Can someone tell me why I should toilet train sooner rather than later?

[Chooka]

My DS is 22 months and we're all ready to go with the "3 Day Potty Training" plan, but I just can't help thinking I'm doing this for the wrong reasons? I'm not considering delaying for too long, but I could wait a few months and try it the other side of summer...

I'm thinking about pros and cons
Pros:
- we use cloth nappies so it'd be nice not to have to wash two sets (DD is 3 months old)
- no more battles on the nappy change table
- no more de-pooing nappies in the toilet
Cons:
- hard to "drop everything" and rush DS to the nearest toilet when I might be dealing with my baby girl
- still doing night feeds for DD so am I really physically/mentally ready for the new challenge of TTing DS? Another few months might mean I'm getting a full night's sleep which should leave me with more patience/energy etc

What I'm missing from this list is DS's point of view - will him being out of nappies make him any more or less happy? Do little kids really care one way or the other?

[Sarahlou]

I TT DD at just on 2 years - I felt she was ready before this but just as I was about to get started we all got gastro and then it was Christmas...etc etc - basically I just kept making up reasons not to do it cos I thought it would be really hard! But, it turned out to be no big deal and I was so glad we toilet trained when we did (last summer) cos it actually seems to get harder as they get older. Friends of mine who waited have had issues - I wonder whether because an older child is capable of rationalising more, they are also more capable of making the choice about where they go to the toilet whereas my 2 year old hadn't developed that strong willfullness yet and just accepted that you wee and poo in the toilet!

So, my suggestion would be to give it a go - the worst that will happen is that he will have accidents! Well, that is pretty much guaranteed! One piece of advice though is that once you decide to take the plunge, it 's important that you stick with it ie get rid of the nappies and don't go backwards as this can be really confusing to them.

The warmer weather is a great time to do it cos it's much easier to just not worry about pants for a few days and let him wander round in his jocks. Oh, and don't be too disheartened if he does all his weeing and pooing in his pants initially until he can recognise the feeling of needing to wee as compared to actually weeing - I think some people think that this means that they are not ready but it's completely normal and actually has to happen really in order that they make the connection!

Good luck - and don't be scared. It's so liberating for everyone once they are out of nappies, and really satisfying for both of you!

[delirium]

I really think you need to follow the child's lead. They will only train when they are ready. DS is almost 3.5 and only recently is doing wees on the potty and no poos yet. He just wasn't ready and no amount of wanting him to train made him.

I would sit him on the potty and see what he does. If he doesn't show an interest try once every few weeks to a month.

[Georgias Mummy]

I agree let them show you when they are ready or it will be a big mess (Literarly)

FOr now show them, let them go in the morning, before a nap or bath, and before bed. Just start slowly and soon they will be telling you I need to go and the rest comes naturally ! For us by 3 was a must due to Kindy.

The Health Nurse suggested not before 2 as they can't physically hold on. AFter that start introducing it. I think Summer would be perfect for you to start trying that way they can run around in jocks/knickers and a singlet.

All the best for the journey !


Good Luck

[Boobycino]

We are starting a casual toiletting approach particularly over summer. :yes: Jasper is 23 months and very eager so I'm following his lead more so that toilet training him.

But we'll see.

[BabelFish]

I certainly wouldn't do it unless your child is CLEARLY showing signs of being ready. All of the research indicates that with TT especially, if you start too early and your child is not ready it can really, really backfire and end up taking a lot longer than it otherwise would have.

Current research indicates that the majority of children TT with the most success between 30 and 36 months of age.

Obviously some kids are super keen earlier (or later) so best to follow your child's lead.

[Hollywood]

I used the 3 day potty training method with DS at 25 months with great success. I felt he was ready from about 23 months but didn't get around to it until a couple of months later.

I do think there is a window of opportunity with toilet training between 22 and 30 months, they become more set in their ways after that. DS was basically trained for wee in 4 hours and poo took the full 3 days, I was very happy with the method.

[MsMummy]

We are starting a casual toiletting approach particularly over summer. :yes: Jasper is 23 months and very eager so I'm following his lead more so that toilet training him.

But we'll see.

We're taking the casual approach as well.

My son is almost 25 months, and for the last week has been very interested.

When we're in the bathroom, he grabs the toilet seat out of the cupboard, puts it on the toilet, drags the stool over and tries to pull his pants down, then sits down, takes the seat off, puts the big seat down and tries to flush. I thought he just liked going through the motions, but he's starting peeing sometimes when we say "pee" and he pushes to try and get poo out.

I just need to work out the communication before he poos.

I figure there's no harm in letting them try and become comfortable with the toilet, but without expectation.

he really likes stamps at the moment, so I might buy one and give him a stamp every time he uses it (although that could backfire as he might want to sit on it 20 times a day...:laughing:)

[SassyMummy]

I, personally, took a very gentle, child-led approach.

