When?

We put a mat on the floor and started with naps, once he was staying put we got a twin bed, we never did the tot bed.

We put a potty in the bathroom when son was probably around one just so it would not be a new thing for him when it came time to use it. He would come and sit on it as a seat when I was in there or when we were getting the bath ready.

It's been a long time and I had a girl, but we used the approach of her being a big girl now and big girls tell Mommy when they have to go to the potty and sleep in a bigger bed. The bed transition was easy, but the potty was a little harder to do, but we made it. My suggestion when you get ready for the bed is to let him go to the store with you and maybe pick out what he wants for the sheets and blanket. If he likes Disney, cars, sports, or anything else that may be where you need to start. If he has what he likes, he will be more apt to use it and stay in bed better. The potty training went a little longer than I thought it would, but worked out. We offered a cookie and milk or a piece of candy or to buy a new toy or something that they liked. Gradually, we were able to get away from the rewards every time. We also would laugh and praise each time. That seemed to be enough reward at times. Good luck. It may work for you or may not. It's only a suggestion.

Don't rush it - try and if he looses interest forget it for a week or two then try again. They really will let you now when they are ready. We introduced the potty at 2 and let him sit on it whenever he wanted, sometime with a diaper on. I never used a reward system - just always praised any effort with potty dance and maybe some extra one on one time. He was about 3 and a half when he really got it and I felt comfortable taking him out in public. He will turn 4 tomorrow and we still have accidents at night but it always wakes him up - just not in time so we will get there and for the most part he is dry in the mornings. He was my second to potty train - I started the first at 2 years and it was a long road of battling and bribes.

I would wait until he is 3 to potty train. Studies show that the earlier you potty train the longer it takes. Wait until he is ready and it will take a day or two. It doesn't matter when you start, you will finish at the same time.

Don't be in a hurry on the toddler bed. If he is the crib you know he is safe. We never bought a toddler bed, but went strait to a twin with a rail. If the crib you have converts, thats different. Ours did not convert. Until he is leaping out (mine never did) or he needs to get up to go potty, I would keep him where he is. Probably by 3 he will want a big bed.

I would wait on both things for a while. I would suggest perhaps moving him to a toddler bed for his birthday. Begin talking about it that at age 2 you get a big boy bed. Ease him into it slowly. Have him nap there first. Sit by the bed and read to him while he lays on it. If you do not have any pressing need to move him out of the crib (new sibling or climbing out) then let it go slowly. We transitioned our daughter to a twin bed a little bit after she turned two. I personally think toddler beds are a waste of money. I had baby #2 three weeks after she turned two. We bought her a bed and set it up in her room. I napped with her in the bed before the baby was born and then after the baby was born took it slowly. I tried to get her to lay there at night but if she did not want to I put her back in the crib. I did not want her to fear her new bed. Finally one night after story time and prayers she asked to sleep in her big girl bed. She has not been back in the crib since and that was over 9 months ago. She loves her bed.

As far as the potty training goes wait until he shows interest or start trying when is a bit older like 2.5. Boys are hard to train. I have only trained my daughter as my son is 9 months old. But my nephew who is three is not yet trained. I have heard advice (even on here) that if they aren't ready it will take a long time. I waited until my daughter was 2.5 and it took 3 days.

Good Luck on both these issues and enjoy your little one. They grow up so fast.
K.

Go to babycenter.com They have a really good checklist to determine if your little one is ready to start potty training. On the toddler bed, I say hold off as long as it is safe. If your son is not climbing out and he's comfortable in there, let it be. He's not up and roaming the house. When my oldest, now 10, first went into a big boy bed, he got up and thought he would help. He wanted to suprise mommy by doing some housework. Well, have you ever tried to clean coco wheats out of a dishwasher? Not the easiest thing in the world. Just some thoughts. Good luck, T. M.

Hi K.,

I am definately no vet in any of these issues.
My experience with my 2yr old - 25 months to be exact, has been relatively simple in some areas.

For instance, bedtime had never been an issue and we transitioned her to a toddler bed at 21 months. She screamed a few nights and then was fine, never got off the bed until 3 months later, when we took the paci.
Then it was a nightmare, we had to regress to putting the toddler side of the crib up against the wall to do this differently.

