My son is only 16 months old, but my husband and I think he might be showing signs of being ready to potty train. He had a bad round of diaper rash about a month ago so we let him go diaperless around the house. In that week or so he never once pooped without a diaper on and anytime he had to pee he either went into the corner to pee or sat in the middle of the floor to do it and then yelled to me and pointed to his puddle on the floor. He frequently wakes up from his nap dry and once or twice has even woken up in the morning dry. In the last week he has started pulling at his diaper and fussing right after he poops because he wants to be changed. He also seems to hold his poop in and doesn't go when he's playing. Usually he poops right after we put him in his high chair for a meal or occasionally he'll go to a corner and hide to poop. Do these seem like signs to you? I am trying to decide if he is ready for us to get a potty and just let him go if he shows interest or wait until I'm ready to train him completely. I was thinking about trying to train him when he has 2 weeks off from daycare around the holidays, although it will be a hectic time, but I'm not sure how well he'll do at daycare because he is so busy playing. How have other moms dealt with training their kids while in daycare? Oh, and as an aside he's in cloth diapers, so he definitely can feel it when he's wet or messy.
My daughter showed signs at about that age and by 18 months she was potty trained for poop!! It took a little longer for the pee but I really believe in the training as early as they seem ready.
I think those are signs, and it never hurts to try. But honestly, there is a lot more to it - like being able to focus for the time it takes to sit and wait and his motivation/interest in stopping his play to ":go.:" And there is the whole ability to pull pants down and wipe and flush and wash his hands. It is probably the perfect time to get a potty and books and videos. I don't want to be discouraging, but I would bet money he won't be trained until he is three. He is going to change a lot in the next year, and odds are even if you had success for a few days, he probably would back peddle.
These do sound like signs...I'm not sure if they're enough signs, but it's worth a try. I started potty training my son at 18 months old (though I bought him a potty at 12 mo. & he just sat on it w/ a diaper on for several months). He was fully trained, day & night at 27 months. I say try it, but don't push & see how he does. Good luck.
Sounds like my son. He is 27 months now and *almost* fully potty trained. When he around 18 months he started doing a lot of things you described your son doing. I got him a potty. He loved it for a few days but then novelty wore off. Then he would get back into every once in a while. At that point I didn't push anything - it was just there as a suggestion. The real breakthrough came when they moved him into the 2 year old room at daycare when he was around 22 months. Being around other kids and having the teachers talk to him and ask him routinely all day really helped. He started going on the potty every now and then and about a month ago, he started telling me when he had to pee - another breakthrough! So I would say yes- get a potty and see what happens just be prepared that at this age it may take a while.
As far as training at daycare, that's been a bit of struggle. When he's at home I keep him in underwear and he does great, still has the occasional accident but overall is good with it. At daycare, I was nervous about how he would be because he is busy and there are more distractions so I was sending him to daycare in pull-ups. At daycare they don't ask him every 15 minutes like do, they just ask when they do the diaper changes/potty time every 2 hours or so. So he was somewhat successful there but still peeing in his pull-up. Then last week he did so good at home I sent him in underwear and he did great! He knows that he can pee in a pull-up but not underwear so the pull-ups were making him lazy. This week, he's not doing so great and I think they want me to go back to pull-ups at daycare but I don't want to encourage the laziness so I'm leaving him in underwear for now. So from experience, daycare has been a bit of set back for potty training. It's just taken more time to get us all the way there but he is still young. I know they say a lot of boys aren't trained until 3 so if it takes another couple months, that's OK. Hope this helps.
Can't hurt to try! Why don't you buy a couple of potties and plant them around the house and let him go naked during the 2 weeks? Just let him know where the pee goes every time he has an accident and maybe he'll get it!
Definitely get a potty and let him get comfortable with it. And if there is a specific corner where he goes to to poop, put the potty right in that corner. But don't put a lot of pressure on. My son showed similar signs at 18 months and we started putting him on the potty in the morning when he woke up and asking him when he looked like he had to go. But he didn't have the ability to predict when he was going to have to go until he was 2 and a half - then he completely potty trained, day and night, in just a few days.
Also, talk to your daycare. Mine was more than happy to start taking my son to the potty right after naptime starting at about 18 months when I approached them about it.
So I would say, reward him for his interest, but if it starts to feel stressful to either you or him, back off.
He may be ready! And if he is don't miss the window of opportunity!! I actually trained my son to poop in the potty before peeing! He'd hide in the very same spot every time he had to make a poop! And then would come tell me when he was done. So one day I caught him just before he was going to hide to do his business, with as much enthusiasm as I could," Do you want to POOP on the BIG potty?" He said,"YES!" We gave him little toys as rewards and occasionally m & m's. Peeing on the potty soon followed. We never used pullups. Just thick training undies. So if you think your little guy is ready, do it!! But be CONSISTENT!! Make a schedule. Have them go when they wake in the morning, before nap time, before bed time, before an outing etc. There will be accidents but give him a week, he'll get it!! And give him all the PRAISES in the world!!!!
Good luck!!! Oh and we never purchased a potty we got a smaller seat that fit into the regular toilet seat and a stool. Good luck again!
They sound like signs to me. My daughter is 17 months old and I just put a potty in her bathroom. She loves it. It's only been 2 days and she hasn't done anything on the potty yet, but she loves to sit on it, so it's only a matter of time before she goes. Since your son seems to be on a schedule when he poops, maybe you can try putting him on the potty right before meal time, or if you see him going to hide, you can try to put him on the potty. I wouldn't force anything now, but introducing a potty now, I think will make it easier when the time comes that you are ready to potty train.
It sounds like you should at least get a potty and see what happens. Obviously he'll need help with the logistics of pulling down his pants etc but he is definitely shqowing signs.
Also, don't let anyone tell you he's too young because he's a boy and they train later etc etc. Both my boys were trained by age 2 (the second was only 21 months and taking himself, and did not regress once) so I say give it a go.
You'll only know if he's really ready by trying :)
