Potty Training....?

Question

I was thinking about buying my son a potty around his first birthday. Every time my husband and I go to the restroom I wanted to make it a point to put him on his big boy potty so he gets a grasp on the whole potty ordeal.

I'm not 100% sure about it yet so realize this is just an idea.

I've had to potty train a four year old whose parents didn't want to train him while still in their care. It was a nightmare! I'm worried my son (like him) won't ever get to the point where he is "ready."

I don't plan on forcing him to potty train but was thinking it may be effective way to get him on the path of potty training. Of course I'll keep him in diapers until he's ready to not be completely potty trained but I'm hoping this will send his mind in the correct direction.

Has anyone ever done this before? Does it seem effective?

I just don't want to ever change a four year old's diaper ever every again! LOL! Thank you for your respectful advice!

My cousin (the boy I was referring to) is potty trained finally now--it took a LONG time but it's over. I just don't want to go through that again!

He's nine months now standing on his own and starting to walk. I figure by one year he will be walking already but you never know.

I don't want to force him but defiantly let him know that the potty is there, you know?

Answer 1

Potty training my now 11 year old son was EASY. I did get the potty for him and put it in the bathroom as you are thinking soon after his first birthday. He also used it as a TV chair sometimes (fully clothes, just to get him comfortable with it, that's all)! The more comfortable they are with the seat, the better. When he was about 2 1/2 he told me he was ready. Within a week he was in big boy underwear and NEVER had an accident.

Pushing them too young makes for a frustrated mommy and baby, and will actually delay success, so wait until he shows an interest in doing so before trying too hard. Buy a potty video, some seats come with one, and let him start watching that along with his Blue's Clue's and other favorites.

Best of luck to you!

Edited to add: Another suggestion is don't start a boy standing up. It will be a while before he is tall enough to stand in front of a toilet. I taught my son to "tuck it" where he tucked his penis between his legs so that it pointed down. He was so cute! He'd sit on the toilet, spread his legs, push it down, and say "Tuck it" while he closed his legs back up to keep it down. The way he said it was priceless!

Answer 2

I am a grandma who has done alot of potty training. No child is ready until they can comprehend exactly what is happening- and every child is different. I would say you could introduce the potty chair about 18 months, but don't expect anything. Keep it close. The child will get so used to seeing it around, that when they are ready to use it, it won't be so scary. My 3 children, and the 3 grandchildren I am raising, were all potty trained at two. I know some people who didn't potty train until 3. Do whatever is comfortable for you and your child. Give it time. It is something that does happen- fairly naturally. You only have to help it along a little.

Answer 3

Introducing the potty early is a great idea. Right at one is ok for occasional talk but each time you go to the bathroom is too much. You don't want to cause obsessions or send the wrong message. If you put your son on the potty first thing in the morning only he will understand more quickly. You can try this as soon as he stirs in bed take the diaper off and put him directly on the potty. This you give you more results then throughout the day will. Most children go almost as soon as they wake. After this is going well then you can take him more often.

Answer 4

We tried to start potty training our son shortly after he was able to walk too (9 months)..it didn't work. We kept trying to get him to use either his potty or the big potty but still had no interest in it. The last couple of months though he has been getting really angry when its time to change him...so I figured something was changing with him.
And low & behold yesterday (yes yesterday) at 6:55 am he trotted off to the bathroom himself, got out his stool, pulled off his pull-ups & went in the big potty. If I wouldn't have been in there getting ready for work I would have missed the event.
So my advice, let him see how its done, have an open door policy...2 weeks ago my son asked why I couldn't stand up to pee. And when they are ready they will do what they need to when they need to.

Answer 5

I personally think a year is too young to start - especially with a boy. However, a friend of my co-worker is starting to potty train her son and he's only 14 months. She said she's not pressuring either, but he is interested in it and is doing pretty well at it. My daughter is 17 months and I just bought her one last month. We have it in our bathroom next the the regular toilet. For now, I have just introduced it in the evenings before she takes her bath. I really believe she knows what it's for. She has gone a few times in it. Grandma watches her during the day while I work, so I figured I would let her get more familiar with it at home before buying another potty for Grandma's house.

I agree, I would never want to change a 4 year old's diaper either.

Answer 6

Personally, I think it's best to wait. Potty training at 1 is pretty much unheard of really. They cant even stand yet, right? They need to be able to do a few things: stand on their own, pull their pants down, and understand and recognize signals that they need to go to the bathroom. At 1, he's too young to have all these factors in place. And as they get older, the one thing I realized with my son is that he understands more and we can communicate better about how this is all going to happen.

You can of course encourage by example as he gets to about 1 and a half -- so perhaps when your husband needs to use the bathroom, he leaves the door open and lets your boy watch... generate some curiosity.

People will tell you forcing it works. But kids are different. Some freak out the first time they see poo down there.

Here's a great source of advice that I use as a stepping stone: http://parentcenter.babycenter.com/

Hope it helps.

Answer 7

You have a great idea, but, you may want to wait until the weather is just a bit warmer and then you can let him wander and explore without a diaper. Then, he will start to understand the signals of his own body and he may take to potty training early. Personally, I just could not handle the thought of going from potty chair to toliet (potty chairs grossed me out!). I waited with my children and started when they turned 2, then, I started with training pants and the toliet seat cover (the kind that minimizes the seat). They were all completely potty trained just before their 3rd birthdays (I split the year in two with pee then bowel training).

Answer 8

well, children find pleasure in peeing and sucking thier thumbs, that is why they get fussy when you try to potty train. Try the compliment approach.( I have 21 cousine and i'v tried it on 18 and they were all successful!) Buy a set of "cool" looking underwear, and say" these are your potty underoos," then tell them not to pee on the character on the underwear. then everytime you check on the child and he didn't pee, tell him how proud you are and that he's a " Big, big boy!!!" make a big deal out of it. If he does pee, say" we'll try next time okay?" but don't make him feel ashamed. Also teach him the feeling that tells him he needs to pee and help him recognize it. Buying a potty will make him feel special , and when he learns to hold it in, do a little " ceremony where he gets to use the 'big toilet'. Oh try to keep diapers on him at night , It's not going to work right away. When he has confidence, he'll tell you that he doesn't need them at nigt anymore.--works like a charm.

Answer 9

What worked for me was to do just what you suggested. I found that it was important to praise my child for just trying even if there was no success. During TV time with (uugg) a Barney video I would also would have my child sit on the potty in front of the TV. I would check the potty and make a GIANT deal if there was "success". I also would have them sit on the potty in the bathroom reading one of their books. I would also try to make a connection between using the potty and them understanding there body enought to know when they had to go. I think much of that is developmental/physiological so you may not have too much success until 18 months to 2 years.

Good luck

Answer 10

That is a normal fear, that he will never be ready. I never thought that all three of my kids would ever be potty trained. My own brother (who is 20 something now) was so long at potty training that my mom told him that if he wanted to stay in diapers he could, but to not expect her to change them anymore.

Each kid reaches that milestone at their own pace. You have a good idea to introduce the concept that eary, and who knows, it might help him adjust from the idaper to the potty.