I have tried putting her on the potty and she freaks out and screams so I don't force her so it doesn't become a real resistance.

I think children mature at different times.

My MIL and her best friend "claim" their kids were potty trained at 9 months and 18 months. Dressed and undressed themselves, they claim.

However, as much as she brags of his independance (my BIL) and his early development, at 40, and having been with his brother nearly 10 years, I am yet to meet a friend, a girlfriend and he still comes to moms house and expects dinner - HIS WAY - 4 or 5 times a week lol.

So, I wouldn't put all my eggs in one basket, potty training them, beds whatever, it doesn't mean they will or won't bee well adjusted as adults, it all comes when it's time for them I suppose ;) I try to be easier on myself.....

Anyway... I'm rambling.
Amy

i think that you should let your son follow his dad into the bathroom when he goes so he will get interested that way and it may start the potty training prosses sooner. thats what happened with my daughter, i let her follow me into the bathroom and we are starting potty training and she will be 2 in sept. hope this helps :)

Hi K.,

If he still sleeps well in his crib and makes no attempt at crawling out, keep him in it for now.

My experience:
1st daughter was easy baby, but I made the "mistake" of nursing/rocking her to sleep, so by 20 mos she HATED her crib! That entire summer we let her fall asleep in our bed then put her in crib, finally that autumn at 23mos she was ready for a twin bed w/ a side rail (other side against the wall.) She adjusted after awhile, still needed me to lay down w/ her for awhile, but she was my only so I didn't mind! She's almost 10 now.

I also have 3 1/2 yr-old twins. Around 2 1/2 they managed to crawl into the cribs at playtime, and eventually crawl (fall!) out...so time for 2 toddler beds. This is where the twin advantage came into play...they just looked at each other, saw that their twin wasn't crying, and that was that. Sorry this scenario doesn't apply to you...but maybe reading a story (or making one up) of his fav character at bedtime might help.

Potty-training: pooping has always been tough. 1st daughter ok w/ peeing by 2 1/2, finally pooping all the time at 3yr 5mos. Twins are 3yrs 7mos and still struggling w/ the poop issue. My boy's BMs are soft and frequent, so he'll go in the middle of play and I don't think he even knows he goes; my little girl's BMs are harder and less frequent, so she really has to find a place to relax and unfortunately the toilet is not that place. I'm desperately searching for ways to modify diets if needed...but of course they expect to eat the same meals! But I really don't care what others think, they're my kids and I know it'll happen when it happens.

Keep that in mind w/ your boy!

And books, forget the author, but I once read "The Happiest Toddler on the Block" and it helped tremendously w/ the twins' bedtime so I wouldn't repeat the pattern I did w/ my oldest.

Take care,
K.

Hi K.,
I had problems with my two older girls when they were toddlers..on the whole bed thing. They would never sleep in their own bed, until they were 2 and 4 years of age. My now two year old had slept in her crib until she was 23months old, she learned how to crawl out of the crib, so we turned her crib into the toddler daybed. She's been there since. We've boughten the potty early too. Just to introduce it to her. How we found out she was ready is that she started taking her diaper off, but the other signs was that she started following us into the bathrooms and she would sit on her potty, act like she flushes and than closes the lid. Not that she really did it. But she has been off and on the thing. She now does it when she's ready. But other signs of child readiness in the potty thing is A dry diaper up to atleast 2hours during daytime, while asleep, they don't wet or poo in the diaper until they are awake, they start making guestures of wanting to go potty. And the whole 24months or after isn't always correct, my 2year old started trying before she was two, and my other two were potty training at age 12 to 18months of age. You can check out www.huggies.com or parentingbulletin.com, or parenting.com...good luck!

um...if they can verbalize that they pooped it's time to potty train. I think 3yrs old is ridiculous and it is one of my biggest pet peeves to see kids much older than 2-2 1/2 still wearing diapers. My first was potty trained right about 21 months and our second, who is 19 months now, will start soon. My second should be a cinch because he already points at his diaper when he needs to be changed.

though it may take a little longer to potty train younger, it is well worth it.

