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Original poster

The best age to start potty training a boy?

17 replies

stinkymalinki · 30/08/2007 21:37

My DS is going to be 2 at the end of September, and i would like to know the best age to start potty training him. He is due to start nursery just after his birthday, so i was originally thinking of doing it to coincide with this, but i'm now thinking that it would be too much pressure on him all at once and i don't want it to end up more like 'parent training' IYSWIM - my friend with a son just a few months older started about this age, and several months down the line, is no nearer to her DS being potty trained!

He will sit on a potty occasionally, and has pooed in it several times, but that is more due to me whipping his nappy off as he goes into his usual performance of squatting and straining and going bright red, than him asking for it! He often poos first thing in the morning, so when i go to get him from his cot, i'm usually greeted with 'Poo Mummy' after the fact

Thanks for the suggestions/advice

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oooggs · 30/08/2007 21:38

18?

Original poster
stinkymalinki · 31/08/2007 08:53

Any sensible suggestions?

OP posts:
fawkeoff · 31/08/2007 08:56

im thinking of potty training ds now, he will be 2 in october, but he has started to wee in things

mop bucket
my soes
he even weed in my cup of coffee.

im thinking of getting one of those pottys that look like a toilet and plays a tune when they do their business

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LazyLinePainterJane · 31/08/2007 08:57

IMO, there isn't a specific age, you just need to wait until they are ready. DS turned 2 last week and he can say "poo" when he has done one but that is it in terms of awareness.

You'll probably find that he will start pulling at his nappy, telling you more, maybe looking really uncomfortable when in a wet or dirty nappy.

Sound like his potty usage could be coincidence. You could try, I guess if you persevere you will get there but it will be much easier if you wait until he seems ready.

LazyLinePainterJane · 31/08/2007 08:58

at that toilet, fawkeoff!

DS would LOVE one of those

GooseyLoosey · 31/08/2007 09:04

Depends loads on the child. Just after 2 would have been very early here. I watched friends stuggle at this age. We did it with both just after 2 1/2 and it went really well. That said, if you think your ds could do it sooner then go for it.

Don't push yourself to do it before he goes to nursery if you don't feel it would be the best thing. They certainly won't be expecting it from a 2 year old.

Good luck!

fawkeoff · 31/08/2007 09:06

i know its pricey, but i was actually going to get it as one of his birthday prezzies.he wont know the differance and dp wont go mad if its in with his other ones

lailasmum · 31/08/2007 09:20

Wait till he is ready, he needs to be able to tell you before he is going, not in the moment and that seems to take a while with some boys. Babykind have a boys potty training thing called a wee-man so they can learn to wee standing up.

smugmumofboys · 31/08/2007 09:29

As I'm lazy, I left my two boys until they were well over 2 1/2. They were both dry by day within a week and by night a few weeks later. It was all rather less stressful than I'd imagined which I'm sure was due to me leaving it that bit later. Whenever you decide to do it, make sure you buy twice as many pants as you think you'll need!

KTeePee · 31/08/2007 09:33

I waited until ds2 was nearly 3 and a half - various reasons why I left it so long but when we got round to it found it was really easy - very few accidents, just took himself off to use the potty or toilet without needing to be reminded. It was much easier than with ds1 who I started at about 2 and a half and didn't get the hang of it till he was about 3.2

NotAnOtter · 31/08/2007 09:34

i would start about now

tripletsandtwins · 31/08/2007 14:56

I trained my boy at 2.7 when he started showing signs that he was ready. (He started telling us that he needed to go, pulled at his diaper, started showing that he wanted some independence etc.)

I didn't even bother with a potty with him, I had learned from my girls that they liked to show me what they had done...not very pleasent.

I had my dh take him to the toilet and use it with him for a while, because my ds likes copying us. Then we dripped some food coloring into the toilet and he was amazed at how he could change the colour of the water. We also got a ball that went in the loo, and told him that it was a game for him to hit it - so he got some target practice as well as being toilet trained!

I got a musical potty when I was training my girls, but they got such a shock when they sat down and it started playing that the began to really dislike it, so i got rid of it swiftly.

fluffyanimal · 31/08/2007 15:02

Stinkymalinki, my mum reckons that what you are doing with poo and potty is a good idea, keeps trying to get me to poo-potty train my 18 month DS (cue loud claims of "all mine were clean by 18 months"). You may find that if he poos at a regular time and you can sit him on the potty first, he'll come to associate pooing with it and just go in the potty. That is my mum's theory anyway. I'm not bowing to her pressure yet however, it all seems like too much bother to me. And we've just had new carpets.

Original poster
stinkymalinki · 01/09/2007 14:46

Thanks for all the advice. I think we'll hold off for a little while, as i think he's a bit young, but will start when he's nearer 2.5 and a bit more comprehending of what we're trying to achieve

OP posts:
Overrun · 01/09/2007 14:51

I started at 2.5 but my dts are still not ready at 2.9 As lots of other people said, they are all different

Bibis · 01/09/2007 14:56

Started with mine about 3 weeks ago, he is 3.2.

It worked because we realised that he was terrified of falling down the loo so we bought him a couple of the kiddy loo seats (1 for upstairs and 1 for down).

We never have to remind him and last night he didnt have nappy on at night AND he was dry .

That worked for us, good luck whatever you decide to do, it just needs to work for you (and him)

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