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Potty training

Is your child ready for potty training at nursery? Here's the place for all your toilet training questions.

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Original poster

Am I silly to consider potty training at 18mo?

23 replies

Morrigu · 31/03/2014 22:23

Everything I've read about it says to wait until 2yrs but I'm beginning to think dd will be ready very soon. She will say 'I pooed/weed, nappy change' to me while handing me a clean one and has recently taken to removing her clean nappy to squat and pee on the floor.

Could I just start it casually by leaving a couple of pottys around and popping her into training pants or is there no point? Or try properly for a couple of days to see how she goes? It just seems very young to me to be potty training as ds wasn't ready until 3.5yo.

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LydiaLunches · 31/03/2014 22:27

DD2 was clean and dry in the house if in the same room as a potty and naked below he waist from about 16months and potty trained conventionally very quickly at 2ish. It was helpful but not potty training iysw im? I tried her out and about at about 20months but it was a complete non starter, she was too distracted by the world and had so qualms about weeing in the floor so did!

Original poster

Morrigu · 31/03/2014 22:46

Thanks Lydia that's what I was wondering would it be helpful, no point or actually hinder her when the time comes to properly do it. Might just wait on the whole as I'm dreading the extra washing tbf

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Beamur · 31/03/2014 22:49

I think it really depends on the child. It does sound like she is quite aware of her own toileting which is an important step in the right direction.
No harm in having a potty available for her to try out, but I wouldn't expect too much too soon.

georgeousgeorge · 31/03/2014 22:49

amongst my friends potty training has happened between 18 months (although we were all a bot at the time) and 4.5 years.....

if you think DD is ready try it, if not, well don't push it.

MummyBeerest · 31/03/2014 22:50

I'm in your boat! DD is just starting to show interest in potty training so we've introduced the potty and let her go nappy-free. No action yet but she sits on the potty and is dry for long stretches.

I think having interest is key. But I'm no expert.

Buttercup27 · 31/03/2014 22:50

In my experience (early years professional) it sounds like she is completely ready ! Go for it !

MsMischief · 31/03/2014 23:03

I would do it. My eldest caught me off guard by refusing a nappy at about 20 months and only had a couple of accidents during training. It's difficult to keep them in nappies if they don't want them.

(I know that sounds boasty - I could add that my youngest was almost 4)

Original poster

Morrigu · 31/03/2014 23:21

Oh I wouldn't be pushing anything with her, a firm believer giving it a whirl and leaving it for a while if it doesn't work.

Think that's what's caught me by surprise as ds was on the later side.

Thanks for the advice. Will continue on with the praise for letting me know she's gone in her nappy and try a potty for the couple of hours before bathtime for a number of nights to she how she fares/if she's keen.

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odyssey2001 · 01/04/2014 07:25

There is evidence to suggest that potty training before the age of two may cause Kong term problems with your child's bladder. A urologist recently wrote an article about it. www.huffingtonpost.com/steve-hodges-md/potty-training_b_1424826.html

starlight1234 · 01/04/2014 07:31

I think it is a good time to at least introduce the potty... I started with my son much older at bath time I had a wee on the toilet and he would have a wee in the potty... Get her used to that first then give her a try... I have known a few that while might be ready will not sit on the potty or toilet ...

MsMischief · 01/04/2014 08:19

that's a really interesting article. My SIL trained her dd v. early as she was trained early herself and she (SIL-not her dd) has the exact bladder issues described.

Once they are at the stage when they don't want to pee in a nappy and are ripping it off to squat on the floor then you can't realistically keep them in nappies much longer though.

Original poster

Morrigu · 01/04/2014 09:15

Interesting article as are the conflicting comments, although I was a bit at the 4.5mo 'telling' he needs the potty. I was potty trained by the age of two as was sis, if dm is to be believed of course. Dsis has bladder problems but they only started in her 20s.

I agree MSMischief there's not a lot you can do if they're that independent. I wish she wasn't at times as she has the temper to match that independent streak.

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MrsMarigold · 01/04/2014 09:27

thanks for the article really made me feel much better about DS

indigo18 · 01/04/2014 21:55

Go for it! get her used to sitting on the potty and that potty or toilet is the place for her wees and poos. I disagree with the 'leave it until they are three' brigade who then end up with the idea of pooing in a nappy so firmly entrenched that the child resists change.
It was commonplace to train children between 20 months and about 2 years; I have never heard of this idea that it led to bladder problems; why would it? generations of children in all cultures are trained at that age; it seems that leaving a child to pooh itself till school age is more of a problem!

givemecaffeine21 · 02/04/2014 14:05

I've also started recently (3 weeks ago) and DD is 20.5 months. She started showing real interest so we bought a potty and she just got on in first time and wee'd. I nearly fell over backwards! I put a calpol syringe up my sleeve filled with water and showed her how 'Peppa used the potty' and she just did likewise...did same thing with no.2's and a couple of dog biscuits in the potty!

