How did you potty train?

[StepDoor]

Just that really, how did you potty train and at what age?

hi op

i have two dds aged 5.5 years and 9

i potty trained both dds around 2.5 years
each child is different
dd2 was much quicker at potty training

i would startby leaving a potty in the lounge and one upstairs
keep asking if they need a wee and sit them on the potty every 30 mins
if they start going on it and carry on then they are ready
if they dont show any interest i would leave it and try again afew months later

Both by 18 months.

Started young with sitting them on toilet before baths, then by 12 months toilet at every nappy change if near one. Gradually from 12 months ish all poos always in toilets, and them eventually wee

So a 6/8 month gradual process, ds1 was about 16 months and dry, ds2 more like 18 months. They are now 3 and 4

Dd is 2.5. She has been fully potty trained since 2yr old. We just left potty in living room and encouraged trying for wees etc from about 20m after baths and when naked in house. Then when she was okay with doing the odd wee I just took her nappy off and told her every time she did a wee or poo on the potty she could have a little chocolate button or sticker etc (kept them in a potty treat jar and varied them) we had the odd accident if she was too engrossed in something but didn't take more than a week. I slowly then didn't offer treats etc and within a month they were gone. She has been dry at night since potty training too

DTs pretty much trained themselves at 2.10. It was this summer so baking got so just let them run around the garden with no bottoms. They were reliably dry in 3 days. I recommend this as the lazy version of potty training!

ArtandCo, goodness that is early!

It's not that early, depending on what you're comparing to.. my siblings and I were all done by 18months, and I've met many kids in the nursery I worked in who were much younger. Now I have my own ds I'm interested to see if we can get him trained before 2y. I know there's a train of thought that says it's psychologically damaging to do it too early but haven't read up on this yet.

I tried with ds at 26 months but after 8 'accidents' a day, no tumble dryer & ds getting upset & weeing over the floor we stopped. We left a potty upstairs & the pants in his drawer. Kept reading pirate Pete's potty & dinosaurs wear underpants & talking about it from time to time.

At just before 3 we discovered his best friend & a couple of other kids in his nursery class were training. We'd been been talking to him about it but upped it a bit & basically he decided to try & ended up one morning trying to put his pants on over his nappy. After that he had something like 2 accidents.

Basically I'm of the belief now that they're ready when they're ready & if you're patient very little training us needed. Really we've been teaching him you need to go at certain times, like before you go out, we'll positively assist him when he tells us he needs to go and how to wipe his bum!

Oh, my friend in Thailand say they start earlier by just giving the kid an hour a day with no nappy on & then increasing it bit by bit. It helps them get the hang of it with little pressure.

I agree whole heartedly with Jaffa when their ready its not a process its just a switch to something new.
I found this interesting
I didn't train either I just treated ds like he was already trained at intervals a few months apart he had it at 2 and 4 months but I was totally prepared for him to be 3 if thats how long it took for him to be there.
The thing that made me determined it doesn't matter was when my friends ds developed a stammer while stressing over potty training, she put it away and he's confidence returned, a few months later he wanted pants on himself and he was there.

Yes that's how we did it, gradually an hour a day, then whole morning, etc. I don't think mine were pressured at all being young. They never new any difference. At 4 months they would already be sat on toilet before a bath etc. So by the time they could walk it was just natural.

Ds2 is now 3. He now debates everything and has strong opinions! I think he would be very hard to train had I left him another 2 years

Trained dd at about 2.4. She'd been used to using potty and toilet sometimes from about 18 months. In fact, I had thought she was ready to train at 18 months, but a bad bout of thrush seemed to put her right off.
When she finally seemed ready again we just stopped the nappies, reminded her to go every hour or so, and rewarded successful potty/ toilet use with stickers. Had about once accident a day for a couple of weeks, then fine (so far, touch wood). The rewards really helped her, although I know some don't agree with them for potty training,

DS was 3.4. He wasn't sure but bribes of nice pants and chocolate helped and that was it. He wore pants and was dry, essentially. He only had one accident. At first I reminded him to go to the toilet every so often, then he was quite happy to take himself off there (bit of a novelty). I'd say the "training" (star chart, bribes, praise) lasted about 4 days although obviously we continue to praise good toilet habits (hygiene, good aim(!), etc) and now at 3.9 he's also reliably dry at night. Again, only one accident.

Some would say it's late for a child to be toilet trained but it was so easy, I think this was because he was ready. Of course different children are ready at different times. We stumbled into it, really; hadn't planned to toilet train at that time - DH was away, it wasn't exactly genius timing but just sort of started and then it worked so didn't need to worry in the end.

Ds is 3 years and in nappies. All his friends are toilet trained. Sigh.

Might start putting dd, five months, on the toilet before baths...

