Is My 27 Month Old Boy Ready for Potty Training?

Updated on October 08, 2012
R.Y. asks from Memphis, TN
13 answers

my son, Ethan (first and only child) has started to display what definitely seem like signs he's ready for potty training, but i just wanted some input. he has told me and dad on several occasions, "poop," and even if he hasn't already pooped, he usually does within a few minutes. there have been several unnecessary diaper changes! he loves (a little too much) to undress himself and really seems as if he doesn't like wearing diapers. also, he's in a daycare where other kids in his room are already being potty trained, and he says "potty" and will start to pull down his pants. we bought him a small potty seat (with Elmo, his favorite, on it), and he loves to sit on it. in fact, he threw a fit tonight when he had to get off the potty seat and get into the bath. however, he's only had the seat for a day so he hasn't actually used it yet. i just have heard that 3 years old is the age boys generally are ready for potty training but Ethan REALLY seems like he wants to do it. he watches us go potty and lately, he starts to say "peepee" or "poop" and pull down his pants, whereas before, he just looked confused by what we were doing sitting on that funny thing. any thoughts?

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R.R.

answers from Los Angeles on

He's SO ready!! My guy was fully trained at 26 months, go for it! If you miss this window of interest and opportunity it will be so much harder when he's older, honest. He has what it takes :)

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S.W.

answers from Minneapolis on

He's ready! Go for it.

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S.A.

answers from Chicago on

Go ahead, and give it a try. If it doesn't work, put the potty away for awhile and try again later. That last thing you want to do is stress him out about it, or make the potty seem like a negative thing. I made this mistake with my second. As a consequence, he was nearly four before he was fully trained.

My youngest turned 3 in August. He started showing potty awareness a long time ago. He's had the potty seat since Christmas. As of now, he'll tell me he has to go pee/poop and we run up and sit on the potty. He sits for a few minutes, nothing happens, then immediately goes in his diaper or pull up. I am not allowing myself to get frustrated because he's my third. He's not in preschool, so I don't have to worry.

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☆.A.

answers from Pittsburgh on

Well, let him try.
Daycare kids are often motivated by the "potty party" atmosphere!
No expectations--just let him try at his own pace.

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G.B.

answers from Oklahoma City on

I would say he's ready. You can google the signs they are ready and you'll find a good list.

If he starts showing signs he's not happy with it just be patient and he'll eventually come around. Let him get a good helping hand from his "peers". Peer pressure can often be used as a huge resource. Seeing his friends going will only make him want to do this more.

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J.G.

answers from Chicago on

Boys and girls around the world potty train by 2. My son took to it quicker than my daughter.

Train him and ignore Pampers (it was pampers that sponsored a study in the 60s that got Americans to go against centuries of data, i.e. kids train between 18-24 months).

A.M.

answers from Kansas City on

it's never too early to start the "lingo" and teaching him what the concept is - just don't get your hopes up. so many moms i know take this initial interest (and i was guilty of it a bit too) as this wonderful sign that he'll be potty trained before he's three...then it doesn't happen. it COULD - and depending how strict and militant you want to be, it's possible, but unlikely. especially if you go on his timeline. it was after 3 for us - but we also tried several times. when it didn't work i laid off. once he was truly ready (well past age 3) it was SUPER easy. so don't stress over it - we moms don't need any additional pressure! it will happen. but, yes, it's never too early to start "preparing" him. if he will do it, great! good luck!

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J.G.

answers from Rockford on

Go for it! You can always stop if it looks like you jumped the gun. My little guy started potty training right before he turned 2. He is in underwear now and he turned 2 at the end of June. The figures they give saying that boys aren't ready until 3 are very VERY general and basic ball park figures. Some kids really just don't get it until they are 3 or older, some kids do. Your little man might understand the concept and get it. I would worry about "missing the window" where the child is ready, but the parent either isn't ready, or doesn't believe the child is ready. If that happens I have heard, and I am not expert on the subject, just something I read, it can take a lot longer to train after that.

S.K.

answers from Denver on

my son was potty trained at 2. pee trained a little before two and poop trained a few months after he turned two. If he wants to go let him go.

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B.B.

answers from New York on

When kids are in daycare, they often are ready to train earlier. Give it a try, but don't do it half heartedly. Read "Potty Training in 3 day" and modify it for your purposes. If you don't commit to training him and only do it whenever it is convenient then you will delay his training and have issues down the road. If he doesn't "get it" within a few days then stop for a few months and try again.

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❤.M.

answers from Los Angeles on

You can definitely start to try.

You can get a toilet seat insert for him to use on the regular toilet so he doesn't feel like he's falling in.

You usually start w/potty since that is easier.
Take him to the toilet often esp after he drinks to see if he needs to pee.

Usually pooping comes afterwards. You can sit him on the toilet insert on the big toilet to see if he can go.

He's a little young but you can still try.

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M.O.

answers from New York on

He seems totally motivated. Why not give it a try???? If he says "poop," rush him to the potty. Have a mini "party" (sing "hooray, you went to the potty" and give him a very small treat) if he succeeds. It might or might not work, but he's giving you all the signs of readiness in the book. You might also reinforce it by letting him run around pants-free, too, especially if you have hardwood (or something other than carpeted) floors.

K.I.

answers from Los Angeles on

I wish people didn't say things like 'The ideal age for boys to potty train is 3y/o'...b/c one thing we know for a FACT is that ALL kids are DIFFERENT.

To me he sounds interested and could be ready. Let me ask you this? Does he wake up in the morning or from his naps dry? If the answer is 'yes' then he is definitely ready!

~I personally do not like the little kids separate potty...it's like a toy to them and you have to clean it out, & I have seen/heard of several people who move them around the house... YUK! It kinda takes the 'formal' sense of the whole idea away, which I think is the appeal to some kids...they *want* to be BIG and just like you and Dad and/or older siblings/peers and use the restroom like everyone else. Therefore I trained all 3 of my kids---all night & day trained, right at and around 2y/o and I have 2 boys and 1 girl---on the regular toilet with a step stool, which they thought was so cool...and I waited till they all were waking up dry before attempting...and when I did it was a slow build up (about a week before) of talking about how soon we were gonna be done with diapers, then when the day came, they woke up in the morning and took off the diaper for the last time and went to boxers/panties all the time!

If you wait till they are ready and cover all your bases, talk about it w/them, watch them like a hawk the 1st couple days and remind them to go potty OFTEN...it has the possibility to be pretty easy.

~But to be fair, I am one of *those* moms who bribed my kids with dum-dum suckers (they are the perfect size) every time they went to the bathroom successfully for the first couple days and there was lots of clapping and high-fives all around as well as telling everyone in the house that 'Lil' Billy went potty in the toilet, Whoo-Hoo'!....and then it was over and they were done!

Good Luck!

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