I got her a potty when she was about 18 months old... and I let her know what it was for. It was set up in the bathroom... just sitting there.

She could sit on it if she wanted, even just while I was in the toilet myself... but there was no pressure to actually DO anything on it.

She was interested for a long time, then she'd go off of it... then she's gain interest again.

At about 2.5, she was happy to be using the potty, occasionally, during the day at home. By 3 she was using it at home, but still couldn't be trusted to go without a nappy when we were out and about, even if I asked her if she needed to use the toilet constantly. This frustrated me a little, but mostly because others were going on about how she should be TT already.

A few months after 3 (maybe 3 and 4 months), she was using the potty all the time, but still in a nappy at night.

I never night-trained either... I just waited until her nappies were no longer used and then stopped putting her in them. This happened when she was nearly 4.

While I see that not having to wash/buy nappies all the time has it's benefits, I always felt that the approach I took was far less stressful than TT seems to be for other people who actively train their children.

We also had no accidents as a result. DD has NEVER wet her bed. Ever. She's peed on the toilet floor maybe a handful of times, after getting up half asleep to pee and then not really knowing what she's doing so kinda just... pees. lol. A tiled floor is much easier to clean than a bed in the middle of hte night though... lol.

I'll seriously be doing this again with any future children. Nappies are a PITA, but I think changing them and washing/buying them is far less stressful for all involved than TTing appears to be...

[JabberJaw]

DD is 2.5 and wears undies most days and has a nap and stays dry but we use nappies if we go out and overnight.

We just doing it in her time, and she is doing well. Has done a few poo's on the toilet but she now squats so i usually get her in time and hint at her to go to the toilet.

She doesn't like the potty much, but likes the toilet with the special seat insert and the step.

We did some EC i the early days but i got to slack so never followed through!

Although DD is my 4th child, she is the only one i have toilet trained :o the rest were TT at daycare...(geez that sounds bad now that i have actually admitted it :o)

The slow gentle approach is working for us though, with only a few accidents which are no biggie as we have polished floors.

[our little treasures]

I used the 3 day potty training method with DS at 25 months with great success. I felt he was ready from about 23 months but didn't get around to it until a couple of months later.

I do think there is a window of opportunity with toilet training between 22 and 30 months, they become more set in their ways after that. DS was basically trained for wee in 4 hours and poo took the full 3 days, I was very happy with the method.

I don't know about the 3 day method:confused: BUT I do agree that the longer you wait the harder. Just going by my friends accounts they waited until child was 3 and then began. All have had a harder time and some still refuse to go or have accidents often.

I trained my 3 ranging from 22mnths - 30mnths and I found all of them to be easy. DD2 was done basically day 1 with only 1 accident.

OP TT is a daunting task especially when everyone reminds you how if you don't do it right you'll scar them for life etc

I suggest, doing it when the child shows signs they are ready and most importantly when they can tell you.:)

[sweetseven]

I am actually amazed that later toilet training seems to be the norm now. When I had my first (16 years ago) I was told the 12-18 months was typical, with girls sooner than boys. Most of my girls day TTed around 13-14 months with my youngest at 16 months.

Nights are another matter. Depending on the child it has been anywhere from 3yo to 10yo.

I simply go with the potty being available. When the child starts showing interest in it, they are allowed to sit on it. When actively trying to sit on it they'll be given small amounts of nappy free time to fascillitate this.

As they become successful at using it, nappy free time increases as appropriate. When daynap nappies are consistently dry they are dropped.

Once the child is competent at using the potty with a bare bottom, then it is time to introduce the next step - underpants. This can be a confusing change for the child, as they need to learn underwear is not a nappy. Introducing underwear often results in a few accidents due to:
a) confusion - child feels material and thus thinks it is a nappy, and
b) complication - child needs to hold on whilst getting undressed before they can go.

My current little one (18mo) is fully daytrained but still getting used to underwear. She doesn't wet it anymore but refuses to accept them being put back on for about two hours before deficating. I think she knows she is getting ready to do so, but it takes awhile before she is ready.

--------------------------

I do think following the childs lead is important. Make it available but do not force.

[Pregnor]

My ds is 22 months too, and i don't believe he is ready yet. We have been talking about poos being yuck, and using the potty and stuff, but he wont sit on it for more than a couple of seconds. The other day in the bath he had a mini freak out 'poo poo' and asked to get out but couldn't grasp sitting on the potty to do it. So i think soon! Santa is bringing him thomas jocks! I just don't want to push when he isn't ready because i think it will make it harder in the long run, so we're going with gentle guidance and praise

[Widget]

DD2 will be 3 in Dec and has only been showing an interest for the last 2 months - only at daycare... They take her to the toilet and she's happy with that but won't sit on the potty or the step seat at home... Trying to think of ways to fix that as we can't exactly get a kiddie toilet installed lol

DD1 is 4 and while she's been showing interest since she was 2, she's just not having any luck, but that could be her Spina Bifida coming into play there... So when she begs for undies they get worn over her nappies as the timing just isn't working for her, and she only rarely knows she needs to go.. No amount of praise will get her nerves working properly for her...