The way that I potty trained is keep an eye on the times of day they pee/poop. Then when you know it's coming soon, take off a diaper and put them in front of the tv on a little potty seat. Sometimes you might have them get up and walk away and pee on the floor, but use it as a learning experience for them and ask "did you just pee?" Because they might not know exactly what "peeing" is yet. Then show them the potty and say, from now on, this is where you have to pee, like a big boy!"

I don't know, maybe that's not your style, but it worked for me. You just have to find something that works for you and your little cutie.

Hi K.,

First of all, here's the good news: both of these things will happen and there's absolutely nothing to stress over.

The way we introduced a toddler or even a "big boy bed" was to start with naps on things such as the sofa or a mat on the floor - something that didn't have rails. This was just to get our kids used to sleeping in something without sides when we were up and awake and could make sure they didn't fall off. Then when they got used to that, we started naps in the toddler bed with the crib still up for nights. Then we did nights in the toddler bed as well. We made it more of a transition than a big whammy change.

As to potty training, lots of times boys ar a little more slow to catch on or even WANT to than girls. At least that's been my experience. Our son turned 2 on April 1 and we still haven't tried to introduce it yet. Things that you commonly look for when they are ready to train are an interest in mom and/or dad going to the bathroom, an awareness that you can MAKE urine come out at will (my son's just figured that out and is so impressed with himself), an awareness that he is wet or dirty and needs to be changed, and then him telling you he needs to be changed and going to get the "gear" for you. When our kids did all this we knew it was about time. I also had our sons go with their dad when he went to the bathroom so he could see what you did in there. We used a step stool and the toilet rather than a potty chair. Cheerios or frootloops in the toilet help encourage participation and improve aim. Pooping on the potty chair to start helps or getting one of those mini toilet seats to keep them from being scared to fall in. Poop usually takes a little longer, but it all come out in the end so to speak.

Don't worry. You will figure it out and your child will start school sleeping in a big bed and pooping in the potty, so just relax and enjoy this time. Patience is th key. If you act frustrated during the transition lots of times they will back pedal or just plain old dig their heels in out of frustration as well.

Good luck and enjoy the awesome ride!

L.

Just finishing up potty training my son. I introduce to DVDs like POtty Power and Once Upon a Potty....There is a book to ago along with the DVD (once upon a potty) and my son took it upon himself to potty train. I had it very easy. At first he would get just one M&M just to sit on the potty. After that, it just took it himself and decided to go.
We had trouble with goign #2 on the potty, so we motivated with stickers on a chart and prizes like Thomas the Train etc. Anythign that would get him excited to go. From what I hear, It's very unusal for a boy to be 100% potty trained this early (he's 2.5), but I truely think they do it when they are ready, so don't pressure him.

Hey K.,

Don't be in a big rush to move him. I have 2 boys. My oldest was moved to a "big boy bed" at around 18 months because I wanted him to have plenty of time to adapt to his new room with his brother coming. It was a rocky transition (because he slept pressed up against the rails of his crib). But it took about a week. I left both his crib and the new bed up and started in his old and moved him to his crib if he got too anxious. We actually only did it for the first 2 nights. After that, it was just getting him settled, and he did just fine. If you are not in a crunch to have another crib available, take your time. Maybe around 2? You still have a few months.

As for potty training... WHEW! We are just now getting that worked out with my oldest (he will be three next week). I learned a trick that I wish I'd been better about when we first started at 18 months as well. First, most children are not ready physically until 22 months. You can practice before, but make your expectations LOW! Some advice I received (late obviously) was to be diligent. Stay on your child 24/7 for 3 days. Remind him hundreds of times per day "if you need to potty, be sure to let Mommy know". Do NOT let your child out of your sight, except for naps and sleep at night ( but listen to your monitor for stirrings). Keep things very positive. LOTS of praise for success, and only gentle corrections for failures . Like "remember, you have to tell mommy BEFORE you go potty so we keep our pants dry." They will get frustrated, they will cry, don't keep them on the potty, just make it quick (otherwise it feels like a punishment). Have little rewards (M&Ms and a successful potty chart were big hits at my house). I didn't think it was going to work, but we are on day 4 and he hasn't made a mistake today. As of Monday he had never made it through the night without wetting himself. He has been dry EVERY single night since! Wish I knew this a year ago! Best of wishes.