When Do You Begin to Introduce the Concept of Potty Training?

Both of my kiddos trained exceptionally early, my DD at 18 months and my DS at 20 months. The biggest hurdles have already been cleared by him. He shows an interest, he knows to hold his pee, he won't poop in a wet diaper--those are all signs to me that he is ready!

As with everything else about kids, there is no set age for them to reach any milestone. You just might be incredibly lucky and he might train very early.

I say start trying now and if he doesn't want to or doesn't seem quite ready, back off and try again in a few weeks. Find his hot button and run with it, whether that is treats for each time he goes to the potty, stickers, toys, etc. or the thrill of picking out his very own big boy underwear, or simply just loves the praise you bestow on him each time he goes.

Good luck!

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I started with all of mine at 2...none of them actually have hit the starting point though. One was four. one was three and a half. I think waiting until they got it was best...I had no accidents and only a few wet beds in the night.

My youngest I thought would be my fastest trainer....nope! he is on the same path as the bros...which is fine...I just cant wait for the day I no longer have to change a diaper. I have told my hubby when all of them are outta diapers we are going out to celebrate!!! I never thought that diapering would be the defining moment in being a mom!!! I am soooooooooo over it!

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18 months is not crazy young to potty train. It was the average age American children were trained (done, not started) in the 1950s, prior to the popularity of cloth diapers. Why not just go for it. I would think training an 18 month old who is still in that 'eager to please' stage would be much easier than training an older toddler. We trained DS at 24 months and if we had not been travelling pretty much constantly for the few months before, would have tried earlier. It was 3-4 days of a LOT of accidents, 7-10 days of occasional accidents and then done.

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My son started showing interest at 18 months so I put him in pull ups and introduced him to the potty, and than let him set the pace. by 24 months he was going in the big potty most of them time, so we went to undies. The first day he had 13 accidents and was wanting his pull up back, but I said no, you are a big boy and you know how to do this. The second day he had 2 accidents, and than by one or two a week for a while. It all went very smooth. so in short, no, 18 months is not too young to start since he is clearly showing you signs he is ready!

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Actually, you could try to potty train him now, if you want. Google "early potty training"; I believe there is a book out there like "3 day potty training" or "1 day potty training." These methods usually rely on you being right there, potty on hand, and letting him be naked. When he starts going, you put him on the potty and tell him good job. The window of opportunity for early potty training is 18 to 26 months, from what I've read, and it won't really work after that. (I'm not meaning to be insulting or anything, but I think the basic idea is that at this early age, they are kind of like puppies, and so you can potty train 'em puppies; when they get older than 2ish, they start to be more conscience (more like little people less like puppies, lol), and so you can't shape the behavior as easiest and they are more likely to resist). Had we not had so much chaos in our lives, I'd have tried the early potty training....

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I think I started around 2, no pressure, and by his third birthday, he was trained. Basically did it on his own with a little guidance from me when he was ready.

My cousin, on the other hand, has a son who is 2 weeks to the day younger than my son, and he was TOTALLY potty trained at 18 MONTHS. Freak of nature, I know... but it was true. She allowed him to go around naked and used that method of teaching him... and it worked for them. So it *can* be done, but suffice it to say, he is NOT the norm.

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You might as well introduce him to it and see. You could be lucky and he will catch on earlier than you expect. I do know one boy who trained at 18 months (his father was redoing the bathroom and he got to see all the inner workings of the toilet). My son was in the later end of his preschool class (over 3.5 and almost 4). I'm just introducing my daughter to potty training and she is 2 and a few months. She has peed in the potty a few times but not consistently yet.

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My son was fully potty trained at 2 years, 3 months. We introduced the potty much like you are planning to right around 18 months, and then at his daycare he saw the older 2 year olds going to the potty and when he got home just just started. It was almost too easy, knock on wood, but I think it's because we let him get used to the idea first. He is 3 years, 2 months now and hasn't had an accident in 7 months. :)
Good luck!

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Sounds like a great plan you have R.. But really-- if he is ready-- don't wait until he is 3!!

