Has anyone ever skipped the potty stage and gone straight to toilet training seats?

[TrucksAndDinosaurs]

Just that really. DS is 2.2 and not quite ready yet. He poos standing up in his nappy and then we empty it and flush it down the loo while he looks on with interest, he doesn't seem to care about wees in nappy ( they are very absorbent so not surprised) but he is quite intested in watching me and DH use the loo. We have a baby Bjorn toilet training seat and a step. Is it worth just going straight to sitting on the loo rather than a potty? I've not had a child before so would be interested in your thoughts.

PS. DS is tall. So could manage to get up and down with a bit of help and is growing very fast. He is not able to manage pulling shorts up and down yet though.

Thanks

I'm about to potty train ds and I'm thinking the same. He shows no interest in the potty but will happily sit on the toilet for ages. Will watch with interest!

My mum says she never bothered with a potty. She hated them!

It was a while ago now (DS2 is 11) but neither of the DSs used a potty. Straight to the loo with a step and an insert for the seat. It was really good.

My DD was about 2.8 when she started asking for the loo so I bought a little loo seat and let her sit on it whenever she wanted. However, I found it handy to have a potty downstairs as she would often suddenly decide to go and there wasn't enough time to get upstairs. She was toilet trained in a week with just a couple of poo incidents to contend with. I think it was a combination of age, willingness and being stuck in the house for a week that did it. I just decided that once the nappy was off that was it we were going for it. I was dreading it but it turned out fine until she discovered weeing on things was an ultimate temper tantrum secret weapon!

My daughter was about 2.5 and just decided she was going to use the toilet and that was that. She only ever pooed in a potty once and I think it was by accident. She is quite tall for her age so I wonder if that has something to do with it, she just felt more confident with a toilet.

My two boys didn't ever sit for a wee either. They didn't want to and wanted to 'wee like Daddy'.

I never used a potty for my DC as the thought of emptying and washing made feel sick. I put them on a little loo seat everyday from around 1-11/2 years old just before for a bath. Never expected them to do anything but just wanted them to see sitting on a toilet as normal and not be scared of the toilet. When it came to toilet training around 2 and a half years of age, I went cold turkey and got rid of nappies and straight to cheap pants which could be cut and chucked if a number 2 accident happened. They were all trained withing 2/3 days. I also used smarties as a bribe for when they went on the toilet and lots of cheering.

It does mean taking the toilet seat insert round with you, but it was better than taking a potty out.

Thanks for replies. That is encouraging. I just can't see him getting on with a potty. He likes to hide when he poos and he doesn't like to sit down low and will always stand to eat or play or draw rather than use a low toddler chair etc. so the idea of sticking him on plastic pot all scrunched up and cheering wildly seems counter intuitive. Whereas if he is sat on the loo with a book, I can clean the sink or even wait outside and go on about him being a big boy like daddy etc. We live in small apartment with loo easily accessible, no stairs to climb. And I can take the toilet seat out with me if needed.

Adults don't use potties so it seems strange to start with them as toddlers seem to imitate adults like mad. I can see the point if you have lots of stairs though!

YY to bigging up the 'being like Daddy/a big boy they loved that.

No potty here and no toilet training seat. Had both but DD refused - as you say, they copy you - however, I am in an apartment like you OP, so no stairs etc. Makes it easier I think.

I say wait until they are really ready - then it takes a couple of days tops.

I have 5 children and we have never had potties.

I never used a potty, trained mine straight to toilet when they were about 2.5

Yep, ds was never interested in the potty. I got him a really cheap toilet seat from Tesco, threw one of those cute blue balls with smiley faces on to help little boys 'aim' down the loo, and he preferred to sit on that. He didn't toilet train till quite late, nearly 3, and I didn't push him ever - but after he'd first successfully peed in the 'big toilet' (and hit a peepee ball - "goal!") it just clicked and bang he was toilet trained. Barely any leaks and dry at night. My advice is don't rush them, let them go at their own pace and try to ignore all those other mums whose babies were potty trained at 3 months old (tiny exaggeration there). I recommend a book called 'Even Firefighters Need The Potty' - very American and they refer to the toilet as the potty, but my ds loved it! 'Pirate Pete's Potty' is good too but talks about Pete using the potty rather than a loo.

DO NOT let your DC put the loo insert round their necks. They go on fine but they do not come off again.

Don't bother with potties, just stick them on the loo. We didn't even have a training seat, just a step so they could reach, stand for wees, sit for poos. I used to sit them on the loo every night whilst the bath was running and make a lot of fuss when they produced.

HA at loo seat round head
DS has giant head. All his tee short necks are gaping from being stretched.
For once I feel grateful for 98th centile head circumference! (Crosses legs remembering him being born).

Also good to hear from people trying nearer 3. Where I live it is a bit competitive with 2 years seeming to be the average to start training - and people at playgroup are trying it with 20 month olds! I get strange looks when I say I'll leave it til the summer (he turns 3 in December and starts pre school in September so need to have a proper go at it by 2.8 years)

We did this.
You can get a folding toilet insert if he only likes to sit down when there is one there, it could travel in your handbag. I think some kids are worried about falling into the loo! We got a new toilet seat from JL that had the adult seat and another smaller one you folded down on top. Easier for him to do on his own than putting a seat thing on top - also I found easier to clean.

Trucks, I don't want to burst your bubble, but your DS isn't ready yet at all if he's just. Pooping standing up and not bothering to even notice if he wees.

I think you Ming save yourself a lot of heart ache if you get him to notice what's coming out of him and when, and work on his dressing himself skills.

Potty or toilet training is a start to finish job, and unless he can identify what he's doing you are nowhere ready to start this journey.

Personally I'd wait until his self awareness, communication and dressing skills are possibly a year more advanced.

Never mind the competition, IMHO potty training is he'll on earth, far worse than you think it's going to be, and if you start too soon, there isn't enough gin in the world to get you through it unscathed.

Sorry about punctuation etc: iPad.

Yes we just went to toilet seat when potty training DD1. I must admit it's mostly because I'm lazy and didn't fancy emptying the potty

i did, however, allow DD to choose a seat insert. Poundstreachers sell a few different kinds pretty cheaply.

Yes, worked well for us.

I'm not intending starting til the summer, as said.
He isn't ready yet.
I wanted to know though, when I do train, should we just go straight to loo seat and skip potties...and I was going to have the loo trainer seat out now and talk about sitting on the loo when you are a bigger boy to poo like daddy to get him interested and used to the idea.

Having a potty around as my friends do before starting training and trying to get him interested in that seems a bit daft since his parents do not use one or sit watching DVDs on the sitting room floor when pooing and weeing! I guess I wanted reassurance that grim plastic bum-splashing potties are not crucial.
This thread has helped with that :)

That's what I felt weird about potties. Sitting in the living room watching TV to have a poo. Daddy and Mummy don't do that so why should the DC want to?

Potties are grim.