SAHM and Daycare Moms - Potty Training and Age of Child

At what age do you start potty training and, if it applies to you, does your daycare have a policy stating a child must be potty trained by such-and-such age?

I'm curious because the Regional Inspector for DS's daycare made a comment that all children should start potty training by 18 mos of age. Her point of reference was apparently her own daughter as she was fully potty trained at 18 mos.

Personally, I thought 18 mos was a bit young to regulate that a child must be pottytrained,especially since some children may need a bit more time.

Thoughts?

Re: SAHM and Daycare Moms - Potty Training and Age of Child

My daughter was potty trained at 34 months. That was about a month ago She'll be 3 in October.

She didn't go to a daycare center, but a babysitter's house instead. She didn't mind that she wasn't potty trained yet.

I personally think that 18 months is VERY young for ALL children to start potty training. Some kids will be ready to train at that age, but I'd say that most wouldn't be.

Re: SAHM and Daycare Moms - Potty Training and Age of Child

I think 18 month is a little young to expect a baby to be potty trained, i know there are exceptions and babies that are at that age do get trained. I totally think it's up to the child to be ready. Not even sure if most babies that age even can physically hold it in or recognize the sensation of bowel movement to control it.

My PED told me not to expect readiness until about 3 years old, sometimes longer.

My DD is 2 and we have the ring that goes on the toilet, and we try to put her on it. She only tells me when she has to go #2 then refuses to go on the toilet. SO i know she's not ready at all.

WE mention it and try to talk it up, but i'm not going to push it.

When my kids were in daycare, my daycare wanted them trained by the time they were in preschool around age 4.

Message edited 8/14/2008 11:09:04 AM.

Re: SAHM and Daycare Moms - Potty Training and Age of Child

First, I don't know any child IRL who was trained under age 2. I started at 24 months with DD, but it wasn't until 9 months later that she was fully trained. In fact, she had virtually no interest for most of those 9 months. Once SHE was ready, it was a snap for us.

I'm a SAHM, but we were under the gun to get her trained by her 3rd b-day in September since that is when she's starting nursery school.

Re: SAHM and Daycare Moms - Potty Training and Age of Child

I thought maybe there was some new craze going on that I missed the memo on. I've always thougth that as long as DS was potty trained by age 3, he'd be on schedule. My niece will be 2 this month and does go on the potty (as for the past month or so) but it's when she wants to; my SIL doesn't say "you have to do this". I was just curious to know what everyone else's experience is/was like.

Re: SAHM and Daycare Moms - Potty Training and Age of Child

we will be starting soon with dd, she is almost 17 months. If she was trained by 2, I will be thrilled

Re: SAHM and Daycare Moms - Potty Training and Age of Child

I started at 3 years old and he is *almost* trained 2 months later.

Re: SAHM and Daycare Moms - Potty Training and Age of Child

I think 18 months is a bit early also. There's so much pressure to start things so early - potty training at 18 month, flash cards at 9 months, etc.... Taking the diaper off at 15 months is usually not a sign of being ready for potty training IMO. Most of the time it's just a new trick they learned that makes mommy/daddy jump and baby laugh.

We didn't start with Nate until he was 2 yrs old, even then it was just putting him on the toilet once a day. The daycare really deserves the credit, we just reinforced it at home. He was daytime trained a few months shy of his 3rd b-day.

Message edited 8/14/2008 12:40:18 PM.

Re: SAHM and Daycare Moms - Potty Training and Age of Child

My DS is turning 2.5 next month, and I'm just starting potty training now. He's been showing signs of readiness for a couple months now, but I needed to wait due to 2 vacations we took over the summer, lol.

That said, my son was nowhere near ready for potty training at 18 months. Forget it, it would have been a failure. His first signs of readiness were after 2. My mom said I was definitely being trained at 18-19 months so I know it IS possible, but it certainly wasn't in our house!

Re: SAHM and Daycare Moms - Potty Training and Age of Child

I am almost postive I am able to get DS into the nursey school I want come Oct. (he has to be 2.5 to start). They do not have to be potty trained to go their. The director changes all the diapers. I believe that they will only change dirty diapers and not wet since the program is only 2.5 hours.

Re: SAHM and Daycare Moms - Potty Training and Age of Child

18 months! That's crazy- I have a potty but my DD is no where near being potty trained. Each child is different.

