What is the point of a potty?

[PP2291]

Hi everyone,
I know I am being really naive here. But my DS seems very ready for potty training, totally aware what he is doing and sees me go use the loo and wants to do it himself. Why don't I just buy a seat to go on the loo and take him there instead? Isn't it confusing that he goes to the loo once place and I go in another? Is the potty just for convenience? Like so it is around at all times? Or am I being mad and missing something?
Thanks in advance!

I hate pottys! Never used them for any length of time. There sometimes useful for first couple of days when they need/want to wee every 5 mins! That way you can carry it round house with you. But otherwise I find teaching kids to use the loo from the beginning far easier. I hate carrying pottys around with me out and about. If child is ready to train they can usually 'hold it' long enough to get to toliet. I'd prob avoid places with no toilets until they were trained: so first week or so. So many kids I've looked after get dependent on potty and don't like the transition to toliet. Easier in my opinion to miss out potty stage altogether.

Thanks so much for your advice! Very helpful!

I might give potty training a go without the potty then. Do you have any advice on what seat to get for the loo?

When you first start potty training you may not always get enough notice to run them to the toilet. It also helps if there is somewhere they can go thats easily accessible for them without them having to articulate to you that they need to go. Sometimes I turned my back for a moment to do something and turned back to find DS had managed to arrange himself onto his potty without me knowing - which he wouldn't have been able to do on the toilet.

Independence? My 15 mo can't get on the loo herself but can get on the potty.

We never bothered with potties here at all - straight on the toilet for my boys with a little step stool (although generally I was right there everytime to lift them onto the toilet).

Also, if and when you night train, do you want your ds roaming round the house at night looking for the loo? Better to put a potty in the bedroom.and a stairgate on the door.

Also, they dont go.on the potty for that long, few months maybe? It is convenient.

No idea, if you have a loo up and downstairs and wait to potty train until well over two.

Both my DDs hopped on and off the loo quite happily.

Doh posted too soon.... Hopefully will try and get him over his toilet fear once I'm 100% certain of his control.

Stupid phone! I had a massive post typed out which I thought I half posted. Anyway DS is potty trained, as after seeing his cousin use a potty he decided to do it himself, but is petrified of a toilet.

My ds was petrified of the toilet too and exclusively potty for well over a year. When older he explained he didn't like water splashing his bottom for no. 2.
He is 5 now and still uses a baby bjorn potty in his room when lifted at 11pm. It can be useful, we had a toddler loo seat too so the choice was there.

I thought the same as you before dd started toilet training. However she doesn't like to be helped with anything and finds it difficult getting on the loo, even with a step, so prefers the potty because she can do the whole process by herself, can just use it without having to ask first. It is a bit annoying taking it out with us, but well, whatever works for now (and it's a lot cleaner than many public loo seats)

Um, my tiny 9th percentile DD will absolutely be on the potty to start with...

we have tiny DT boys

potty all the way, they could use it at the same time - only one toilet in the house - and far too small to use toilet on their own

they both use toilet quite happily on their own now

Ds refused to use one and went straight on the loo. We had a fold up one for emergency poos when we were out but tbh he was an al fresco wee er

We don't have a downstairs loo.