Is 18 months too young to potty train? DD seems keen

[Fizzywizzy2]

My eldest was a nightmare to potty train and had accidents until almost 4, only got her night trained at 5.5 and we still have accidents once or twice a month during the night.

So it's been a shock to see my youngest, who's only just turned 18 months, want to potty train. We have a potty in the bathroom and she's randomly started saying 'potty potty', then trying to take her trousers and nappy off and after we help her with that, she'll sit on the potty and do a wee!

She still does the majority of her wees in her nappy but seems very keen to use the potty sometimes. She tells me 'nappy change' when she's done a poo or her nappy is full.

18 months seems insanely young to me, but should I try to encourage progress since she seems interested? Should I put her in pants or is that pointless at this age and should just wait until she's over 2?

Would appreciate hearing from people who potty trained early. Thank you!

My DD wasn't trained until after 2.5 and still has accidents at 4 so this isn't from personal experience but historically people used to train at 12-18 months and were successful so I'd definitely be giving it a go in your shoes!

I was trained not long after I turned one. If she is up for it, why not take her lead and give it a go.

My children were ready at that age and got on well. Children do things at such different ages but it’s worth noting that 18 months used to be considered ‘the right time’ in this country and is still considered ideal in other countries. Give it a go - your child is young enough to take a break if things don’t go well. Good luck!

I would do it. My daughter trained herself at around 16/17 months. Everyone told me it was too early but I think a lot of people miss the first signs and wait until they are older. It was hard though as she had a small bladder so took the porta potty everywhere! It happened originally because she weed herself when I changed her nappy and so she saw it and got upset so I put her straight on the potty and so she just thought that was what she did aftrt!

Follow her lead and encourage/praise her but prepare for accidents as she is still so little

I started ds when he was 13 months, he was interested in the toilet, so got him a potty shaped like a toilet from Smyths, took a couple of weeks and he was reliably dry through the night too. This was during covid and when he returned to nursery at around 17 months he regressed for a while during the day, but oddly stayed dry at night. His key worker said it was probably distraction and play.

**edited to add he's 5 now and I can count the bed wetting accidents on one hand. I think when they're ready they fly

My DD potty trained herself at 19 months, not my choice but she was determined!! Like your daughter she just started using the potty (older sibling so potty in the house) and had nappy rash at the time so started off bare bottomed (but put into pants the same day as we went out and about from day one-I don’t like being at home all day and trips to the park etc were fine-pants and a dress seemed to work well). It was very drama-free, she had a few wee accidents the first week but pooed in the potty from day one and never had a poo accident. She did have around one wee accident a week until she was two by which time she was also dry at night. She weed more frequently than older children and I did prompt her to go to the toilet before going out etc but generally she was pretty independent especially at home.

The only problem we met was nursery; she was in the baby room with no access to the toddler toilets but I just asked if she could have a potty in the baby changing area and if she asked (can’t remember what she said but would have been one word wee/potty etc) or if she was upset to offer her this. The nursery manager initially didn’t believe she could be potty trained at her age (like most mumsnet posters it seems!!) but agreed I could send her in pull ups the first day (which was day six of potty training). Nursery took her on an outing that day and DD only had one accident (in her pull up in the buggy on the way home from the trip; with hindsight she’d probably said something but they hadn’t heard/understood her) and after that nursery ‘allowed’ her to be in pants and she was fine with the occasional accident.

So I would go for it is definitely possible and was very easy for us at least!

Go for it - she sounds up for it.

DS1 was trained at 18 months - he liked the potty but had a few accidents of course until he was about 2 1/2. DD started about 2 and was pretty quick. DS2 was about 2 and took a bit longer - still had accidents for about a year.

Mine was day and night trained by 18 months - I followed her lead and just offered it and she took to it so easily. I wouldn’t put any pressure at all on them because it is so young but some kids just get it and supporting that it fine!

I have a brother 15 months older than me. When our parents started to potty train him, I copied it too as toddlers do at that age. They learn by copying.

Give it a try, you have nothing to lose.

My daughter was clean and dry at just 2 and amazingly never once wet the bed after.

Both my dds dry day time by 18 months and night be 2 .
It seems strange to me to see children 3+ not out of nappies

Can't hurt to try. My oldest was trained in the day by 20 months. It used to be, and still is in lots of places, common to train younger than that.

Worth giving it a go but maybe start by using pull up nappies?

My eldest wasn't dry inthe day til 4 either and is still not dry at night at 7 (that's a long and ongoing story).

Youngest started at 2 and was done within a handful of weeks. It was so easy.

It’s actually recommended by the nhs to start potty learning now from when a baby can sit ( 6 to 9 months)

My eldest was out of nappies, day and night, before my youngest was born, so at less than 21 months.

The youngest was dry by maybe just 2.

Cloth nappies were a great incentive for both parents and kids, I think.

My DD trained in 2 days at 20 months. She wanted to do it and understood. She got an upset tummy at nursery a few weeks later and wouldn't let them put a nappy on her just in case.
Go for it if she wants to.

My DD was trained at 20 months after doing the same sorts of things as yours. Give it a go!

My friend trained her 2 year old around her birthday, 7 months ago.
there was an accident a few days ago on MY carpet…
Ive seen her wee at the playground, at soft play and most days at nursery.
why they won’t put a nappy on her is totally beyond my comprehension. I’m not inviting them over again.

I thought it would be better when they're walking?

Potty train her as she is ready to start. It maybe because she has an older sibling who uses the toilet that she is interested.

My DD was interested from 16 months and started at 20 months. She went to a childminder and had a friend who is a year older, so was interested because the friend used the potty.

A group of other children I know and met where all training around 2 because some of the them where interested so the others just copied them. Unfortunately one of them wasn't ready at all so had lots of accidents for a year.

Btw bed wetting at night is due to not producing sufficient antidiuretic hormone, not training.

Where does the NHS recommend that?

If the 2 year old has sufficient dexterity then pull ups are enough.

Why they can't put a nappy on her is because she will probably take it off. My DD got mad when I ran out of pull ups when she was 2 so put a nappy on her at night, and took her nappy off.

No it’s pride.
“X is potty trained since her 2nd birthday, she’s so advanced”

tell my carpet she’s advanced.