Forum home Babies Baby

potty training from 12 months - good idea or not?

ive been inspired by a thread earlier in the week about potty training from birth. think im gonna give it a go with my 11 month old, what do you reckon. i mentioned to my mum about buying a potty as nappy changing is a bloodey nightmare now im fed up of chasing her round house we are all exhausted after just one nappy change!!! and she said times have changed when she had me lol 36 years ago they put babies on potties from birth!!!! any one else thinking of giving it a go i reckon it could be hilarious but worth it

Replies

  • Hiya

    I got round the exhausting nappy change escapades by pinning dd down on my knee - eventually she has (mostly) given in to defeat on this one!!

    I remember when I was about 9 my friends little sister being put on a potty - I think after meals - and she must have been about 1yr old cos I remember at the same time my friend and I trying to coax her to walk for hours on end!

    With Carrie, however, I can just see her getting herself off the potty and taking off bare bottomed at speed with glee!! Not sure if I'm ready for that yet!!

  • i was thinking about this with Harry. It rea;lly is a nightmare now. Think i might get a potty or just sit him on the toilet a couple of times and see how he reacts. xx
  • i did my daughter at 14 months and she was fantastic but i would never dream of doing it with my son as he just doesnt have a clue i think it all depends on the child and if they are ready
  • we have bought Ollie a potty, and apart from the fact that he knows you sit on it he doesn't have a clue what to do.

    i think it depends on if the child is ready or not, as if theyre not and you try to 'push it' (not that any of you would) then they can take a step backwards...

    there was an article in a mag last month that had tips on how to recognise if your baby was ready or not, and although Ollie had a few points, he didnt have enough to be classed as ready... in the last few weeks since i read it however he is starting to show real signs.....

    if you think you can do it then go for it, but be prepared for your LO to be unready (is that even a word?) and to have to wait a bit longer....

    I cant wait to start potty training though - its hubbys job as i cant possibly show Ollie what to do! :lol:

    xxx
  • i bought charlie a potty at 11 months when he started walking n just left it in the front room then at 14 months i encoraged him to sit on it by putting a big bit of paper under it n letting him colour around his feet . this got him used to it and then he was so comfortable with it he trained himself at 16 months. tried the same tactic with mai but at 2 n a half she has finnally decided to use toilet instead! i think as long as u dont put any pressure on them at all it will run smoothly i had a friend who yelled at her little 17 month old girl ( shes no friend of mine after that seen) the poor lil madam is 6 n still wets if she gets nervous coincidence i think not!
    i still see lil girl as im friends with her daddy n shes very happy other wise just has wetting issues
  • I think it's the same as weaning really - only if your lo is ready. Charlotte is now 1 but I wouldn't even think to start of potty trainig her at least for another 6 months. I would like her to understand why she has to use the potty as by the time she's around 2 i'm hoping she will be able to tell me when she needs a wee or poo.

    Know what you mean about the nappy changing though!!!
  • hi westbrom1, my mum told me the same so started with bri at 12mons n she was potty trained at 14mons. she actually didn seem ready at the time i started goin, by d chart but it worked jus fine.
    she went on the potty every 90mins, n with time she learnt wot it was all about although i got her a fancy potty that sings, praises her n has real flush sounds n she was using the toilet by 19mons but with a toddler seat.
    although am not still comfortable with her using public toilets so i let her wear pull ups now wen we get on the train or going far n she's 2 now. i think u as a parent need to be ready to accept the set backs if ur lo isnt gettin it (don make a fuss about it) n i also use to let her read her books n colour while sitting on the potty. goodluck, its work!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
  • i did with my 1st- started abouut 13 months- she learnt in 1 day... hope it works so well with my next...
    24 wks
  • i've been reading loads lately about the different methods of potty training, bought a book and read things online. it really is a very very individual thing.

    One of the main reasons i'm going to wait until my LO is showing most of the typical signs (ie taking off her own nappy, can tell me she's wet or dirty etc) is because it's all well and good plonking a baby or young toddler on a potty and praising them if they happen to widdle in it, but the chances of them KNOWING they need to pee and to ask for or go on the potty are a lot slimmer and accidents are a lot more likely which can be embarrasing for the child and impractical.

    I think in the olden days mummys used to hover even tiny babies over the potty and class is as potty training when they wee or poo in it, when actually it's inevitable that if they are sat for ages on the potty theres guna be wee isnt there! lol

  • I agree with Linzi, I also think that they need to have more advanced speech skills, as in being able to TELL you that they have done a wee, or need a wee, and genuinely *want* to be a 'big girl' etc and use the toilet/potty.
    Personally, I will be waiting until Gabe is 2 in may 2010, I'll let him run round naked around the house & garden and have the potty nearby so he gets to know when he needs to go.
    If it doesnt work I'll just put him bk in nappies and wait a few weeks!
    Thats the plan anyway!
    Also....if you have probs pinning Daisy down to change her nappy, the chances of getting her to sit still on a potty are pretty slim really!!!
    xxx
  • mmm jurys not out i think i may wait till the spring when hopefully she can run around outside. i know what you mean about not being ready how can an 11 month old tell you but you gotta be impressed by brianna 5 s sory and rebeccawilsmer genious!
  • We've started sitting cole on the potty - he's 13 months. so far we've only done it before and after his bath and he will sit for 20-30 seconds while we clap and praise him. he responds really well to praise so he's ok sitting there.

    I'm not expecting anything other than for him to get used to sitting on it, sooner or later as we increase the amount of times we sit him on it (at nappy changes) then he'll at some point do a wee and we'll make huge fusses and hope that the penny will drop at some point.

    We have to pin cole down for nappy changes but he sits ok on the potty.. i think he's just not interested in lying still when he could be off being a monkey!

    My friends mum has potty trained 4 kids and umpteen grandkids (most were dry by 2) by doing what we are from when they could sit up - apparently my friend was potty trained by 9 months old but she's just a showoff lol.

    I'm not planning on doing much more for now but over summer hopefully we can let him run around outside without a nappy on and see how things go. At the moment, he does know when he's wet (always has, fussy boy lol) and has peed on his feet twic ewhen escaping from nappy changes and has looked to see what he's done so I'm hoping it won't be too hard to make the connection at some point in the future.

    Personally I dont' see the harm in getting a child used to sitting on the potty without pressure
  • thanks kia this is what i was thinking, dont feel so crazy for suggesting it now. gonna go and buy a really funky potty now thanks girls x
  • Hi West brom,

    I think every baby is so different that you should just see how you get on.

    Joshua is nearly 21 months and isnt ready yet- I ask him if he's done a poo poo and he says no when he blatently has! Whenever I change his nappy I always say 'oh you've done a wee wee next time you need a wee wee tell mumma' and he giggles and says wee wee but he never does! Im going to wait a bit longer...my mum is always going on saying how I was dry by 1 yrs old but I think she exagerating!

    Good luck- keep us updated x
Sign In or Register to comment.

Featured Discussions