What age to start toilet training
Printed From: OHbaby!
Category: Have A Baby?
Forum Name: Toddler Times
Forum Description: Is bubs growing up and getting into everything? How do you train them to use the potty? When do you start feeding solids? Share your tips and advice here!
URL: https://www.ohbaby.co.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=38378
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Topic: What age to start toilet training
Posted By: mummymonster
Subject: What age to start toilet training
Date Posted: 12 March 2011 at 8:29pm
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I mean I know they say every baby is different and they will let you know when they are ready, but I'm feeling like my boys a bit behind.
(I guess I may just be a bit jealous my sister's girl was demanding to be toilet trained by the time she was 18mths. Believe me she demanded it, you couldn't have missed it.) He's 19 1/2 months. Shows absolutely no signs of having a clue about this toileting business. Like when we think he's having a poo, we'll ask him 'are you doing a poo?' or when we discover he's stinky 'have you done a poo?' Nadda, zip, no acknowledgement at all. I hear a lot of people start with wee training, how do you know they're ready for that? ------------- http://lilypie.com">  http://lilypie.com">
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Replies:
Posted By: Shelt
Date Posted: 12 March 2011 at 10:06pm
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I don't think 19.5 months is all that old and certainly no need to be worried about it yet. In saying that though I sat my DD on the potty first thing every morning from about 16 months onwards, not because I was TT her but because I wanted to get her used to sitting on it. We used to have 5 minutes of book reading while she sat on the potty first thing in the morning and more often than not she would wee in it.
I started TT when she was able to remain dry for longer periods of time and she seemed aware of what she was doing and knew the difference between wet and dry. DD showed signs at 18 months and went well for a month then things fell apart and I stepped back a bit till she was 24 months and she got it within 2 weeks. She spent lots of time bare bum over summer and I put her on the potty regularly. I spent time talking about wet and dry (I used washing her hands and swimming and watering the garden to make my point). I don't remember directly asking her if she was weeing or pooing but I sat her on the potty at times she was likely to go (1st thing, 20 mins after breakfast, before her bath etc) and when she did I made a big deal out of pointing out she had done wees in the potty. Hope some of that helped. Good luck! ------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
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Posted By: AandCsmum
Date Posted: 12 March 2011 at 10:10pm
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My boy is over 2, clued up & still not interested in the potty, he's now telling us just after he's going poohs, he says eww yucky lol probably not the right thing to teach him, but I also want to teach him that some foods make his poohs even yuckier. Probably the total wrong thing to do but we'll cross that bridge when we come to it. ------------- Kel http://lilypie.com"> 
A = 01.02.04 & C = 16.01.09 & G = 30.03.12 |
Posted By: Mama2two
Date Posted: 12 March 2011 at 10:57pm
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It took my daughter till just over 3 to really get it. I had several people tell me that if they are ready it would be easy. I tried a couple of times when I thought she was showing the signs but it was hard and she clearly wasn't ready when i look back. Sure enough when the time was right it actually was easy. Only a couple of accidents and she understood straight away what to do and where to do it. I wouldn't be worrying about it at 19.5 months old. I actually had a couple of friends whos children TT early and they had loads of regressions and problems over a long period. Most ended up back in nappies for a time and all of them seemed to 'get it' around 2.5-3 years old. ------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
http://lilypie.com"> 
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Posted By: jano1
Date Posted: 13 March 2011 at 12:47pm
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I too wouldn't stress- DD has just turned 2 and is TT- she has a really good grasp of language and is able to tell me when she wants to go. As others have said, there is no need to push them as it can backfire.
