18 Month Too Young for Potty Training?

Never too young for a child that is showing interest. Follow their cues and let them tell you what works best for them. I think that is great!!

Nope, not too young at all. boht my boys were out of diapers by 20mos. My youngest was out of diapers by 15mos. we used Elimination Communication (www.diaperfreebaby.org) and it was easy and stress free. She's in the perfect window, go with it and keep at it. She will have accidents, but so will a 4yr old training. Its much easier now and so much less stress.

Every child is different and typically 18 months is too young. It would be unwise for you to try to train a child that young unless they are truly showing an interest. Since she is, foster that interest but don't be too aggressive.

Good news for you, huh?

Of course, not. Before disposable diapers and pull-ups, it was the norm to have children potty trained by 18 months. It was this way for decades. It wasn't until pampers and huggies until children were not fully potty trained until very late. It was unheard of for a 3 year old to not be potty trained in the past. It's just our way of thinking now...and the diapers and pull-ups that don't teach kids anything. Go for it!!

My daughter despised her cloth diapers by 20 months and diaper changes were a train wreck so while her interest in the potty would have normally led me to go slow at her young age, the circumstances led me to go full throttle. After a month she was pretty well day trained. Had a relapse though when some life changes occurred but got back on the trolley soon after. Gotta go with your kid's personality and in general the younger they are the less resistant they are to a change. Wait too long and they get used to being in a wet diaper and could care less. Good luck whether you take it slow or fast!

She's ready. Cheer her on and get ready to ditch those expensive diapers!

If she is interested, I say go for it. If you pass up the opportunity, it may not present itself again for a long time. They do best when they are intersted.

To quote my grandmother when my son was training at 2 1/2: "Parents today are so awful!! We had all our kids trained before two, it's really diabolical the way people baby their kids today." :-0

Anyway, Good work! My 19 month old seems ready too. I missed that window of interest with my first daughter and ignored the signs, and at 2 1/2, when I "made her" train, she had a really hard time. I always wished I started sooner. I would go with it! No pressure to get it totally wrapped up, but why hold her back?!

All of my children ( have 3 of them) potty trained by age two and 2 1/2. No, 18 months is the PERFECT age to begin potty train. When is the best time to begin teaching our children language? Well, at birth, of course so it's only natural to begin teaching them the things they need to know as they grow. I firmly believe all children can be potty trained by 2 1/2 years of age, the latest. It takes persistence and diligence on the parents part. If you are going to be lazy about it, then you will have a child that will be lazy about learning too. This is a fun and exciting time. Good luck.

Also, my approach to potty training is "naked below the waist." It's the only way that works best. Let her run around with no pants (no undies, no diaper, no pants...nothing on). Put her on the toilet every 30 minutes at first for a couple of weeks then when you feel she can hold it for longer than 30 minutes, move to every hour. Be consistent, this is crucial. Don't potty train today and forget about it for a week. Once you decide to potty train, commit to it and stick with it until it sticks with her.

My second child potty trained herself too at 22 months. I am a firm believer in the child will go when ready and she seems ready.
There are a few things to consider she is really young and therefore smaller so when you are out you will have to help alot in the bathroom. Also is she dry in the am or after naps? If not you have some work to do.
J. O

I don't think that is too young esp. if she is showing an interest in it. From my past experiences girl potty trained earlier and were easier than boys. The good thing about boys is that you can start working with them outside with a fav. tree. LOL My oldest daughter was potty trained in a week and only had maybe a hand full of accidents after that. She was only 20 monts at the time.

My son was poo potty trained at 18 months. I say go with it! If she IS doing it, why are you trying to keep her in diapers? Pampers wants you to believe that kids should not be potty trained until 3 because they get more money! It is true that 18 months was the average age of potty training before disposable diapers.

