Ready for Potty Training?

Most children show a real interest sometime in the 18 month area, and if you get them quick you can often train them, but if you aren't constant they'll lose interest again. My son was doing really well at that age but we only had a bathroom upstairs and I was very pregnant and then had an infant, and I didn't always take him as soon as he needed, so he ended up being 3 1/2 before he was trained. So give it a try, but keep it up for a few weeks very constantly.

As for the running around peeing on stuff, what is the possibility that the first time he did it, someone (probably Dad) laughed. Now he thinks it's really funny and doesn't really believe how upset you are about it, or enjoys getting a reaction from you. Quit airing his bottom before bath time. It really isn't necessary, as you're gonna get him wet again in just a minute anyway. It would make more sense to let him go without a diaper after the bath (he'll probably pee in the bathwater if you don't have him go potty before putting him in, though. Maybe you could get a special new bath toy that he gets to play with if he goes in the potty before his bath, and remind him each night that he gets the toy as soon as he pee pees.

I am a mother of two boys my oldest is almost 3 years old. We started sitting my son on the potty around 18months he figured out what to do on it by 20 months and he was fully potty trained two months after his 2nd birthday. I suggest that you introduce him to a baby potty and explain what it is for let him decide if he wants to do it. It is usally around 2 years that children are ready to be potty trained. Don't force him though 'cause that will definately backfire.

I think your son is ready for potty training. My son thought the bathtub was a great place to go number two at about that age. One time my husband took his diaper off and he peed in the bedroom. While my husband was cleaning that up my son ran into the livingroom and took care of number two in front of the TV. I was in Iraq while this was going on, so it was funny to me:-) My husband went full speed into potty training and my son actually potty trained pretty quick. Maybe when you take his diaper off place him directly on the toilet. When he pees make the biggest deal out of it so he thinks he has just done the best thing in the world. Good luck:-)

i agree with margarite (sorry didn't catch spelling before i hit "respond"). 19m is WAY too young. he's just having fun and enjoying the reaction. i would love to also have a hose; it must be so much easier! face it (sigh), grown men love to pee on whatever they can find. at least the ones i've known. if my ex-dh could have run around the house peeing on stuff and get away with it, he probably would have.
my ds learned the potty by himself by age 3 in the day; poop and night came later, but i never pushed him about it. he was interested at 18m or so, but thank the gods someone told me he'd lose interest before he'd gain it again, or i would have lost my mind!
don't worry, mama-- it all happens in good time. meanwhile, i sense that you are less stressed about him learning the potty than you are about the spraying of the house, and inappropriate pottying. i don't know what to say...i guess make SURE nobody is laughing when he goes around the house. and i agree with the mama who said take his dipe off just before tubby. if he takes his own dipe off i have heard several things to keep them on (i didn't have the issue): putting dipe on backwards, i've even heard of mamas using duct tape, lol).

good luck!

He is not ready. Keep the diaper on him until you actually put him in the bath. When he starts telling you he ahs gone peepee in his diaper or shows signs of needing to go poop before he actually goes then he is ready to being potty training. Don't rush him. 19 months is to young to expect much more than the fluke occasional potty experience. If you're going to let him run around naked before bath time expect to clean up after him!

If he is dry in the morning 5 days out of the week, by all means girlfriend, capitalize on this moment! Get some books to read together about going potty, really play it up. Go for the gold! My eldest was fully trained at 19 months. It can be done! At this point, you might can skip the whole pull-ups thing! Whatever you do, be consistent. Here's what worked for me...stay home for 3 days, take him every hour on the hour as best as possible. Sit him down on the toilet backwards, and let him aim at the water, cheerios, whatever.Tell him-it's time to go potty!- not do you need to go- and help him train himself. At night, put several towels on the bed until you know he's really trained, in his big boy underwear.(That way if he does have an accident, it's easier cleanup.) When it comes to poop-take notice of his natural rhythm (AM or PM pooper)and take him to the potty around that time. Take several books with you and read until he goes. This gets his mind off the task at hand, and allows him to relax. I used a potty insert for the poop part. You can find them with the potty chairs and stuff. When you go out,take him to the potty right before you leave, when you get to where you're going, and before you leave. I know it's a lot, but this is one of the greatest challenges that can be done simply if you have a plan. Don't forget to take several changes of clothes at first; accidents will happen, so be prepared. Put a towel on his seat as well-easy clean up. Presto! Done in a week! This method has worked for me 4 times over at various ages. You can do this! Be Blessed!

Sounds like he is ready for potty training to me. This may work for you, this is what I did. My son was 18 months old, and he use to love to play. He didn't want to stop playing to go potty, so I made up a silly game. We would use a coke bottle, not my son is now 27 so this was a long time ago, and we would see how far he could fill it up. We would mark it on the bottle with a marker and then go empty it into the potty. He'd laugh and always try to fill it up higher the next time. It was fun to him and he never wet the floor. Maybe you could try this. It sure would beat wetting the closet.

K.

Dawn,
I don't have any personal experience with potty training a boy. But I'm a nurse, and I can tell you I was taught that children are not physically ready for potty training until 2 years of age. Prior to the age of 2, children do not have sphincter control. The sphincter is the muscle that controls urine flow. There is also an anal sphincter which, of course, controls the release of stool. Anyway, I'm sure that age 2 is an approximate age and that some children may possibly get sphincter control a bit sooner. However, maybe you should try to wait a few more months just to be sure that it's not a physical issue. Hope this helps!

Well I wouldn't say that he's not ready. The average age to start potty training is about 22 months. He could be ready, he just doesn't want to coorporate. Like mine, he was the same way at that age. When he was in a crib (and didn't know how to climb out yet), he would take his diaper off and pee right on the floor in his room. It gets irriatating I know what you mean. At that age my son was interested in using the potty for a little while then all of a sudden stopped. So I didn't force him and just decided to wait until he was ready. Well he never told me he was ready or ever tried to use the potty again. So about 2-3 weeks ago I stepped it up and started him on the potty training and he is 32 months now and he's not having any problems with it. Yea he's got a few accidents.

I know your only problem is being able to catch him and have him sit on the potty for a while. All I can suggest is maybe try putting the chair in a different room and give him something to drink and have him sit on the potty when he's drinking (if you can). Or even give him a book or put his favorite show on, maybe he'll forget about what he's actually doing.

Hi Dawn,
I am a mother of two small boys. I think that he is giving you the signs that he is ready. I have always been told that as soon as they know what the toilet is for and as soon as they take off their own diaper that its time. Time to start setting up a time schedual, every hour worked for me until he was ready to go on his own. Hope this helps:)