at which they have any sphincter control at all, so I wouldn't worry if it doesn't work out. The average age is 2 and a half. I wouldn't offer the potty at all, contradictory to what kenobi says. Otherwise you're training you, not her. If she can tell you she needs it - great. If she can't, and doesn't notice accidents, then she's not ready.

I'd leave it out and leave her with a bare bum indoors so she can use it.She sounds ready to me-go for it :)

My DD (2.5) started weeing in potty at 18 months by telling us she needed to go and by 20 months was pooing too at her request. She now only has a nappy at night, but used to have one on during her nap until I started getting dry nappies recently. We will be night training soon as she is getting the odd dry nappy at night too.

Second the buying knickers, talk about being a big girl like (insert older girls name that she knows/mummy) and she will feel proud of her achievements.

Also regular reminders especially when she is excited about new toy/activity/playmate as she will forget/ignore feelings of needing to wee.

If going out take several outfit changes in case of accidents at first, eventually her bladder control will be much better and only one emergency outfit will be neccessary. My DD can go three hours without a wee now despite regular drinks of water.

Thank you for all the words of wisdom. It is much appreciated! We'll try for a little while and go from there.

My DD was 16 months and DS was dry day and night at 18 months, they are only a year apart, so what DD did DS did too very quickly. DD was actually dry at night before during the day, she kept being dry in the mornings after a 12 hour sleep, so decided to put her in knickers and she was fine.

I have all my minded children dry and clean before 2 years as well, there is a window of opportunity around 17-20 months when they start showing that they have control, (but some may not recognise it( as nappies suddenly start being "suddenly" wet, rather than a gradual process.

My DM had 3 under 3 and we were all dry by a year, and I have photos of me in knickers at 13 months to prove it!

Go for it, and well done!

My ds was 22 months when he was potty trained - he showed very similar signs to your dd a little earlier but I waited until his communications skills had improved a bit to take him out of nappies.

Ime if a child is really ready to potty train, and it sounds as if yours is, it doesn't actually take long at all. I think with both mine we were out and about as usual within a couple of days.