My daughter was trained (wearing thick cotton training pants) by her 2nd birthday (which coincidently is when she traded every pacifier she possessed for some toys and never looked back). Our son (the first born) was fully trained by 2 1/2. Seriously. He sat to do everything and eventually began standing. By 33 months he was standing to pee (which is when he dropped the toilet seat on himself and I had to take him to the ER to get it looked at.) I remember this b/c I was very pregnant with our daughter and here he was naked from the waist down clinging to the side of my big fat belly crying hysterically, while I tried to call my husband at work. LOL
We made him use a step stool after that.

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My girls both walked early ( 9 and 10 months). I started both before their 1st birthday and I enforced before their 2nd. They were both fully potty trained by their 2nd birthday. No one's rules but the cost of diapers was my motivation. Every child is different. We watched the Elmo Potty Time dvd and they'd always follow me to the bathroom and the younger sister wanted to do whatever the older sister did.

Good luck to you.

btw: there we lots of accidents, i.e., washing sheets and buying cheap outfits because I forgot the pack an extra pair of clothing. It happens though.

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Saying any child..boy or girl...doesn't "get it" until after three is pure bull-pucky!

I do home daycare and have a houseful of kids who have been trained between 22 and 28 mos using a 3day method as the base. It works, no matter the child and their previous experience or exposure to a potty, etc.. Sure we have our bumps along the way (one boy who did the method over the weekend of his 2nd birthday..got the pee thing down in the 3 days..easy-peasy, but now 6 months later..we still struggle some with the poo thing. Others occasionally sleep thru a pee accident or don't quite make it to the bathroom, fighting with jeans or what have you..but really I consider all of them trained. No diapers, pull ups, etc)

I used to hate anything related to toilet training..and after (now) 24 adult years working with kids as a career...I embrace the concept and convince parents to give this a shot. I have a success record now the last few years, but it starts with them, at home, with the 3 day potty boot camp. Its based off Lora Jensen's 3 day method. Its not the "bible" of training, but really the base for what we do (3-4 days set aside, toss ALL diapers and PU's, wage the 3 day war...and see results...I have never had anyone commit to it and not succeed).

So don't let ANYONE tell you you need ot wait until he is closer to 3 for overall success...try in a few months. My youngest girl was 22 months and youngest boy was 24 months.

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My daughter was close to 3 years. probably 3 months before she turned 3 fully pottly trained. an accident once in awhile. I introduced her by 2 1/2. she grasped the concept quickly in a month she was going pipi and the next month pooping already. I bought the video for potty training from elmo. she loved watching it, would go get the toilet paper and play with it. then, I bought her the elmo potty seat and stickers. and I started to make her wear pullu ups then underwear and in one summer before prek 3 classes started she was ready.
-hope this helps.
-G.

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I think this depends on your LO - some are ready to start earlier than others. Heck, I knew a couple who had a nanny and they started right away after reading this article: http://www.nytimes.com/2005/10/09/nyregion/09diapers.html

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When they are interested.
Just because the 'average' boy now will not potty train until later - does not mean that yours will not. :)
My little guy refused to use a diaper starting at 22 months. I will not claim he was trained for some time after that, but he was ready. (I would have had to be telling him to forget the potty, and use his diaper.... Not a good conversation!)

Good luck with it. Encourage him, if he is interested. :) Potty trained is nice. :)

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I waited with all 3 of my kids (2 boys 1 girl) until they could wake up from a nap or in the morning being dry...consistently.

~All 3 of my kids were completely (day and night) potty trained right around or after their 2nd b-days! It is just how their bodies worked, all kids are different and night and day dryness do not always go hand and hand...or so I have learned on here, I consider myself VERY lucky!

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when they begin showing an interest.

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my daughter started telling me she needed to poo at 15 months and was very interested in watching me go, so encouraged it and started putting her on a potty ring. she was very good at telling me ahead of time and pooping in the toilet for awhile, but around 20 months, she started telling me afterwards. i agree that you should start while your kiddo is still wanting to please. i think mine knows exactly what should be going on, but is beginning a rebellious phase.