18 month old success stories

[MRTvw]

I'm starting potty training this weekend with Big Little Feelings course. My son is 18 months old. Any tips / tricks / success at this age?

They’re too young to understand at this age.

20-30 months is your ideal window. Highly recommend the Oh Crap book.

Why are you starting at 18 months? Seems like you're setting yourself up to fail to be honest, why the rush?

Mine is 20 months and I've started this weekend. Lots of accidents but a couple of successes.
DD particularly liked sitting on the potty opposite me on the loo "just like mummy". We've been putting her on the potty after tea every day for a few weeks.
Strawberry is the reward of choice!
Wishing you the best of luck!

It's absolutely possible to potty train at this age. We've been doing elimination communication with my DD since she was 4 months and moved her out of nappies 6 weeks ago - she's just turned 17 months, is accident free most days, wakes up dry from naps and overnight and signs to that she needs to go to toilet. We've changed about 6 poo diapers since she weaned at 6 months - the rest have gone into the toilet or potty.
She also signs when mum/dad/the dog goes to the toilet - so definitely not too young to understand.
Top tips, have a potty in the rooms you spend the most time in, and one small enough that they can sit down themself, take them to use the potty after they wake up and when you take them out of a contained space such as a high chair or a car seat. If you can teach them how to sit on the potty on his own, there will be less resistance - even better if you can teach him to pull his trousers down himself.
Most important is to remain nonchalant about it all, any stress from you about the whole thing will prompt him to withhold and could lead to constipation.

Have a look at the 4 easy EC catches - they should apply to you more or less.

Way too young to get it and you’re making a lot of work for yourself. Anything between 2.5 - 3 is ideal and they’ll get it quickly.

18 months is very typical in other parts of the world and very much used to be the norm in the UK to all those saying it’s too young.

I potty trained DD at 19 months and DS at 21 months successfully. We used cloth nappies so they’d always had that feedback when they were going and we’d also done quite a lot of naked time so they knew when they were peeing. We’d also spoken a lot about it when we went to the toilet or at nappy change time and taught signs as well so they had a way to communicate what they’d needed. They were quite familiar with the concept from being in the bathroom with me too and we had a few kids books- e.g pirate pete.

At this age I also don’t think it has to be all or nothing initially. Even just putting him on the toilet/ potty at key times as part of your daily routine is a good start e.g. straight after sleep/ food/ bath and at nappy change times and keeping it low stress with if he goes then great but if not then that’s fine too, try again next time. If you see him trying to do a poo or you think he needs one then popping on the potty and saying “poo goes in the toilet” or similar and emptying poo nappies in the toilet so he gets the idea that that is where it goes.
Good luck!

Thanks so much.

We did day 1 and I was pleasantly surprised, day 2 he was a little more resistant. He would wee on the floor but tell me after he'd done it rather then telling me before. I'm in my third trimester with my second hence why I want to start early, but also made me so tired so I stopped after day 2 and taking a pause.

However today he keeps taking his nappy off, weeing on the floor and signing the toilet sign but again after he's gone. But maybe like you say, I don't need to do the all or nothing approach.

Potty training your child too early is completely pointless and I don't understand the obsession to do it so young. Wait until they are ready and they just to it themselves. I didn't train either of my children.

If that works for you, that's great. I'm just following my child's lead

Probably a bit late to the party here, but wanted to say don't listen to people saying they're too young etc. You know your child. I've just potty trained my 19mo daughter and she had it pretty much cracked after a day. Only 1 accident since then and we've been out and about all over. Even used a public toilet today as I forgot the potty - took a few tries but she did it.

However, I only started potty training because she could already stay dry for a couple of hours (and was often leaking out of her nappy from 1 pee as a result); usually told me when she peed; sat on the toilet for a wee at bathtime (she asked), and other signs she was ready. We gave it a try, with no pressure, and she took to it. If not I'd have gone back to nappies for a while.

Not quite there yet with poos or during sleep but she's doing great.

So listen to your child and trust your instincts. And don't worry if it doesn't work out.

Some people don't want to wait till their kid remembers being in nappies lol

95% of toddlers where dry in the day by 2 in the 90s.. children haven't regressed. Parents have gotten lazy.