Also I have heard (and don't know how true it is) that boys will often tt later than girls due to girls generally speaking earlier etc. |
Posted By: kandk
Date Posted: 13 March 2011 at 10:16pm
My DS is just two, and he sounds just like yours! No acknowledgement whatsoever, blank looks when I ask him if he is pooing, happy to run round in a filthy nappy, pooed on his own foot one day and just kept going...He's so not ready!! He still seems amazed when his willy pees! So we'll wait a while  ------------- http://lilypie.com">  http://lilypie.com">
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Posted By: MissAngel
Date Posted: 14 March 2011 at 7:34am
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Thomas is nearly 3 and he will NOT go poos or wees on the loo! Boys take a while apparently. He wont even tell me when he's been let alone when he wants to go :/ ------------- Alex, Thomas and Lily http://lilypie.com" rel="nofollow"> 
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Posted By: newme
Date Posted: 14 March 2011 at 9:39am
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Boys do take longer than girls. DS1 is toilet trained for wees but for some reason hates doing poos in the potty or toilet.
He has just turned 3. I wouldn't worry about. It is much easier when they are a bit older and they can go to the toilet/potty, manage their own pants and then know to wash hands afterwards |
Posted By: peanut butter
Date Posted: 14 March 2011 at 10:09am
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My DS1 had a fantastic grasp of language and was very intelligent...but still not interested in the toilet. At about 15 months I had some success on potty then it all stopped. We tried on and off a few times but with no great success even though he knew what he was doing. I finally bit the bullet when he was 3 and we nailed it in a week.
19months is too young to get worried. Its the minority that tt that young...and honestly, changing nappies is sometimes easier than TTing. Wait till they are gagging for it 
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Posted By: KiwiL
Date Posted: 14 March 2011 at 12:28pm
Totally agree! My DS is 2.5 and we're going to give it a shot at Easter. He would have been nowhere near ready before two, and I think it's only recently that I have felt confident that we can have a go and see what happens. |
nzpiper wrote:Posted By: Scoop
Date Posted: 19 March 2011 at 8:33pm
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my son is 20 months, a month or so back he was doing wees or poos on the potty (though I put him there when he showed signs or when I expected it). Then he just wouldn't do anything at all! Would sit there for 20 mins then I'd give up, he'd get off the potty then wee within a minute! So I've given up until the next holidays :-)
So good to be reminded not to stress about it all - a friends little girl has been making real progress with the toilet, it's a struggle not to feel bad that my son isn't doing anything yet! ------------- #2 expected early Sep 2011! |
Posted By: crafty1
Date Posted: 22 March 2011 at 3:26pm
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My boy started tt at about 2.8 months and it went really smoothly, about 90% in 2 weeks. You can start earlier but it is a lot of hard work from parents side and tends to go on and on and on!!! ------------- http://lilypie.com">  
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Posted By: kiwigal
Date Posted: 24 March 2011 at 9:31pm
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There is no real set age on when they have been TT. DD is 2.5 and knows when she has done a poo and tells me but is not interested in sitting on the toilet so I haven't forced it and we will do it when she is ready. It is best to follow their cues and not the other way around. |
Posted By: Richie
Date Posted: 31 March 2011 at 12:07pm
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My DD is 13 months and I've started putting her on the potty lol. She's done wees in the potty once and does #2's quite regularly in the potty now, but she freaks out when she does poos in her nappy lol.
My Mum had all of us kids TT'ed by the time we were 16 months old cause she started real young with us, I'm hoping to do the same and so far so good  But I guess it just depends on the kid really. My sisters kids weren't fully TTed till they were 3-------------  
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Posted By: sarasal
Date Posted: 02 April 2011 at 4:01pm
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We have had a very easy time with toilet training - my son was fully trained around his 2nd birthday. I think it was because we let him run around with no pants on all the time (yes this did mean a few occasions of gross carpet scrubbing!). He would go out and pee on the lawn and so he got the idea of how his body worked. I'd tell him 'well done for watering the garden.