I was in a quandary as t'internet is divided between 'experts' saying wait until they're 2.5-3.5 or risk permanent psychological and physical damage, those who do it from birth (EC) and others who start at 18 months. Someone gave me Gina Ford's Potty Training book and it says 18-24 months is when most children are ready. I'm one of many siblings and we were all potty trained by 2....my poor mum had no choice in the days of terry towelling!

Anyway the upshot is, whilst I hate potty training with a passion now, DD is doing brilliantly and by day 3 was telling me when she needed to use the potty before the actual event. A week later and we've had no accidents so far today, we even ventured out without the potty (my mistake) and made it there and back with no spillage whatsoever!

Some are ready early I think, some are not.....if you think she is then go for it. Having watched my nieces train nearer 2.5, it was a disaster for my sister both times as both were in the tantrum throwing stage and would deliberately wee on furniture etc, one would often refuse to go on the potty and hold it until taken off the potty then instantly choose her own location I.e. The floor! She did get there and at the time stopped and restarted with one and went down the 'she's not ready' route but in hindsight she thinks it was probably more a case of stubbornness as said niece is fantastic but very, very, very strong minded and was an oscar-winning tantrum thrower. My DD us similarly strong minded and just starting to throw the odd wobbler hence I'm glad to be doing it now whilst she will still comply as I know my number will be up in that one in a few months time!

jojane · 02/04/2014 14:12

Can't remember exact age dd was potty trained, but we started training her brother just turned 3 so she would have been 18 months and she started to copy and by the time she turned 2 she was dry day and night with no accidents. Shame her brother is 7 and still has accidents (but he has weak core muscles which aparently doesn't help so is having physio)

Original poster

Morrigu · 06/04/2014 21:44

Thanks all for the advice. Hadn't really thought about it anymore as dd was unwell and only starting to come around now. Tonight she told me 'toilet, pee' and pulled my hand to go up the stairs for the bathroom. We were too late but I'm taking that as a definite sign to give the potty a go. Loving the idea of the syringe full of water caffeine. Have a big Peppa fan here too

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AMJ67 · 21/04/2014 21:09

There is a website on early potty training that I found very useful, mostly because it gives you a different approach to the "wait until they are two" method that is in fashion at the moment.

pottytrainingearly.com/potty-training-methods/

That way you can make you decision on go/no-go knowing that there are alternatives and picking what fits better you and your child.

AllDirections · 21/04/2014 21:14

DD3 was 19 months when she potty trained in 4 days. She was clean and dry day and night from the 4th day. She showed signs of being ready quite a few months before that but I wasn't ready

I didn't even try my other DDs until they'd just turned 2 so it wasn't that I was trying to make DD3 potty train early, she was just so obviously ready.

Lancelottie · 21/04/2014 21:19

Years back, DD announced that nappies were 'shoggy' and removed them at age 16 months. Sorted, pretty much (bloody strong-minded child from birth, that one).

Her brothers were both three when they trained, so it depends on the child!

Fine weather is the main thing, I'd say. Get that lawn watered for a week or two and see how it goes...

BrianTheMole · 21/04/2014 21:21

Yes why not. My friends ds pot trained at 18 months (lucky thing). No harm in trying.

splendide · 22/04/2014 13:25

That article by Steve Hodges is fascinating - that rings a lot of bells from my own childhood!

AMJ67 · 22/04/2014 20:47

Dr Steve Hodges' article was interesting, but he bases his data on individual cases of children who need medical help. There is no scientific study comparing data.
He assumes that the medical problems of the children are caused by early potty training while at the same time blames the low fiber diet. So, should we wait till the child is 3 to potty train or give them more vegetables and weetabix? I personally think that the second option is the correct answer, and not only for the child but for the whole family!

Then he talks about countries that practice early potty training as if they were in the jungle. I have been to Kenya and only a minority of tribal people still live in the bush. In Nairobi or Mombasa they have houses and toilets like anybody else. And I would not consider Eastern Europeans as any less "developed" than us and early potty training is normal there.

My opinion is that if you feel that your child is ready and you yourself are ready as well, you should give it a try. Because tomorrow another Clever Guy will come up seeking recognition with yet another theory to confuse you.

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