When to potty train?

[ChaCha]

DS1 is almost 15 months old.
Whenever he needs to pooh, he sits behind an armchair or my rocking chair and won't be spoken to or respond until he's finished. I was told by a friend that this may be the time to start potty training so i bought a basic potty and thought i might give it a go.

Now having second thoughts...is he too young? And any advice on how to start?

I would start by saying "Do you need a poo? Do you want to do it on the loo like mummy?" and gently encourage him that way.

I tend to use a toilet seat rather than a potty because (a) they are used to seeing other people use the toilet and (b) scraping poo out of a plastic bowl is a bit grim. But that's personal choice.

I'd leave it as late as possible - have just had a very positive experience with DS (turned 3 just before Christmas), who got it pretty much immediately, and has had hardly any accidents (week 4 now, and we've had 2 accidents since the first day, when we had 2). But even though 15 months is pretty young to be trying it, if you think he's ready, give it a go, just don't commit yourself to soldiering on regardless if it doesn't seem to be working after, maybe, a week?

I think most people will say that this is too young.

I think you will know when your DS is ready. Ask him - if he responds and is articulate enough to tell you when he needs the loo, then the time is right. If not, then perhaps it is a bit early.

DS1 was potty trained at 21 months with no accidents.

DS2 has just been toilet trained and is very reliable on the wees and needs reminding for the poos at 2.5yrs old.

I don't think that you could "train" him at this age in the sense of getting him out of nappies

But if he is making a big deal of poo-ing then he knows what he is doing... I would talk to him about it and encourage him to use the loo for that particular bit, rather than doing it in a nappy.

But I do hate changing poo-y nappies

I think you can try him with a potty - I don't agree with waiting until as late as possible -I have a friend who waited so late her ds was dry at night before it occurred to her that he might be ready to potty train.

Some baby are continent for poo from a very early age and a major benefit of letting them do it on a potty is that it is far healthier for their skin.

I also agree with MP about using a special toilet seat rather then a potty.

Thanks for replies.

Quite right, didn't expect to aim for having him out of nappies either, just the fact that he does know what he's doing prompted my friend to suggest using a potty. Quite confused as to how this will work. Duh!

I think the main thing is to make the connection for him between Doing That Thing (a poo) and Doing That Thing In a Certain Place. He has already made that connection - he has trained himself to poo behind a chair. I would just encourage him to make the connection that it might be good to be big boy and Do That Thing In the Toilet Like Mummy. So when you see him squatting, I would say "Hey do you need a poo? Would you like to do it upstairs in the toilet like mummy?" and carry him up there, remove his trousers/nappy and place him on the training seat/potty. Then give him lots of praise when he's done his job and TALK ABOUT WHAT'S HAPPENING so that he knows he is DOING A POO ON THE POTTY WHICH IS A GOOD IDEA.

I don't really know anything about it, this is just what I've done with mine, they seem to have been continent from an early age which I have encouraged.

If he is resistent to being moved, because he has got used to pooing behind a chair, then I would probably bribe him with a song or book to get him to sit on the loo before he did the deed.

I generally sing "If you need a poo, do a poo" to the tune of If You're Happy And You Know It.

My ds is 16 months and has been very aware when doing a poo as in he comes to tell me afterwards and sometimes beforehand.

I bought a potty and started putting him on it several times per day. He loves it. I am actually struggling to get him off the potty after 15 or so minutes. Whatever he is doing, if I say let's go sit on the potty he runs to it.

However he rarely does anything in it. Very consistently he has a wee once per day after his afternoon nap. Never had a poo in it though. I think he gets it but he has no control yet.

I am not stressing about it at all, just being very patient.

The baby whisperer advices starting at 9 months - she argues - you did not keep your child in a cot until he was ready to walk, you let him practice first. It is the same with potty training. I very much agree with this.

I agree with Justaphase, I think it can be done gently as part of the routine for a long time, sort of phased in

I'd rather just do that in a chilled way and then put pants on them when they are having dry nappies all day, than run around for several panicky weeks with a potty in the back of my buggy

Each to their own but I think there is a good argument for the gradual approach

My DS is 21 months and the thought of potty training him hasn't yet even crossed my mind.

DD was 26 months. She took to it straight away. But, now, at almost 4 yrs old she still pees in her pants quite regularly. Very frustrating -- for me and her.

i've just started putting my 9 mo on the potty - not to train him but to start to 'condition' him (only word i can think to explain it!) my mum did this with us and the idea is that they start to get used to going in the potty and not in the nappy, as soon as we get a sign he's pooing we put him on, haven't had any pooey nappies for 3 days which really helps the washing!

i don't expect him to be trained for many many months but i think if you have a clear sign he's pooing it really is much nicer to get them to do it in the potty (you have to deal with the poo so much less!)