My 20 mo old son is telling me when he "poo poos", sometimes even beforehand. Is he ready to potty train?

Question

He doesn't try to take his clothes off by himself, only his socks and shoes. This is my first child, so I don't know when to expect him to be ready. Most people are telling me that he is too young, but he is extremely intelligent in other areas. He names off many animals, says well over 60 words, puts together 3 word sentences and can count to three. We have the potty chair in the bathroom and he will occasionally go in and sit on it briefly when his daddy is in there. How do I start encouraging him to try it without being pushy?

Answer 1

My daughter is 19 months and has been doing the exact same thing. My pediatrician said about 1 in 1000 children will potty train before the age of 2 years old. He also said she might train qucikly and do it for a little while and then fall-bakc and not do it for several month and I should not be hegative if this happens. Basically give them support and praise but don't push them to do it. We bought my daughter a potty chair and she has played with it for the last month. When I go to the bathroom, she normally will accomapny me and I tell her "Mommy has to go potty" and allow her to watch everything I do, my pediatrician said they learn best by watching it being done. I do take her to her potty when she tells me before she goes potty and sometimes she sits down and sometimes she does not want to sit. I never force, I just say "That's okay..you'll do it next time." or something to that affect.

Answer 2

Sounds like he's ready. I'm actually in the process of potty-training my 2 year old son as well. Try this :

Potty Train Your Child In Less Than a Day
What You Need

A doll that wets

A potty chair

Big boy/girl underwear (instead of diapers)

Lots of liquids for your child and the doll to drink
**Note that the following instructions using liquids also apply to potty training for bowel movements.

Consider Before You Begin

Development: The American Academy of Pediatrics suggests waiting until 2 years of age to potty train.

Modeling: You can demonstrate or have the doll demonstrate the process of "going potty."

Motivation: Find out who your child's superhero is. The hero will provide the motivation in this process.

Step 1: Teach a Doll That Wets
Your child will learn by teaching the doll how to go potty. Have your child name the doll and give it something to drink. Then walk the doll to the potty chair with your child. Pull the doll's "big kid" underwear down and watch the doll go potty together.

Step 2: Throw the Doll a Potty Party!
When the doll successfully goes potty, throw a potty party! Make it a big blowout with party hats, horns and celebrate. Give lots of attention to the doll so that your child understands that going potty is a good thing.

Let your child know that when he goes potty, he will have a potty party too. Not only that, your child gets to call his favorite superhero to report the good news!

Step 3: Get Rid of the Diapers
At the beginning of the process you placed underwear on your child's doll. Now it's time to take away the diapers and put underwear on your child.

Step 4: Drink Lots of Fluids
Give your child plenty of fluids to drink. The sooner he has to go potty, the sooner you can begin potty training.

Step 5: Ten Trips to Potty When Accident
Ask your child if he needs to go potty. Your child might say no and that's OK. Because you've given your child plenty of fluids, he will soon need to go.

If your child has an accident in his underwear, don't scold him. You want this to be a positive experience. Instead, take your child to the potty, pull his underwear down, and have your child sit down. Do this 10 times. This builds muscle memory and your child will eventually go.

Step 6: Let the Celebration Begin!
When your child successfully goes potty, throw him a potty party. Most importantly, your child can now call his favorite superhero and tell the hero about what he just did! Enlist the help of a friend or relative to play the hero and take the phone call.

When your child has an accident, simply take him/her to the bathroom ten times in a row as you did before. This will continue to build muscle memory. And don't forget to keep up the positive reinforcement.

Hope this helps. :) Goodluck

Answer 3

If he is telling you before he goes, then I would take it as a sign that he is ready. Have him sit on the potty chair for about 15 minutes before he takes a bath at night. Give him a book to look at or a toy to play with. Make it a routine and when he starts to go potty, make a huge deal out of it! Reward him. Buy him big boy underpants and let him pick out what kind he wants. Or, if you can, take the clean potty and let him sit on it while he watches tv. Just let it be casual but whenever he actually goes potty on it, make a HUGE deal! Good luck!

Answer 4

Next time he says "poo poos" put him on the potty... he very well may be ready for potty training. If he goes get extremely crazy happy over it. Do a dance. Give a sticker and make a HUGE deal over it. If he does not go, simply say "Thats ok we can try again later" and leave it at that. No negativity can be brought into potty training.

Answer 5

If he's telling you before he goes, then he's ready to start training.

Another thing to consider when you are trying to decide whether to start training or not is whether he is dry throughout the night. If not, then he may not have the control yet to be completely successful with potty training, but you can start it by taking him when he says he needs to go. Just don't push him. Sounds like he is on the right track, but expect some set backs as he will go through spells of wanting to do it and not wanting to do it.

Good luck!!

Answer 6

Our son did the same thing at the same age. I've heard of people getting two-year olds completely trained - I would rather have a more natural process and we haven't chosen to push it too much.

We started showing him the ropes at about 20 months. When I caught him needing to pee (just before a bath when he's already undressed), I popped him up on his step stool and got him to go in the toilet. He's pooped in there once, but will sit and "try". It's important to praise him for sitting on the potty and standing up in front of it and NOT for the actual result. If you go crazy when he actually poops, it can backfire, making him afraid to go, or afraid he won't be able to go. The sticker or M&Ms or whatever should be a reward for trying.

Answer 7

Unfortunately potty training is not that cut and dry. It is a long and tedious process. I would suggest introducing him to the potty. Get him his own potty and get some books and videos. Talking about it and getting the idea in his head is the first step to preparing him for what will come next.

Answer 8

He's ready if can tell you what he's doing ten he's ready don't push though because then you could discourage him. Just gently asking him when your changing a diaper or getting ready for a bath or bed "would you like to use the potty." see what happens you never know he could be trained in a week

Good luck

Answer 9

YES!! You are soooo lucky. My 29 mth old still won't use the potty unless I make her sit there forever. She does'nt mind sitting there but she won't let me know if she is wet or if she needs to go pee pee, She used to tell me if she went poo poo, but now she does'nt. He is ready. And getting boys to poo poo in the potty is harder than getting them to pee pee, so if you can get that out of the way first, you have a very easy time potty training him.

Answer 10

If he knows when he needs to go to the bathroom even if you have to help him take his clothes off and get him on the toilet then you should do so. A child who knows when they have to go to the bathroom is never to young to start potty training.