What age did your DC potty train?

[andanotherproblem]

I saw another thread about children starting school in nappies, I do think this is really bad and I always said I would start when DD turns 2. Is this realistic? She’s currently 16 months and I already know it wouldn’t work at the minute, although she never does a poo when we are out of the house, only in the house, perhaps she is starting to realise? I knew a young DC who’s mother waited until she was 4 I do think this is too old.

Curious when everyone started potty training, how long it took them and any tips and suggestions are always welcome

Currently just about there with the potty training (daytime at least), at 2 years 2 months. It’s taken a month to be accident free at nursery. I actually wish we’d started a bit sooner when DC was a little less opinionated and willful! I read that years ago, pre disposable nappies, kids were potty trained earlier (on average), but the convenience of disposables makes us ok with keeping going. I don’t think there’s a right or wrong time, it has to be a point that’s going to work for your family (ie no trips planned, time to spend at home for a few days etc) and I do think there’s some benefits to doing it in summer, less clothes to get off in time of change when they get wet or dirty! And they happy to run around naked if necessary!

DS1 was 2, and 4yo DS2 has literally just started going on the potty! He’s autistic though so this is such a huge step for us!

Both of mine were trained at 3.5 yrs. Both well trained before school and seemed a lot easier and quicker to train them older than other people who trained at 2.

My three boys were between two years two months and two years six months. It took a couple of weeks for the one who was youngest when starting, and about two days for the one who was two and a half. I started with the first one because I found him with his nappy off, trying to perch on the loo so decided to go for it as he was clearly interested. We stayed at home for a week and just got on with it. I don't agree with this waiting until they are ready stuff, there's a window between two and two and a half when they are eager to please and not too stubborn, but you have to find the time to go for it and stick with it. This was in the 90s, mind you, when more mothers were at home with their children. I get that things are different now but back then it was really unusual for a child to still be in nappies at three.

Sure. She was also talking at 9 months.😉

My DD was 22 months and DS 2 , both of them very reliable after a few days, I know the trend now is to leave it much later but also helped PT my granddaughter recently and she was also 2. It’s not a competition but if you feel your child is ready at a young age give it a go

It’s dependant on the child themselves. My dd was talking in sentences by 18 months & at 2 i thought about toilet training as some friends has started at a similar age but it took a long time.

my my 1st daughter was 2 years 4 months when i decided to go for it (didn’t want to do it before hand as had a holiday and travelling) it took us 2 days at home straight onto the toilet (no potty) and she had 2 accidents and that was her. Didn’t use pull ups.

2nd time round i had b/g twins to make up for my easy first go. I tried at a similar age and neither seemed ready so after a few days i gave up & tried again a few months later. Same thing. Ended up waiting until 2 years 8 months & my daughter got it but it took a few weeks as opposed to days. We had little flush potties like toilets, sticker charts, books - completely different on the 3rd attempt to my older daughters first but same initial approach to all. I gave up again with my son & by 3 he still hadn’t got it. Started nursery 2 afternoons a week when he was 3 years 2 months who advised pants. Fine tried again (3 years 2 months) & he peed every day, numerous times. I had about 2 weeks of it & gave up. A couple of months later i decided to try pull ups despite nursery still pushing for pants instead of nappies & encourage the toilet without the stress of him constantly wetting. Day 2 on pull ups he decided he wanted pants so i said ok and he peed himself. Reminded him of toilet or back in pull ups. He had half an accident and ran to toilet. Persevered that day and no more accidents. Keep going. He got it properly within a few days and although he still had the odd accident over the next month was “trained” and fully dry just over 3 and a half. At one point i never thought he’d get it!

each of then were dry through the night within a week or being dry in the day.

one easy journey, one sort of tricky journey and one which felt like it took forever. He was almost a year later than his twin but he walked at 11 months and his twin not til 6 months later (oldest was 15 months) he barely spoke but my girl twin talked for him. You can’t tell the differences looking at them now or when they started school. With hindsight i wish i hadn’t kept trying with them and just waited longer and with my son left him until after his 3rd birthday as it would have been a lot easier!

