Potty Training 1 Year Old Boy?

I would say it's too early. They let you know when they're ready...usually around the age of 2. Please don't force it, there is no time table for when kids are "supposed" to do something. If you force it too early, he may be more prone to having accidents. He'll let you know when he's ready. My doctor has told me they pretty much will do it on their own and then the parent aids the process.

I started putting both my kids on the potty at about 8 or 9 months. Very quickly I didn't change any poopy diapers, because it was easier for them to poop on the potty (and I put them on at their regular time). They weren't fully potty trained until 19 and 22 months, but I really didn't push it, they basically potty trained themselves. I don't think it's too early to put him on the potty, and if it seems like he wants to, start pushing it more. You can always back off. When I started I just put them on the potty morning and night, but you can certainly do more, I was just lazy!

K.

PS. In a lot of countries people start much earlier than we do here. Many people don't use diapers at all, It's called Elimination Communication. We're just victims of the diaper industry. (HA!)

I am surprised that no one has commented on this, but most kids (like 99%) are not physiologically ready for potty training at one. They aren't able to hold it. Some people do potty train this early, but they are constantly taking their child to the bathroom. I am guessing your one year old cannot pull up or down his pants by himself. I think it is great that he is interested and I would certainly encourage that, but I think you will get really frustrated if you start trying to get serious about it now. You'll be running to the bathroom and cleaning up a lot of messes until his body is actually ready for it! I would encourage, but don't bank on it happening this young. Good luck!

Well of course you can try anything. It would not harm him to sit on the potty. You could read him the books and show him the videos. But just don't expect him to get it. If you get frustrated with him even once and raise your voice or give him the impression you are upset with him soling the floor or a piece of furniture, then he will end up despising the process. I'd just take him to the chair and sit him on it when you change his pants, after meals, when he first gets up. Let him do it so long as he wants to. If he puts up any resistance at all, wait.

Suzi

yeah you can start potty training him that early just don't expect perfection. it does take time but the sooner you start working with him the easier it will be later on down the road. my daughter is 16 months old and i've started working with her a little at a time. sure she has only went pee once in her potty but it is a start.

my aunt started as early as one with all of her kids and they were all potty trained by the time they were around 3-4ish still has issues with bed wetting once in awhile at the ages of 10 and 11 but other than that hasn't had a lot of issues.

Since your boy is really interested then he probably is ready to start trying. at least you have a kid that lets you know he is wet or dirty. I'm still trying to get my girl to let me know.

I would try if he is showing interest.

My neice lives in China and they start potty training at 1 month old. Her son is now 10 months and has no accidents at night. No diapers are worn over there.

Good luck.

Kids will tell you when they are ready to potty train. If he is interested don't discourage it. All kids mature differently. My son took was like yours and cried anytime he was wet or dirty. He hated it. I bought him big boy underwear and told him he could wear them if he didn't pee in them, and I let him wear those for short periods, with pull ups in between, and then pull ups at night. Then I just extended the times he wore the big boy underwear and rewarded him for each success.

Let him go at his own pace and I think he will surprise you. My son was completely potty trained by 2. Binky broken....well that's another story....LOL.

There is no harm in trying. It is purely cultural (spurred by diaper companies) that we don't usually train children until much later. Kids younger than 2 are usually happier to train because they still want to please you. If you wait until after 2, they get defiant, and you almost have to wait until 3 or 4.

My son was day trained by 21 months. Basically, you have to start by putting them on the potty 6-8 times a day. Don't give up diapers at this point; just keep putting him on the potty. Keep him busy on there as long as you can. Read books, sing songs, let him brush his teeth, anything to keep him on there.

When he does finally go for the first time, praise him a lot. Teach him the sign for potty. Then keep going. Soon he will go whenever he sits on there (usually pee first). At this point, you should put him cloth diapers without a cover or training pants with no cover. Pay attention to when he drinks and how much and when he pees afterward. Usually you have to put him on the potty every 25 minutes or so at first. Set a timer, sing a potty song, act excited, whatever you have to do to get him on there. As you catch each pee, he will begin to go longer in between pees, except when he is having fun at the park or playing, etc. At this point, do not go back to diapers at all during the day. If you do, he will regress. Also, be very careful not to ever get angry or frustrated if he wets his pants. You have to be calm all the time or he will begin to hate the potty. If at any point he starts to fight it, step back a little. You can't make him hate it or he won't train until he's 3 or 4.

The entire process will take 2-3 months. Don't expect him to tell you he has to go until he is around 2. But if you take him, he will go. Don't go on long drives. Take a potty to the park.

If this sounds worth it to you, go for it. You will be glad you did, and he will be glad not to sit in wet diapers all the time.

Good luck!