Let her lead the way, she already is. Put her in clothes she can start to take off to go to potty, put her in pull-ups (or cloth training pants) or teach her to take off her diapers to go. Lots of praise when she does it. If she can't speak well, teach her the 'toilet' sign. You make a sign language 'T' and shake it. That way she can let you know when she wants to go.

give it a try...I did with my DD when she was about that age(I think she was maybe 20 months old) you can look at my questions and read my questions and allthe support I got from other moms. My girl is now just over 2. Though Mine is trained now during the day (for the most part...with an accident every once in a while) she is not trained at night....I thought it would take a month and then we we would be good...It took about 3 or 4 months before she was really consistant during the day....some days were good...some were bad. It worked best for me to let her run around without pants on.
Good luck

Awesome she's ready! At this point if you don't help her then you'll teach her not to potty train and it's FOREVER before she'll be potty trained. My daughter was 13months and ready she was trained days and nights in about 4wks because she was ready, she did most of it herself during the day. We also used training underwear and plastic over pants, plastic sheet under the regular sheet.
woo-hoo no more buying or changing diapers.
Congrats!
When you're home with her let her run around in a dress without underwear, who cares it was me and her all day. I also put the potty chair next to the couch out of sight because she played in the living room most of the time or colored at the kitchen table. She couldn't make it down the hallway to the bathroom.

Go for it. Until disposable diapers 18 months was the average age kids in the US were potty trained. In the rest of the world it is still younger than that (50% of the world's kids are trained at 12 months - see NY Times archives for the reference). Also - don't talk about it with your friends who aren't going to potty train until kindergarten - they will tell you you are scarring your daughter for life. Nonsense.

My mom had me potty trained by 18 mos because I was anal retentive and HATED to have a wet or dirty diaper (she used cloth). My sister did it all by herself in 1 day at 2.5 years.

My daughter took 6 weeks of reward charts to full potty train a few months short of 3 but my son is basically in underwear ALL DAY LONG at 2 years 3 mos -- his choice.

Each kid is different -- if she is showing interest, go with it but do not press her. That is how we treated our son -- and he was the same as your daughter...put him on there and it was like magic -- poop came out :) It is really great that she is TELLING you she wants to go! We are still working on that with our son when he is busy playing! ha!

She's absolutely not too young. My daughter was 18 months when we potty trained her. She was mature enough and smart enough at 18 months. She also showed interest in it plus she'd been waking up dry for a long time from naps and even at night. It took patience and a lot of time sitting in the bathroom but I say go for it! I would also recommend not using pullups. I don't think they really help the process but rather hinder it. We used the Gerber training underwear with the thick crotch and the plastic pull over pants.

There isn't a set age for childrent to potty train. If she is interested and is already doing it, then go with the flo. Sometimes younger siblings try earlier because they see their big brother or sister using the toilet and want to be like them.

Absolutely not! Take advantage of this window of opportunity and count your lucky stars. Don't be surprised if she occasionally stalls or backslides. Don't use rewards b/c she doesn't need any. She is motivated herself and your excitement and her success will carry you through! For your situation, I suggest the books
Potty Training Your Baby by van Pelt and
The No Cry Pottytraining Solution by Pantley
Good luck!

Well, there are the wrings that fit over the regular potty so they don't fall in. Can get one of those and have her start using the big potty. Kids decide when they are ready to potty train. She is not too young for it. She is definitely ready to. My first son didn't finish potty training until 6 years old and my second was potty trained by the time he was 2. Every child is different in that respect. Good job for your little one!!! Take care and let her move at her own speed for the rest.

D. P.

She's obviously ready so it's not too early. My son was potty trained at 16 months old. He showed an interest so I went with it.
I don't think any age is too young as long as the child is showing an interest like your daughter is.

both my girls were potty trained by the time they were 18months old.. So if she is willing go for it.. all children progress at different rates so she just might be advanced.. Good for her...

She is taking the lead, Mom! Go with it!

My daughter was interested early also, and she was wearing panties (not training pants) on her 2nd birthday.

Don't push her... but encourage her, help her learn to listen to her body (which it sounds like she is doing already), and cheer her on!!

Didnt read all the answers but Lynn M says exactly what I want to say.

*Generally* girls about 2, boys not until at least 3 but there are always those who are quicker and those who wait longer. If she is, great! hurrah!!

I would continue diapers/pull ups but definitely let her use the potty and such. Teach her how to tell you (and learn her signals for when she needs to go) and maybe she'll be wearing underpants for her birthday??

My oldest was similar to that, but she lost interest after a while. When I ask the doctor she said not to push it until about 27 months, but to continue letting her use it as she wanted to. Basically children are not developed enough to potty train until about 27 months for day and 5 years for night. Of course there are always exceptions and if she does now, great, but if she looses interest don't worry.