Curious-What age did you start potty training?

I am pretty knowledgable on this and am in no rush but I heard an interesting study the other day that in the 1920's-1960's kids were potty trained on average at 18-20 months and NOW in the 2000's the average age is 33 months! HUGE difference.


So I was thinking fo getting a potty around Christmas and see what happens.

He understands some concepts of bathroom behaviors.

I know boys are harder then girls.


Also-with Boys...DUMB ? but they train sitting down?

Re: Curious-What age did you start potty training?

I introduced it at 18 months..

I just had it in the bathroon, and would sit him on it time to time.

At 2yrs we started "training" he was FULLY trained by about 2.5

Re: Curious-What age did you start potty training?

I started DD in the beginning of sept. She was 2 years 2 months. However, she ask for diapers half the day and didn't want to go so I put it off. Will try again in another month or so. I have potty trained boys and started him sitting down until he really got the hang of it. Then he needed a step stool to reach though.

Re: Curious-What age did you start potty training?

mine trains sitting down....although his package is always on the seat, never under him.

Only a few times has he gone....usually he goes on it, passes gas, then gets up.

Re: Curious-What age did you start potty training?

I wasn't going to start until closer to 2.

I was trained at 16 months b/c my mom was pregnant and didn't want to deal with two babies in diapers.

I totally agree with that study, but remember, they used cloth diapers then, that is a HUGE incentive to get a kid out of diapers!!

Re: Curious-What age did you start potty training?

Posted by KateDevine

I wasn't going to start until closer to 2.

I was trained at 16 months b/c my mom was pregnant and didn't want to deal with two babies in diapers.

I totally agree with that study, but remember, they used cloth diapers then, that is a HUGE incentive to get a kid out of diapers!!

Re: Curious-What age did you start potty training?

Boy do I love you.

I had all the exact same questions and the same thought process - maybe starting at Christmas time.

Re: Curious-What age did you start potty training?

I started Jared right after his 3rd birthday and we started him sitting down. Later on I gave him the option of standing.

Re: Curious-What age did you start potty training?

Just a tip, before they start K, have your DH teach them how to use the urinal. We never had this little lesson at our house since it was just him and I and we always went in the ladies room. So the K teacher called and said he was sitting in the urinal

Re: Curious-What age did you start potty training?

Posted by Summerrluvv

Just a tip, before they start K, have your DH teach them how to use the urinal. We never had this little lesson at our house since it was just him and I and we always went in the ladies room. So the K teacher called and said he was sitting in the urinal

Re: Curious-What age did you start potty training?

Posted by dm24angel

Posted by KateDevine

I wasn't going to start until closer to 2.

I was trained at 16 months b/c my mom was pregnant and didn't want to deal with two babies in diapers.

I totally agree with that study, but remember, they used cloth diapers then, that is a HUGE incentive to get a kid out of diapers!!

thats true! I wasnt planning to start till 2 either but recently Noah was showing signs I wasnt expecting to see for a while either. But Im truly NOT in a rush , to me diapers might actually be easier KWIM? But Im curious if the age to start is as old as they are saying.

Re: Curious-What age did you start potty training?

Posted by dm24angel

Posted by Summerrluvv

Just a tip, before they start K, have your DH teach them how to use the urinal. We never had this little lesson at our house since it was just him and I and we always went in the ladies room. So the K teacher called and said he was sitting in the urinal

OMG...I just bust out laughing sooooooo hard, I may have hurt myself....

Re: Curious-What age did you start potty training?

DS is 22 months and I have not even thought about it yet....maybe closer to 3. I don't even know how to start.

Re: Curious-What age did you start potty training?

It was pretty funny! He also would pull his pants down to his ankles which is probably a little strange in a school public bathroom, so keep that one in mind too

Re: Curious-What age did you start potty training?

Posted by Summerrluvv

It was pretty funny! He also would pull his pants down to his ankles which is probably a little strange in a school public bathroom, so keep that one in mind too

Message edited 10/4/2008 9:46:10 PM.

Re: Curious-What age did you start potty training?

More kids were trained at an earlier age because most of our Mom's stayed at home.


Damien was trained when he was 3 (and an older 3 at that) and almost 4 for poop Which drove us crazy. He would hold it in all day at day care and ask me to put a pull up on when we got home (which stupid me did) When my MIL passed away we forgot to buy them and he had no choice but to poop on the toilet and that was it. It took what felt like forever for him to take an interest.

Jaidy is already asking to sit on the potty and has peed and pooped a few times. I think she will be easier to train.


Here are some readiness clues that I found online we use a similar one at my day care, we give it to the parents before we will help with potty training:

Physical signs

Can walk and run steadily.

Urinates a fair amount at one time.

Has regular, well-formed bowel movements at relatively predictable times.

Has "dry" periods of at least three or four hours, which shows that her bladder muscles are developed enough to hold urine.

Behavioral signs

Can sit down quietly in one position for two to five minutes.

Can pull her pants up and down.

Dislikes the feeling of wearing a wet or dirty diaper.

Shows interest in others' bathroom habits (wants to watch you go to the bathroom or wear underwear).

Gives a physical or verbal sign when she's having a bowel movement such as grunting, squatting, or telling you.

Demonstrates a desire for independence.

Takes pride in her accomplishments.

Isn't resistant to learning to use the toilet.

Is in a generally cooperative stage, not a negative or contrary one.

Cognitive signs

Can follow simple instructions, such as "go get the toy."

Understands the value of putting things where they belong.

Has words for urine and stool.

Understands the physical signals that mean she has to go and can tell you before it happens or even hold it until she has time to get to the potty.

Re: Curious-What age did you start potty training?

I introduced it at 18 months - but she wasnt leaving the house in underwear until she was almost 3. She was out of pullups at night by 3 1/2.

Re: Curious-What age did you start potty training?

we are starting to introduce it more now....now that miki has gone on the potty a few times, we want to really reinforce it....I would love for her to be trained by 2

Re: Curious-What age did you start potty training?

We started Thomas at 16 months. He doesn't tell us when he has to go yet, but he understands. If you ask him if he has to go pee pee on the potty, most of the time, he says yes, and when we put him on the potty, he sits there, concentrates, and then goes pee pee. He will also, about 50% of the time, also go poopie right after pee pee.

We train him sitting down. He has an Elmo potty seat that goes on the regular toilet.