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Behaviour/development

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Original poster

Potty training- how do i know when?

9 replies

Mibby · 18/08/2012 15:45

DD has started asking for a clean nappy, saying she has poo'd or wee'd.
Ive been told this means i should start potty training but shes not even two yet, i thought potty training didnt start till nearer three? Help!

OP posts:

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louloutheshamed · 18/08/2012 15:49

No I think plenty of babies are potty trained before 2.

I am interested in this as ds is 19 mo and tells us when he is about to poo.

Longtalljosie · 18/08/2012 15:53

Well - nothing to stop you giving it a go! I think the "hang on, wait" advice is for competitive parents who are desperate to say little Jonny was trained by six minutes old etc.

I trained DD in a broken fortnight (visit to parents in the middle so reverted to pull ups - they had just had the carpets cleaned!). DD was 2.5 and showing no signs at all. I just decided - sod it, I have to take leave or lose it, let's go. Days 1 and 2 were hellish - by day 3 we were getting somewhere

StarMeKitten · 19/08/2012 09:15

Im not sure about this either.19 mo DD has started telling us before she's going to do a poo. She knows what a potty is and will sit on it fully clothed but I've not put her on it properly yet. With her being young I don't want to pressurise her before she's ready, although I know plenty of mums with toddlers the same age who are already putting them on the potty, so confusing!!

lljkk · 19/08/2012 10:05

My rule is when I know they can go an hour without weeing. Mine get plenty of nappy free time so that's pretty easy to know when they can do that.

Just because they tell you some of the time it's not the same as consistently remembering when there's something fun going on. They need to have the physiological control.

There's nothing wrong with (at home) letting run around bottom-naked with a potty to hand & see if they want to use it. It's how most people start, I think. Perfect in this weather.

BabydollsMum · 19/08/2012 11:51

Watching with interest. DD has been showing signs of potty readiness since about 16 months (she's 18 months now) but I don't want to start it and then regret it, or push her at all. But we've already had one wee and one poo in the potty - more flukes than anything, when she's been naked before the bath. I kind of don't want her to lose her enthusiasm for it either IYSWIM. She calls the loo the 'mummy potty'!

I'm not convinced she knows when she's weeing yet. She does tell me when she wants to do a poo. She sometimes rips her nappy off and asks for her potty, she'll even sit on her potty and goo 'ssssss' pretending to wee... I just feel it'll be easier when she's a little bit older. Am I just being lazy? Should I go for it?

Equally confused!

ZuleikaD · 20/08/2012 09:40

They have no control over their sphincter before 20 months, so if you try before then you can just end up training yourself to take them to the potty every 30 minutes. 2.5 is average, though, so some are training around 2 years of age. IMO it's not worth it unless they can tell you before they need to go or understand themselves that they need to go and take themselves. Knowing they've done a wee or poo after they've done it isn't enough and if you try too early it can be stressful and upsetting for all concerned (they feel like they're getting it 'wrong' when in fact they're just not physically ready). We waited till 2.4 before trying with DD and it worked, though at 3.3 she still has the odd accident if she can't be bothered to go or has complicated clothes on.

TeWiDoesTheHulaInHawaii · 20/08/2012 09:56

Stuff that I think helped:

Being able to tell you/indicate before they need a wee/poo
Being able to dress and undress (at least their trousers)
Reliably understanding and following simple instructions.
Being at a fairly biddable/not-irrational tantrum stage.
Being able to hold on to their wee
... the final thing is that they aren't going to be able to go to the bathroom indepenedntly until they can make themselves do a wee when they tell themselves too. Which takes much longer than the rest.

With younger children who are interested but probably not going to be able to toilet independently, you could introduce the idea by taking them with you to the bathroom, getting a potty and sitting them on it while you change their nappy, or whenever you go to the bathroom, nappy free time with the potty available if they want to try it

BabydollsMum · 20/08/2012 10:27

Sounds like great advice. I'm more than glad to wait. But what to do with an 18 month old who rips her nappy off but still won't go on her potty? I can't put her in a dress anymore for fear she'll whip it off in public!

ZuleikaD · 20/08/2012 10:41

DD used to do that - we just didn't put her in dresses without tights (so winter only!)

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