Right Age to Potty Train

When Did You Start to Potty Train?

May 30, 2008

Potty training is a necessary evil in parenting. I am ready for my daughter to be rid of the diapers, but she's not quite there yet. Even though we're working on it, I think she's still going to be diaper bound for a while longer!

Many parents believe their children are ready for the potty when they show initiative and can say, "pee pee" or "Potty." When did your child leave the pampers behind?

18 Comments

3 years 39 weeks

Have tried everything warm water running a toy on the potty,even a MUSICAL potty so that he can hear when he has done something We say Do you have to go potty? he says NO then ten minutes later he does whatever in diaper.He is going to be two in October. I need advise ASAP

3 years 40 weeks

Our baby daughter just turned 5 months, and my wife has just started potty training. She is hitting the potty about 4 times a day, though of course we still have to rely on diapers. I am pretty amazed that some people are waiting more than a year. Why is this?

ayuninur 4 years 50 weeks

i can't remember..hahahaha..

Greggie 4 years 51 weeks

I completely agree that Pull-up are confusing. We never did them with my first. With my second and his medical condition though, it's a necessity. Otherwise I wouldn't have purchased them.

ShePirate2010 4 years 51 weeks

I was two. And the way I was potty trained would probably horrify most toddlers today.....but it worked!!!! I only pooped in my diaper twice before I was using the toilet for the rest of my life. The first time I dooty-ed in my pants my dad took me out (we lived in the country) and i was naked running around the lawn and he took the hose from the water spicket and sprayed me as i ran, until i was clean.....and i hated it, the cold water!!! After the second time of that I was potty trained 100%!!!!!! Most ppl tell me it was wrong how my father and mother did it, but hey...I was two years old and lived out in the boondocks who cared!!! :)

jennifer76 4 years 51 weeks

Thanks, bessa! But, I'm no guru. We just had a couple of ideas that worked very well with our kids' personalities. With both of them, we started naked. I think it's really confusing for a child to have underwear (or even moreso a pullup) on and learn the difference between going in that and going in a regular diaper. To me, it seems logical to teach them how and when to use the potty first. Then, once they've mastered that, work on teaching them that underwear is different than diapers. And, once we started potty training, we never ever used pullups. I really think that sends a mixed message. Once they know how and when to use the potty, I don't think it's a good idea to ever give them the impression that there are times when it is ok to go in their pants. We did use a diaper at nighttime in the very beginning, though. Lastly, I think it's really important to stay on top of them. I watched a friend potty train her daughter and she would never ask her if she had to go except when they were leaving the house. Then, she would get upset when her daughter was playing and would have an accident. If you can't remember to think about the potty, how can you expect them to!?

piper23 4 years 51 weeks

My daughter is 18 months and she has reached the point where she will come get me after she goes to let me know she is ready to be changed. I'm thinking its about potty time. I have no idea how to do it, kind of nervous about it but I'm so ready to get her out of diapers.

Livvy-P 4 years 51 weeks

My daughter started wearing pull ups at 2, but wasn't ready. She would sit on her potty seats, and "read" a book (one that she was only allowed to read in the bathroom). After she turned three, she came out of the pull ups & only wore her "big girl undies", and it's going well! She mastered pee right away,but poop has been a little tougher. She usually makes it to the bathroom, but we've had a few accidents. All in all, this has been the hardest part of parenting - you can't make a child pee or poop. And they can be very stubborn! I think that the key is patience. Don't expect it to happen overnight. In my daughters case, I think there was a lot of resistance because she sees how my son (who is 11 months) gets babied, and as much as loves being an independent big girl, she still wants that sometimes.

adelka 4 years 51 weeks

I was potty trained before I was two, and I plan on doing the same with my children when I have them. I don't have any potty issues or anything, either, btw. It's just the norm in Europe. I guess hand washing cloth diapers will intice you to train your babe ASAP ;-)

litbear221 4 years 51 weeks

I've been a nanny to a little girl since she was 8months old, now she's 3 and a half. WE started potty training her around 18 months, maybe even before then, but she was to start school in the fall and HAD to be potty trained before going to this exclusive private preschool. It was incredibly difficult, especially because i really just dont think she understood the concept! We ended up setting aside a weekend where we could stay at home and had her be naked 24/7 (except when she went to nap or nitenite), and it worked! She did have a few accidents, but in the end was successful. THe hardest part for them seems to be that once they realize they have to pee they have already pee'd a bit! oh well, but now all is well!!

bessa 4 years 51 weeks

My daughter's only 14 months, but I said "2" because that's when we'll start her. In her daycare, they start introducing the kids to the potty in the 2 y.o. class, so I know we'll work hand-in-hand with them. Jennifer76, you sound like a potty training guru!

Greggie 4 years 51 weeks

I agree, colorado. I also distrust any physician who sets a firm age on the parents pushing it.

coloradomomma 4 years 51 weeks

I was told by other parents that my son would let me know when he was ready. We bought the potty ring and step stool and encouraged him but he was not interested at all. At his 3 year check up the doctor said that we really needed to step it up and then we went into total hard core potty mode, my son pretty much said " No Way" and then hated the potty. So I let him run around the backyard with no pants last summer so he could see what happens when he gets the "urge" and he got it. He was totally potty trained within 3 months, pee, poo & overnight. I think we have to get potty trained not them....

Greggie 4 years 51 weeks

We started at about age 2 with both, but it was a long process. My older son ended up going from diapers to underwear overnight on his fourth birthday. My younger son is fully pee-trained (he's 5) but he has a bowel obstruction that makes it impossible for him to tell when there's pressure requiring him to poop so he's going to be in a Pull-up for awhile. I have no idea when we'll start my daughter. I don't think age is our determining factor, it's more signs of readiness. We introduce the potty and show what it's for and everything, but the actual age of potty training is going to be a pretty big variance, I assume.

kikidawn 4 years 51 weeks

I just have to say that I love that the potty chair in the picture has its own toilet paper holder :)

jennifer76 4 years 51 weeks

With my son, we started at 2. He wasn't ready and then a bunch of things happened that were a little disruptive to him, so we backed off completely. We tried again at 2 1/2 and it took a couple of days and he was good to go. With my daughter, I didn't start until 2 1/2. It only took a day with her and she's been fine. I can't stress enough the importance of waiting until your child is good and ready. It makes the entire process SO much easier on parent and child. It should be an exciting new step in their lives not a battle.

LilaBo 4 years 51 weeks

my first daughter pretty much potty trained herself. we had a potty in the bathroom from 1 year on, and we encouraged her to use it when she wanted to. in daycare, her friends were starting to use the potty too, so she also wanted to. one night, we put underpants on her (she was 2 years and 2 months) and we never went back. she had a few accidents the first couple of days, but that was it. my 20 month old is not as interested in the potty, but goes when we sit her on it. hopefully by 2 she will be where her sister was!

anniekim 4 years 51 weeks

This is actually a difficult question to answer. We had a potty seat in the bathroom at around 2 years because my daughter wanted one. She used it on and off for several months with no pressure. The spring after she turned 3 I started to work at the potty training and met a lot of resistance form her. This surprised me and I backed off. Finally in the summer she needed to be potty ready for preschool so we entered into full blown incentive charts with stickers etc. For us potty training was an extended journey spread out over at least a year and a half. Potty training hell, I called it at it's worst. But once she was ready she got it all down quickly. I know for a fact that there are at least 3 4 year old in her school who still accidentally poop in their pants! So glad we don't have to deal with that.

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