Early potty training

[HugeGlassofMalbec]

My DD is 18 months and will always tell us when she's done a pee or poo in her nappy.

She's started getting her brother's potty and saying pee-pee. We've put her on a few times and she's pee'ed or poo'ed.

I'm not sure what's the best thing to do. Is it even possible to potty train at 18 months? If we don't take this opportunity will we confuse her and cause her more difficulties in the future?

Any advice?

Help! Google is churning out loads of articles about how babies should be potty trained from birth written by people who sound like they've been snorting grated horn of unicorn!!

Have a look at a book called 'oh crap potty training'. The author is an advocate of early potty training, and I promise there is no grated horn of unicorn :) The only thing I would say as a personal opinion is that you should keep in mind practicalities like clothes - can she pull her own trousers and pants down, and if she can't, is anybody else looking after her going to be willing to help her every single time she goes to the toilet (I'm thinking about daycare).

Her nursery will do that... DS still can't pull his pants up/down very well (he's only 2 1/2) and they do it for him.

I'm feeling a bit low level anxious about it. I put her on the potty before snack and before nap and she pee'ed both times. Her pull up is dry... I feel like I'm going to end up confusing her! She's still so little!

I'll have a look for that book, thanks.

Your little one is showing you that she understands about weeing and pooing so let her use the potty when she does that with no pressure. Each child is different, yours just happens to be a bit earlier than many but it's all good as long as she is happy.

My mum says she started potty training all of us when we were 18 months old, which was fairly standard in the 70s when most people used washable nappies. She aimed to have us dry by 2, so I think they expected it to take some time.

Don't worry about 'is she too young' - in the 50s and 60s the average age for potty training was about 18 months, it's only beeen increased to nearly 3 years by the repeated marketing of pull ups by the disposable manufacturers who cite 'wait till your child is ready'. Which is fine , and as your child has an older sibling to copy she understands where wees and poos come from, that when she's done one in a nappy it doesn't feel as comfortable and as she has an older brother she knows what is expected of him.
A child that has never been given an alternative to a nappy to wee/poo in is not going to know what is expected. Sounds like yours is ready so go for it.

She's telling you because she wants to do it. You have a golden opportunity that most people never get, imagine how lovely to not change nappies and how much time and money you'll save.

"snorting grated horn of unicorn"

Hahah!

I agree with pp. Just let her use the potty when she wants to without any pressure to have to use it every time.

we did some EC with DS1 - it did help, but he potty trained completely quite late in the end (he'd get distracted and have accidents)

DS2, no EC, but at 18 months he was fine - train her now while she wants to! - DS2 night time trained himself too - dry at night before he was 3, I don't think he's ever wet the bed!

I'm very surprised by her!

Should I ditch the pull ups?
I was thinking of just offering the potty at fairly predictable times each day (wake up, snack, nap, lunch, dinner, bath, bed... or more frequently).

I'd ask her if she wants to wear pull ups or would she prefer to not wear them like (big brother) and try and get every wee and poo on the potty. If it works great, if not, reassess and see how you get on with reminding her at predictable times..