Also, he would always come in to the toilet to see me and his dad go and they always want to copy the big people. From about 18 months, we'd leave potties around the house for him to get acquainted with - never forced him to sit on it or anything - just let him play with it. Then when he'd made friends with them, we suggested he could sit on it and do wees. It didn't take him long to figure it out. The other thing that has helped us heaps was baby sign language. It's easier for them to sign than speak, so if you teach him a sign for wees or toilet, he might start communicating. As with everything with babies, I've found everything goes more smoothly if you just relax and accept that they will do in their own time. Pushing them just has the opposite effect. ------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
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Posted By: gooseychew
Date Posted: 12 April 2011 at 6:18pm
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Thanks for all the tips ladies! Just lurked in to read up on where everyone else is and am very reassured now. DD is only 17months and calls poos "wees" and tells us every time she has one. Watches us on the toilet and loves to sit on her potty and read a book but has yet to actually do anything in there. Might try the routine on it, after breakfast etc? I'm not in a hurry but i wouldn't want to miss the signs if i can get her started when she is keen. Especially with another due in less than 5 months! ------------- http://lilypie.com"> http://lilypie.com"> 
http://lilypie.com"> 
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Posted By: crafty1
Date Posted: 12 April 2011 at 6:23pm
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gooseychew - with another on the way i'd be tempted to leave it longer as in some ways it's harder work for the first few months. When they say they want to go you'd have to drop everything and get them set up, dressed again, wash hands etc.
Also kids often regress when a new sibling comes along so you may be dealing with accident clean ups a lot. Nappies are definitely easier until they are independent getting their pants down, and getting on/off potty/toilet. ------------- http://lilypie.com">
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Posted By: lizzle
Date Posted: 12 April 2011 at 9:15pm
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when they can manage the routine by themselves, pants off, pants on, wash hands. and ask for the toilet. anything before that is probably more work for the parent than anything
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Posted By: gooseychew
Date Posted: 13 April 2011 at 8:56am
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Hmm... well she has her nappy off just fine and if they're pull on ones then it's a breeze to get one back on but she'd rather go nude. She insists on washing her hands after I go to the toilet so no worries there and she loves to sit on the potty. She tells me when she has dirtied her nappy and takes me down to the change table by the hand to change her.
I'm still not convinced i need to start just yet but i doubt i have much longer to get away with the convenience of nappies? I don't want it to all happen just when i'm dealing with a newborn is all. ------------- http://lilypie.com"> http://lilypie.com">
http://lilypie.com">
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Posted By: Iceland
Date Posted: 07 May 2011 at 2:56pm
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hi,
my daughter is 2 (just turned 2 this week) and about 3 months ago was just so suddenly keen on toilet,,,climed on it herself (luckily the lid was closed) as i heard her there and she was smiling at me happily from the loo... she loved the potty, first few days all she wanted to do was sitting on it but one she accually did the wee, she got soooo horrified by the noise, wee spleshing etc... that she just wouldnt go nowhere near the potty or toilet. She holds for hours, really from lunch time sometimes till 7pm or longer and then her wee is just too bit for any nappy. she also has regularly dry nigh nappies and sometimes says she s doing wee,,, before she wets she nappy. It s frustrating as she feels to me to be ready, but just screams if suggest trying to sit on a potty or toilet. I think she loves wearing nappies as she is adament which colors of her Itti s she wants on and get s them out from a drawer.... oh well, toileting is just like eating, they cant be forced into these thing, so just take a breath and wait when they show interents as the stress is not worth it. I guess unless she s keen before I ll leave it till next spring:-) Good luck to all!!! |
Posted By: lisa85
Date Posted: 11 May 2011 at 5:52pm
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I don't think your behind. But then again my twins are 3 tomorrow and we haven't even thought about starting toilet training lol. I think we might get thing under way when we get back from holiday next month -------------  
TTC #3 since Jan 2010 - PCOS MC April 2010 |
Posted By: queenbean
Date Posted: 12 May 2011 at 7:54am
Happy Birthday Hazel & Esme!!!!  -------------   
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Posted By: lisa85
Date Posted: 12 May 2011 at 9:16am
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haha thanks chic ;) -------------
TTC #3 since Jan 2010 - PCOS MC April 2010 |