Just trained my boy at 2.5, he cracked it in a few days. Signs of readiness for us were:

• Interested in the potty/toilet
• Able to pull own pants and shorts down and up again
• Able to talk about when needed the potty
• Interested in stickers as a reward 😉

No way he would have been able to do it earlier though

Basically, when your child has the capability of listening and understanding what you are telling them and follow your instructions. Physically, they need to be walking and able to put their pull ups up and down to go potty or, if still in nappies, ask you to go to the toilet.

I'm sure younger mothers will give you more advice. My sons are adults today and I followed old advice from close female relatives.

4 DKs, 2 boys 2 girls,all by 2.3 months. Nurseries playgroup didn't accept kids in nappies in the 70s and 80s..you didn't wait for them to be ready, give you a magic sign anymore than with my animals.. towelling nappies for all 4, no pull ups.no washing machine for the first 2 either.

DD1 was 2.4 and it took weeks.

DD2 was 2.2 and it took days.

My nephews were trained before they turned 2.

My first was 2.7/8m, she was ready earlier but we had a newborn too so it was not the time. Baby was out of fourth trimester and it was mid Spring in the end so it took a long weekend and she was fine after that pretty quickly.

second was 2.6m and it was super easy. Barely any accidents even at nursery after the first weekend. Again we waited with her till summer but after we’d got back from a holiday.

I’m all up for doing it when they’re ready but it also needs to be a practical time when they’re fairly stable to make everyone’s lives easier.

DS1 was just about 4 and I was panicking as he was starting school in a couple of months, but he just went straight to a toilet and was dry at night straight away as well. He is dyspraxic, which may have been a factor. DS2 was 8 ( and later for bowels) but he is severely autistic.

I had a week booked off work/nursery at 2 years 1 month so I did it then, she didn't have any signs of readiness really so it took almost the full week but we had very little accidents at home, never whilst out and about, only at nursery since then.

My boy was 2y3m when we thought we’d give it a go. He was ready, kept saying he didn’t want his nappy and understood what was happening so I figured why not? He got it in a few days and only had a handful of accidents thereafter… usually because I misjudged timings or didn’t plan well enough re having a loo available.

3.5, both of them. I wanted to train in the summer as then there's less clothing to take off when they need the loo, both February babies, neither ready the summer before they were 3 so did it the summer after they turned 3. Was very easy both times as they were ready, once we got pass the first hurdle of using the potty for the first time (DD in particular, as she was scared of it for some reason) and both were trained within a few days.

Our little girl had just turned 2. Did the main bill of it when we had a week off work, and then she was able to continue at nursery who were really supportive. I know many wait until older but if the child is ready and capable at just turned 2, you can do it then. I guess just be prepared that yours might not be and you might have to attempt again another time.

We are in the middle of it and DC is almost 3. We are now having fewer accidents some days are fully successful. The childcare centre staff have helped so much with this and we just continued the work on our end as best as we could. Overnight though is still a wet nappy. DC sleeps heavy like me and I was much older before I stopped the overnight wet nappy. I don’t get in too much of a panic. I know with persistence and some ups and downs we will get there. We have to still work on wiping too.

I know DC is not going to be a teen and not be able to go lol. We will get there I’m sure of it.

I think it’s about giving opportunity to sit on the potty and making a huge fuss when they get it right. Sometimes we see DC crouching and may say, “Time to sit on the potty.” We also got some picture books about going potty.

DD1 at 24 months, DS1 at 27 months and DS2 decided at 22 months that he wanted to be the same as his big brother! Stayed at home for a week each time. Daytime sorted in a week.They had all seen a potty beforehand and I did read books etc with them about big children going to the toilet etc.

Just saw this thought it interesting. There is probably some truth to the invention of disposable nappies having an impact on the crazy change in potty training.
https://youtube.com/shorts/JPEkWfvQED8?si=emaUcPFxsvW9S96g

and also @Alondra no it was about 16 months. 😘

Mine were both just turned 2. I have heard anytime from 18 months is possible, 20 months plus easier. We waited till the Summer as fewer clothes, sandals etc. I recommend the Oh Crap book. We had more success when we followed the method exactly with my second child.