[1CrazyMoose]

I hardens 3 day potty training method aswell. Ds was 28mnths. I would have trained him earlier if I had a chance (was having dd though) I think it would have been easier to do it earlier. All the same it was very successful and at 1st ds who was showing signs didn't want to but we just kept going and by the 2nd day he was loving being tt. He felt like such a big boy!

With dd in nappies now it's a god send that he is tt. It's also not to hard when out and about. I just take him before we go anywhere regardless if he asks or not. We haven't had any accidents out.

I would say give it a go!

[Pregalicious]

My DS was fully trained (day and night) before 24 months...which i thought was way early. But he ws very very ready...

-Pointing to his crotch when he weed his nappy
-Taking his own nappy off after he weed in it

Then he started to take his nappy off before he weed!!!!! :eek:

I knew he ws ready and so we just did it. It was clear that he wanted that independence to do it on his own.

It took us 4 days to get him from nappys (well he was taking them off anyway lol) to potty to big toilet.

Part of me felt like it was too early, i thought at the time they TT at about 3ish.... but they are all different... :yes:

You feel very proud when you see how proud they are too :yelclap:

[cja]

Honestly, to not change or buy anymore nappies was a big incentive!

DS TT at 26months day and night

DD TT at 22months for the day, but she couldn't do the night thing, so she still wears a nappy at night, she is 2.5now. Have tried lots of things for night, but I think she just isn't ready yet.

[Tangarine Mummy Machine]

My ds is 3 and a half and nowhere near tt.
My dd is 21 months (19months corrected) and is fully tt at home. She still wears a nappy because she doesn't tell me when she needs to go, she just runs to the toilet, takes her nappy off, climbs up, and goes.

I am trying to follow their lead. I am having lots of pressure because ds isn't tt yet. It is all watermoff the ducks back.

[Herchy]

I've just trained DS who is 3 years and 3 months over the weekend using the 3 D TT program and it's been SUPER easy!! I would think that it would be harder to train a younger child (even though they say it's supposed to be easier) as DS can articulate himself so well. He was practically whizz trained within hours. We are on day 3 so we will see how we go with #2's today and how he goes tonight, but he only had 1 accident last night and nothing since.

I left it until this long as I wanted to wait until I felt he was really really really ready. He ripped his nappy off on Friday night and told me he wanted to wear jocks after I'd been telling him all week that we would start using the big boy toilet on Sunday. He's taken to it so well.

I am thinking of starting my nearly 18 month old daughter in a few months as she's showing some signs, but then I think about how easy this has been with DS and I feel maybe I should wait a little longer?
I think all you can do is try and if it doesn't work, then give it a rest and try again in a few months.

[2girls&1boy]

I haven't read any previous posts so I am sorry if I am repeating something someone else has said.

I personally think you need to take your child's lead. IF they are showing signs they are ready then yes give it a go. There is no set rules when it comes to TT. My eldest DD was an incredibly good talker and came home from daycare (at 25mths) one day and announced that babies wear nappies and she is not a baby and from that day stopped wearing them and we have never had an accident or wet bed. My DD2 however was a different story and she was just not interested, I tried a few times at 2 1/2 but it just stressed both of us out so I left it a bit longer and she was closer to 3 but has been brilliant :thumbsup:

Sometimes if you force the issue too early it can backfire on you and you may find it really tough a bit later down the track.

Good luck with it all.

[2girls&1boy]

My ds is 22 months too, and i don't believe he is ready yet. We have been talking about poos being yuck, and using the potty and stuff, but he wont sit on it for more than a couple of seconds. The other day in the bath he had a mini freak out 'poo poo' and asked to get out but couldn't grasp sitting on the potty to do it. So i think soon! Santa is bringing him thomas jocks! I just don't want to push when he isn't ready because i think it will make it harder in the long run, so we're going with gentle guidance and praise


From personal experience try not to say that poos are yuck. With some kids (not necessarily your child) they get in their head that poos are yucky and actually seeing it come out of their little body's really freaks them out.

My son is 26mths and I don't think he is ready either, he likes to sit on the potty before bathtime but I am not sure he associates it with going to the toilet.

[Pregnor]

oh dear!

It just came about because he kept telling me 'boobies yuck' and so i started telling him other things that were yuck instead! Also, he likes to point at the dog poo and say 'poo yuck!'