what age is the right age to start potty training

[kalebsmum04]

my son is 15months and i'm trying to potty train but he just runs away i'm costantly running after him with the potty i need some good tips on how to keep him still

It sounds like he isn't ready. 15 months is incredibly early to try it. Most children are not ready for another year or so after this.

Is he showing any signs of being ready?

Personally I would leave it until he is startingto show signs of readiness and then follow his lead.

If you wait till then you'll find it far easier on the whole. Potty training should not have to take weeks or months; choose the right time and it may well take 2 or 3 days only.

Kalebsmum ... why are you trying to potty train? Is he showing signs of being ready? Is there pressure from nursery or something?
15 months is incredibly early to potty train and my best tip for you is to save yourself the bother and wait until he is ready.
Some children potty train before 2 but I think it is quite rare. Most children I know potty trained between 2 and 3. I tried to put DS in pants at 2 and a half and after 5 days of changing him about 12 times a day ("Do you need a wee wee darling?" "NO!" ... and two seconds later a puddle appearing at his feet ) we gave up. Tried again at 2 and 11 months and he was dry within 24 hours and never ever had an accident. He was dry at night 4 months later.

I know people who said their daughter was 'trained' under two but spent about a year going out with 6 changes of clothes and interrupting people in mid sentence by shouting across a room, "Miranda, do you need the toilet???" ... Didn't really see the point

Do yourself a favour and hold fire ... he obviously isn't ready!

I dont think there is a 'right' age to potty train and although it can be done, 15 mnths is very early. Dd is 22 mnths and I was planning to train her next summer till she took things into her own hands and went for it about 2 mnths ago. Have to say it is a pain as she hasnt managed pulling up and down her knickers/trousers/tights herself esp now that the cold weather has kicked in. Luckily we have only had two accidents so far and she tends to go commando indoors (No chance of keeping clothes on her).
Id say wait till next summer. Makes life sooooo much easier if they have accidents outside rather than on the front room carpets esp as they are also wearing less clothes and drying is easier too.

yes I would agree that the right time is clearly NOT YET for your son. if you are constantly running after him with the potty then what's the point? leave it until he is ready and actually shoiwing some interest, otherwise you are only making trouble for both of you.

15 months? that's a bit early isn't it? DS1 was almost 3yrs when we cracked it, well actually he just did it himself (we'd been trying for a year before that to no avail). He'll let you know when he'd ready, just don't push it or he'll avoid it all all costs. We left a potty in his room and another in the hall so he could get to both when he wanted and left him to it (those big chair like potties are more comfortable I believe) and made sure they were always in the same place so he knew where they were. It seemed to work eventually. Good luck.

totally agree, only just trained ds and he's 3.

I tink you should wait until the summer.

I agree with polly28, there's nothing worse than soggy pants all over the place and the tumble drier on 24/7. At least in the summer your ds can sprint around the garden in the nip, it'll be less mess.....

we potty trained when ds1 said "daddy, hurry up and put my nappy back on because I've got a wee wee coming." There is just no point potty training before the child is absolutely 100% ready. You don't win any prizes for early potty training!

switch to cloth nappies,he may be ready earlier as he'll feel the wetness.

He was 2 1/2, btw

I agree w/Hula. I wasn't ready until I was 3. Just flat out refused to try, didn't get it, etc. About a month after I was 3, I told my mum I wanted to wear big girl knickers and use a potty. Never had an accident after that.

It differs for each child, but I'd say let them take the lead.

expatinscotland, just remembered my ds1 started saying that he din't want to wear baby pants, wanted his big boy pants......

I remember being told that under 2 years old most childrens nerves have not developed enough to "tell" them they need to go so there is no point in trying to potty train before 2 as they don't get the urge or feeling they need to go.

My DD is 15 months and I'm leaving her until she's at least 2.

After training my two kids at 28m I found the key point was communication, They could both hold a conversation at this age, asking for pee pee etc, In reality 15m is too young they can say a good few range of words but certainly can't ask questions etc or tell your thier needs for example. I do agree though there is no harm in leaving a potty around so they can practise sitting on it etc

Being a naturally lazy type who couldn't be doing with cleaning up puddles of wee several times a day I'm firmly in the leave-it-late camp. In fact, why bother "training" at all (as you would toilet train a puppy!). I just waited until dd decided that she was a big girl and wanted to wear pretty big-girls pants (she had just turned 3) and understood that big girls go to the toilet... hey presto in 2 days we were there. So I would agree that communication and comprehension is the key.

yes kalebsmum I too wonder why you are trying this at 15 mo.
My ds2 was ready at just 2 - he asked for potty and was happy to produce a wee so we went for it. He's completely reliable now and takes himself to loo etc, he's now 2.5, but he was by far he earliest of my 3. Ds1 was 2,5 and not really ready, dd was 2.5 and very ready (much less hassle, belive me!)

I've just remembered something insane that a friend said to me about 4 months ago about ds2 (now 13 months) "Have you started potty training him yet?"

Jaw dropped, eyes popped, surely she couldn't be serious....but she was. Apparently she'd read that you can potty train babies very young, "puppies can be trained very young it makes perfect sense doesn't it?"

Oh, right, ummmmm yes.... but puppies walk younger, feed younger and generally do everything much younger don't they?

But it seemed that I was wrong, I should've started potty training both my kids almost as soon as they were out of me! Must point out though, she's got 2 kids herself, 2 boys, aged 21months and 33months - both seem quite happy in their pull ups.........

there was someone on tv last week who is part of a movement where the babies never where nappies but communicate with the parents from the start

dd2 trained very early because she copied dd1 so althought they were 16 months apart in age they were potty trained at dd1 age two and a half and dd2 at age 15 months and in fact dd2 was dry at night first at the same age..I wouldn't have actually tried this without dd2 doing it herself. It was early Summer too.

i saw those women on tv the other day, claiming thier babies ( one was 8 months i think) 'told' them when they needed the potty, i must admit it looked pretty amazing, but i did wonder how many loads of washing she does a day! anyway, i thought id like to give it a try, as my mum found this hilarious, but, although my 7 month old obviously does not tell me she needs to go, if i sit her on the potty as soon as she wakes up, she always wees, and if we are indoors, i can see if she needs to go by watching her face, and if im quick enough, no stinky nappy for me to change! i would not say im potty training her though, as when we are out, this all goes out of the window!