Currently training DS (just turned 2), he has 2 big sisters and we have followed the same approach with each. My overall attitude is that being clean is enough of a reward in itself, training earlier rather than later is nicer for the child (because who wants to sit in a soiled nappy if they can sit on a potty), going cold turkey is just stressful and embarrassing for a child so we swap in and out of nappies to avoid putting a child in a situation where they don't have any option but to soil themselves (e.g. a small child with little bladder control strapped in the car going up the motorway). So my 8 point plan:

1. nappy changes always in the bathroom from very young and child in bathroom when we use the toilet
2. potty available in the bathroom for child to sit on if want around nappy changes (or more likely) at bathtime
3. once language skills (saying poo, potty and pee) and gross motor skills (walking and sitting) sufficiently developed have bare bum morning in rooms with no soft furnishings and only very washable toys to play with (duplo a favourite) plus the potty
4. if no bladder control or 'disgust' apparent (pee everywhere, no awareness of pee) back in nappies and test again in a month/if bladder control and 'disgust' developed (one accident, telling you about it immediately) then keep going with nappy off sessions
5. if all pees and poos in potty during bare bum sessions introduce pants.
6. if all pees and poos in potty during pants on seession introduce trousers
7. once reliable at home in clothes send to nursery without nappy
8. pull up nappy kept on during naps/trips out of the house/overnight until reliably asking to use toilet, and showing sufficient bladder control thatthey aren't using nappy in these situations.

DD1 trained at 24 months (day)/3 1/2 (night), DD2 at 27 months (day and night), DS just started but several pees in the potty at 24 months so obviously ready to get started.

And remember it's partly genetic so ask the grandparents when you and your siblings potty trained. Good luck, I've found the thought of it worse than the reality each time.

DS - offered the chance to use a potty from about 20m, was able to pee and poo in it but not keen on pants and had no idea when to go. He also had toddler diarrhoea so no way were we removing nappies unless he could get poos in the loo at least. At 3+ he started to destroy nappies within 5 minutes of putting them on, so we called enough. Took him to the loo every 20 minutes or so the first day, and he still sometimes managed accidents in between. That gradually spaced out and he took over, it took 2-3 weeks. Dry at night 6 months later when he stopped drinking milk at bedtime.

DD - put on the potty at nappy changes from around 3/4 months. Most poos in the potty/toilet by about 1 and also dry most nights by that age, asking for the potty for poos by 15m. We didn't completely drop nappies till 2.3 but it was very easy when we did. Prob could have done so a lot earlier, we didn't quite believe what we were seeing after DS training so much later. Technically the potty training process took a long time, but poos in the loo are so much less work than pooey nappies, being on the path was both easier and more pleasant all round than not having started. And because she was still in nappies or pullups there was no pressure or mess.

Did anyone use the toilet trainer seats rather than a potty?

dS1 was 2.11
Neither myself nor DH (sahd) could be bothered before then, so we left it until I was home for a week and it took two days. One accident and he was dry day and night.
We had been putting him on the toilet before baths for about 2 months.
We also did it in summer, shorts and crocs make it easier!

Never used a potty with DD, straight onto loo. Always thought weeing or pooing outside the bathroom is a bit weird. And why bother going from nappies to potty for what would probably only be a few weeks.

Straight on toilet here, found the idea of potties gross! And I didn't want one weeing in potty and baby crawling Into it

We just held on toilet at first, brought toilet seat around 15/16 months once they could get on and off toilet themselves. And a little step. By 2/2 1/2 they would wee over the seat though! So check they fit

monstergoose - we used both from the beginning, so there was no traumatic transition. Having a potty option too is convenient because you're not tied to staying within uncertain toddler-holding-reach of a toilet.

We have one of those dual toilet seats so the toddler seat is attached to the main toilet seat, they're super convenient and we'll prob keep it for visiting children even when we don't need it.

I didn't. DD did it herself - she just woke up one morning at 2.5 and declared "Mummy, I'm not wearing nappies anymore". She was dry in three days flat. SO glad I waited 'til she was ready. Properly ready. I know we've been very lucky, btw and not all kids will do this...

I left them till they were three and able to talk to me about using the toilet then had them using the toilet with a child seat. They never used a potty. Straight to toilet and were dry immediately though I constantly reminded. Two weeks later I noticed they were dry in the mornings so stopped using nappies at night. Was completely painless to be honest and I put it down to leaving it till they were older. There's no rush IMO.

Did anyone use the toilet trainer seats rather than a potty?

We used both, the potty gives them a better squatting position for pooing when they start and is more flexible, but you then have to put everything down the loo anyway.

Rabbitsayswoof link is interesting but I think the big problem that doctor is describing is not potty training but a low fibre diet. I know historically there were problems with people being trained early but I think it was to do with the way they were trained rather than at what age (sitting children on potties for long periods until they peed or pooed, smacking for accidents etc). He acknowledges that people who perform EC are doing fine, so I think as long as what you do is age appropriate and responsive and respectful to the child then there shouldn't be a problem.

We bought a family toilet seat from b&q when we had the bathroom done. £35 and has a little one as well as a grown up sized one. Ds likes it & generally prefers it.

We had the potty round the house from about 15 months would sit naked on it and read books untill she did something then be all claps and cheers. Did this for a few months increasing the amount of nappy free time in the house by 18 months she wore no nappies in the house and then one day she said no to wearing a nappy out so let her and she didnt have an accident dry during the day by 19 months.
No pressure just let her have the option. I kind of have a theory that the earlier you do it the better, before they get to a rebellious age... If I was trying to do it now (2.3) I think my dd would resist on all fronts as she's a little madam and doesn't like to do things she thinks I might want her to!
But really I know all kids are different and I was lucky to have it easy, my dd has never had an accident outside of the house she's maybe had 3 or 4 at home in the nearly 6 months she's been potty trained.