Honestly, as the Mom of two boys, I say it's way too soon to seriously start trying. I think if you try now you will jsut end up being very frustrated and he will end up feeling like he's failing you. I'm just not convinced that at 1 year old they can grasp the concept of what they are supposed to be doing. I waited until my first son was pretty much always dry when he woke up in the morning. Once he stopped wetting through the night, for the most part then I started introducing the concept to him. He was already 3 years old by the time this happened, and although we;ve had a few bumps in the road, he has gone pretty smoothly from daipers to pullups to real underwear. I still use pullups at night, but I'm not sure he actually needs them, I think they are more for me than him! haha! Anyway, in muy opinion you have to have tons of patience with your son and try not to rush him into anything he's not ready for, even it woudl be SO much more convenient for you and less expensive (trust me, I know, I had TWO sons in diapers at once for awhile!). He's only little once, right? Anyway, if you do decide to try, good luck! Every child is different.

It doesn't hurt to try. My son also showed early signs and we got him a potty for his first birthday. He would use it sometimes, especially for pooping, which he apparently didn't like to do in his diaper, but it has just been in the last month that he was completely wet-accident-free, and he'll be three in August. They kind of set their own schedule I think. We looked at it like this: every time he uses it is one less diaper to change until he decides to do it on his own.
Here's one tip no one ever told me that might have made my job easier. My son would still wet in his diaper until he saw one of his little buddies go standing up...outside! He thought that was so cool, he was pretty much done with diapers as soon as he learned how to go standing up. I have two older girls, so I didn't know this would be the key to the whole thing.

it's too soon. wait till about 24 to 32 months before you star potty training

M.,

Please don't try... I know you think this would be easier when he is potty trained, but it isn't. A 1 year old is not old enough to know or even tell us what his body is wanting to do. Just let him be a baby for now. If you have other children around him, you can see that 1 is way to young. Don't make him grow up too fast or you will have a bed wetter for life.
Start thinking of this when he is 2+ but don't get upset if it doesn't catch on until he is 3+.
When he is ready, he will do it, whether you are ready or not.

Just my two cents.. as a mother of 5

Hello M.,

There is a program I can send you that has worked for us. It's about training your child in three days. If you'd like the information, please send me your email address via a PM and I can send the PDF info. to you.

It really does work. ls

Don't have time to read all the responses, but wanted to mention T Berry Brazelton's book on potty training. It helped me immensely. He strongly emphasizes that children are self-motivated to potty, and the more parents push, as with rewards, the more children experience it as a loss of ownership of this important achievement. He also doesn't recommend beginning potty learning until ALL the signs of readiness are present, including the ability to remove his own clothes and diaper, and to tell you when he needs to go. I don't think it hurts to introduce a potty and let him explore it, but I wouldn't try to go beyond that unless there is a LOT of enthusiasm for it.

gotta go. check out the book.

One is way, way too early in my opinion. You won't be training HIM - that's not physically possible right now. You'll be training YOURSELF to take him to the potty 100 times a day. This will be more work for you, not less. I really don't see the benefit. Children need to reach a certain level of physical control to be truly potty trained and a 1-yr old just does not have it. Ask the pediatrician - but he/she will probably tell you the same thing.

M., back in the day-40-50 years ago they used to "potty train" kids at age 1 but they were really just training themsleves to set them on the stool at the right time. Most doctors will tell you between age 2-3 is best time to potty train and some are over 3 befroe trained.

We have a 2, almost three year old who has been potty trained for about 2 months now. He trained in less than a week, both potty & poopy, and he was soooo easy to train. I think way too many moms now days try to rush their kids into doing what they are not ready for, and then wonder why their kid is being so fussy. If you just wait a while, your kid will tell you when he's ready. Same thing w/ the bottle, way too many parents take their kids off the bottle too early and then wonder "why is my kid being cranky?!". Changing diapers really isn't that big of a deal, especially if it'll keep you sane until he really is ready to be potty trained. Don't rush your child, it will be much easier on you, if you just go with what is natural for him.

Go ahead and try it. I don't think it's too young at all judging from what you wrote. Just remember, it may take a little time. Have patience.
Best wishes !

Just thought I would add my .02. I have three children and each experience was different. My first I tried when he was almost two I had baby number two on the way. I pushed and he pushed back, it was a nightmare. My 2nd child started showing interest at 18 months she had it down and was great for a couple months and then regressed. I really think that my first two were probably 3 before the had it down pat. My last child, I put off potty training he begged at two and I said when your a little bigger and he would watch big brother go and he would ask for his turn. I waited until he was almost three and I told him okay your big enough. I told him you stand to pee and you sit to poop and that was it. We had one accident were he peed standing but forgot to sit to poop. We laughed I reminded him again and we were done. I am not sure if it was because we waited or because I made it privilege but my advice would be not to push it to hard, you'll both end up frustrated.