Starting to Potty Train 22 Month Old Son

Updated on January 13, 2010
A.W. asks from Las Vegas, NV
7 answers

Hello Mommies! My 22 month old sone went pee-pee on the potty for the 2nd time...the first time was yesterday. I am currently on maternity leave with my 2 week old daughter, and I am feeling like using the next 6 weeks of my leave to try and seriously potty train him...or at least work in that direction. I am seeking any advice about the best way to get into a "potty" routine, how often to put him on the potty, how to get him to tell me when he has to go (he says "poop" now either right before or right after he poops, but pee is sort of whenever). We have 2 books on his favorite subject that he looks at while sitting on the potty, these are ONLY for the potty and do not come out of the bathroom. He will sit and read them over and over until he goes. We also cheer for him, do the "pee-pee" dance, and give him a candy mint (his favorite!) as a reward for going on the potty. He gets very excited about going in the potty. I don't know if this is a bit premature, but I figure why not try as long as he doesn't mind. I know boys tend to take longer/wait longer, but I am willing to commit to it, as is my husband. Thanks for your experiences and advice! Oh, and any great book recommendations on the topic is also wonderful!

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C.C.

answers from Los Angeles on

Hey A.,
I have read a few books on the subject and the best one I have read thus far is "Toilet Training in Less than a Day" by Nathan Azrin and Richard Foxx. Several of my friends have used this program to potty train their children and have had great success. There is also a test in the book to help you determine if your child is ready for potty training. It's a short read, and as you can see from the title, can be done is as little as a day.

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J.L.

answers from Los Angeles on

Hi A.,
Congratulations on the new little one! I recommend that you make sure he is ready by going to www.pottytots.com and looking at the "signs of readiness" and FAQ's. If he is really ready then I would use this time to be very consistent with taking him to the potty and giving lots and lots of praise. It sounds like he is ready on the emotional level. Just make sure he is physically ready. The Potty Tots are 10 little preschoolers that sing and dance to teach potty training. THe kit has a book, animated dvd, a potty chart (that shows them what to do) and a fun little football game called "the Toilet Bowl". Makes learning this first little task of taking care of themselves fun! Good luck!

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C.S.

answers from Los Angeles on

Read Toilet Training In Less Than A Day, I swear by it.

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K.K.

answers from San Diego on

Hello, I just waited and would announce that today we are pottying. It took one day with each of our children. However, when it didn't work in a day, I backed off and waited at least a week or two. Every parent has their own way of doing this. It sounds like you are doing everything in a positive way. I would think that he will be doing very well by the time you go back to work. Also, I put mine in the nice thin underwear. When they had an accident and it went onto their legs, they didn't like it at all.
Good luck with your precious family.
K. K.

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J.S.

answers from Los Angeles on

A friend of mine used a watch with an alarm on it. Her son wore it and she would set it for every 20 minutes. Then she would take him in the bathroom and make him sit on the toilet... if he went great... if not they tried again in 20 minutes.

Also, get rid of the diapers and put him in underwear. If he's truly ready then he won't want to feel the wet or the mess in his pants... otherwise diapers allow him to regress.

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J.H.

answers from Los Angeles on

That seems really young to begin for a boy. Generally speaking, pediatricians say start at 2 years for a girl, 3 for a boy. Check his signals to make sure he is ready because pushing him too soon will definitely backfire. Best of luck!

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K.H.

answers from San Diego on

I threw a potty party as outlined in Potty Train Your Child in Just One Day (http://www.amazon.com/Potty-Train-Your-Child-Just/dp/B001...) and it worked fabulously for my daughter. We are still working on Pooping in the potty and she isn't quite ready for night time training. But during the day, she is trained. Good luck!

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