Potty Training-when Is a Good Time to Start?

Every child is different. Don't start until he is ready. He will let you know. Usually it is about 1 1/2 years to 2 years (my experience boys start later) but again let him decide when he is ready.

N.

There are a number of different training approaches/ages, any of which may be more appropriate for different mothers and different children. And both physical and emotional readiness is essential for the most common approach used today in this culture. Read about just about any potty training question in helpful detail at http://www.parentingscience.com/potty-training-tips.html. It's a really helpful resource!

Start when you see a "window of opportunity." If you miss it it will take longer as children get comfortable in their diapers and resistant to change. I missed my guy's at 19 - 21 months because I listened to his very laid-back pediatrician who said I would be putting too much pressure on him to train by simply putting a potty chair out for him to see (!) and when we started at 22 months he wanted nothing to do with it. We had to stop and take breaks twice but he was trained by 2.5, and we did it without pull-ups. Potty training takes an average of 3-6 months to complete so don't be discouraged if he seems not to get it after 3 days to a week : )

This site has "readiness" signs to look for, (the first link on the page) along with other excellent advice related to potty training:
http://www.parentingscience.com/potty-training-tips.html

I started at between 24 and 30 months keeping them in diapers but having them sit on the potty, use the potty from time to time, no pressure, relaxed, for both boys my goal was totally trained by three. (2.5 for the girl) This worked for my oldest who could care less about being wet and for my youngest who did not handle change well.

In my opinion, the whole idea of training sounds long and possibly stressful. Training for a marathon, training for a career, training for the potty. I've seen posts by parents who are still frustrated 6 months in and I feel so bad for them that it's been a challenge and a negative experience for all. If it takes 6 months (daytime training), I just don't think the kiddo was ready.

That said, I waited until my son was past three. In fact, it was his teacher that finally suggested it when he was 38 months. And she was right! We woke up the next day, said no more diapers and never looked back (yes, we had two accidents, both of them 8 months later).

We used the sticker chart and had him involved in prize selection and also had a potty video that came in the mail for free, etc, but really I can't say I trained him. He was ready and willing and no amount of me reading books, watching videos or filling him with hershey kisses was going to MAKE him go on the potty if he didn't want to. He has never been a good pooper and still holds it forever but not because he wants to go on his pants/doesn't know to use the potty. He'd just rather not waste the time.

He's been a challenge in a lot of other areas, but the big three I dreaded - giving up the bottle, giving up the paci and potty training - went so smoothly because he was a willing partner. Sure, getting out the door still rivals circuses moving to the next town, he lives on two bites of food a meal and his meltdowns are epic, but that's his personality.

I don't think it's too early to introduce the concept for your little one. Read him books, have him see his friends using the potty when they need to, but I wouldn't bring out a special potty chair (in fact, we never used one anyway), treats and an expectation yet. Take your cues from him and all will fall into place.

Good luck!

"Potty Training" is so misleading. haha. Start now, but know that the process won't be done until the child is READY. So, if that day is way down the road...you've got a long process ahead of you. If you start later, the process will be shorter. But if you start AFTER that magical mystical date when they would have been done.....you'll be kicking yourself for not starting sooner. haha

See how your child does. My daughter was potty trainined a few months before she turned three, and it took three days. My son was potty trained a few months after he turned three...and he still wears a pull-up to bed, 6 months later. Oh, and he pees on the bathroom floor a few times a month, if he's over-tired or excited and doesn't make the trip to the bathroom in time.

Good luck!

I started with my son at 22 months! At first it was just constant (like every hour) sitting him on the potty and seeing if he needs to go. But after a few days we were able to gradually stretch it out and he soon was able to "feel" when he needed to go. I would say it took a few weeks (and yes there were accidents) but they call it potty "training" for a reason, you ARE training him, just like a puppy :)
I do NOT suggest using pull ups (except at night, at first) because they need to be able to feel when they are wet.
Good luck, I loved being diaper free, you will too!

I thought that my older son at 18 m/o was showing signs of readiness, but I was due with his little brother in a month, and bought into the "no potty-training when a new sibling is due" thinking, so didn't start, and now I will always wonder if he could have trained even then. He trained about a year later.

My younger son started pulling his diapers off and peeing in the floor when he was about 20-22 m/o, so I started potty-training him then (even though he wasn't really ready then). It took longer than it would have taken if I waited a little, but I figured if I was cleaning up pee off the floor anyway, I might as well teach him where to pee, rather than train him to pee in diapers and then teach him to go in the potty.

Every child is different; but you can try setting your child on the potty and see how it goes. If he doesn't like it, or doesn't seem ready, you can back off and try in another month or six months or whever.

Now. My initial answer is to start when they are newly born with EC (here's a link - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elimination_communication) but, since you're clearly past that point, start now. The book that I got was "The Diaper Free Baby" by Christine Gross-Loh and gave a lot of good tips for any age. Get some little potties to put around the house, start doing some diaper-free time, or get some cloth diapers to catch little spills. I think pull-ups are handy to have, but a bad way to potty train. Kids need to know what their body is doing, and when they are wearing disposable diapers/pull ups that wick away all the moisture, they never get to feel uncomfortable enough to realize it's a problem. Potty time about ten minutes after meals. It's not a failsafe, but the rule of thumb is that if they're intaking something, they're soon going to expel something.
Good luck!

He's at a good age. Children at the average age of 2 (some earlier and some later) make the mind body connection and start fighting out how to control their bladder at will. So if he is showing signs of readiness and you are ready to commit to it, I say go for it. Introduce the potty and explain it to him. Also have him watch you dump it in the toilet and flush and watch his reaction. If there is any concern or worry, you can explain that this is good. We always used a cheerful voice and said, "bye,bye poo poo!" This helps them understand its OK. Many children develop anxiety or stress about losing part of themselves as they don't understand it all. There are many techniques that work, but the biggest thing is to watch your child's response to the methods used and pursue the ones that he responds to best.

My daughter bought a potty chair for my 15 month old grandson. She was only trying to get him used to having it around. She would sit him on it when he would show signs that he was about to or just had pottied. (He would hold himself)
She has created a monster! He will screech or scream when he has to go. She is not applying ANY pressure. This is all of the time. Obviously this is not averagel! This has been going on for 2 1/2 weeks.
She told me yesterday that no one should start something they are not ready to finish! He wont peacefully allow her to forget the "potty"!
My advice is to introduce the potty and see where it goes. No Pressure!
Obviously, this is not a typical experience! I have 6 kids and have been part of the potty experience numerous times. I have never seen a toddler respond favorably so early.