Potty training under 2

[Beckie1987]

I'm due to have dc2 when dd1 is 16 months. I hate the thought of 2 lots of nappies and would like to early potty train. My MIL always says hers where all potty trained by 18 months and dm says I was potty trained at 22 months (although it was 30 years ago they might not be remembering it correctly).

Anyone recommend any particular techniques or books etc?

absolute disaster.

Your eldest will be thrown by the new addition, throwing in a monumental change like potty training will cause a huge amount of grief and stress.

Stick to nappies.

Out of my group of mum friends it was the mum who tried to push it the earliest who's little one was the last to be dry out of nappies years later. I left it late and my DD trained in a matter of days.

There is no point trying if they aren't ready. So unless they can actually recognise that they need the toilet and can communicate that I wouldn't bother. It will be far harder work than 2 in nappies and take forever. 2 of mine toilet trained both at just over 2 when I was sure they were ready and it only took a couple of days.

Early potty training is quite intensive for the parent, because you are essentially training a useful habit. It's essentially putting the infant on the pot at regular intervals, and praising when they perform. It does work, and will get a DC out of nappies. But it's not the same as full voluntary control.

But as some wouid say, it's the mother (and it usually was the mother, back in the 50/60s) who was trained. But it made sense in the days before disposables and nappy services, when washing machines might well be a slow and cranky twin tub.

So do not underestimate how much effort is required in the early weeks (months even) of uncertainty. The half trained DC is more demanding than one in nappies. DC become reliably clean/dry depending on development rate and temperament, and I don't think when you start makes much difference to when DC get to full voluntary control.

I did early potty training because like you, I didn't want to be changing two lots of nappies. At 18 months old, I'd sit them on the potty before bath every night, with the water on. Eventually, was getting wees in the potty before bath regularly. Then on 2nd birthday "gifted" pants to the birthday boy. We stayed a few days at home. First day no pants and trying to teach to use the potty. Second and third days with pants. By the day 4, I'd just take the whole potty with me if we needed to be gone more than 1.5 hours. Got him into a routine of going every 1.5 to 2 hours to the potty. No nappies and poos came 2 to 3 months later.

Early potty training is more about training you to remember to take them. Find a good reward for them. Chocolate worked for us and it's not forever. Both of my sons trained at 2 years old. It's more work for sure but I don't regret not having to change nappies for that extra year!

Thanks for your responses everyone I'll take it all on board. I'm thinking of maybe introducing the potty at about 20 months which will give dd1 time to adjust to the new addition. But just once a day at bath time like "the8thmonth" suggested. Then increase when I feel she's ready.

I am very impatient I know 😂 this is just the way I am hence why I'm having such a small gap between dcs 🙈. I definitely don't want to be training for months and months tho. If I try and she isn't ready then I will give it a break and try again

I potty trained DD at 22 months with 6 week DS. It wasn't the best week of our lives but so much better than 2 in nappies.

Read 'Oh Crap' and see what you think.

And early training definitely does not mean it'll take months!

I say go for it! 😬 We’ve just gone through potty training with our son at 21months and since the day I took his nappies off he has had no more than 1 accident a day and really nailed it. He was definitely showing all the classic signs of being ready and we didn’t have another little one to throw into the mix and meyhem but I’m very glad we gave it a go on the earlier side of normal!