Re: SAHM and Daycare Moms - Potty Training and Age of Child

WOW .. I think 18 months is a bit young!

DS is 22 months and we aren't even attempting the potty until after his 2nd birthday. I KNOW he isn't ready for it, and I don't want to rush it along really ....

Re: SAHM and Daycare Moms - Potty Training and Age of Child

I am waiting until 3. If he shows interest that I will try earlier but at this point I will wait.

Re: SAHM and Daycare Moms - Potty Training and Age of Child

I agree with everyone else that 18 months is much too young. My DD is 21 months and is nowhere near being ready. I'm hoping to start introducing the idea to her slowly this fall, just before her second birthday.

Re: SAHM and Daycare Moms - Potty Training and Age of Child

That's what I thought. It's when they show an interest. I think I'm just peeved that a supposed well-regarded Daycare Inspector would say it should start at 18 mos. Who the fudge is she to tell anyone what to do with their child?

Re: SAHM and Daycare Moms - Potty Training and Age of Child

18 months is VERY young.
DS#1 was trained at 2 years and 7 months, DS#2 was trained at 2 years and 8 months, and I thought THAT was young!

Re: SAHM and Daycare Moms - Potty Training and Age of Child

My son was nowhere near ready at 18 mos and I could see no need to do it then. He trained a right before he turned 3. He may have trained earlier if I pushed it around 2.5 (started going here and there and showed real interest) but I had a new baby and personally wasn't ready to push it. Diapers were so much easier at that time.

Re: SAHM and Daycare Moms - Potty Training and Age of Child

I agree with most of the other responses. yes there will be *some* kids who will be trained by 18 months but on average, I'd say closer to 2 1/2 - 3. Some younger, some older. My DS was 2 months past his 3rd bday and was fully potty trained overnight - both peeing and pooping - with minimal accidents. My DD was PT'd at 2 years, 3 months old. But lots of peeing accidents. So maturity-wise (physically and intellectually) there is no way every child can do it.

You say the Regional Inspector said this...was it a comment or something that they are instituting? I would think someone who is in the childcare field would have to provide more of a reference point than what their own child did.

Re: SAHM and Daycare Moms - Potty Training and Age of Child

18 months sounds a bit young, IMO. though I do know it is possible, but it's definately not the norm.

I was going to wait until after 2 years, but he changed his own diaper twice so I think I'm going to introduce it.

ETS: by changing his own diaper, I mean taking off the dirty one and throwing it in the garbage

Message edited 8/14/2008 2:18:42 PM.

Re: SAHM and Daycare Moms - Potty Training and Age of Child

Jacob will be 3 in December and he is not potty trained yet. He is showing "some" signs of interest, but right now we are in the process of a move, and I cannot comitt to him right now with packing and unpacking.. when we get settled, I will do a potty boot camp with him for a week or so,, and he will be just shy of 3 so I think that will work. If not, I will wait.

The child needs to be ready, if they arent, it will not work. I also dont have the problem of preschool yet, since he turns 3 at the end of the year, the place I want to send him wont take him until NEXT september.. he misses the cutoff date, like he will for kindergarten.

So i have a bit more time. But i do def think 18 months is VERY early. My niece was trained when she was 22 months and I thought THAT was early!

Re: SAHM and Daycare Moms - Potty Training and Age of Child

First of all, what kind of professional person states anything about their own child in a report? That's completely unprofessional, and I think THAT'S more of an issue here than being potty trained at 18 months. (Which, btw, is totally possible, yet very, very young in my opinion).

Re: SAHM and Daycare Moms - Potty Training and Age of Child

I introduced the potty at 18 months, but didnt start trainiing until 24 months.

At 30 months I went hard core with the training and he was completly pee-pee trained @ 30 months, and about 2 months later he was 100% trained.

In DS daycare they start traing in the 2yr old room.

They HAVE to be trained in order to move onto the 3yr old room- since the rooms are not equipped to change diapers.

Re: SAHM and Daycare Moms - Potty Training and Age of Child

My DD started to show interest at around 20 months - when she asked, I put her on the potty but I didn't push it. When she started a new daycare at 22 months, she really became interested. She was the youngest in the class but I guess she wanted to be like the older kids. She was in underwear by 24 months and completely accident free by 26 months. At around 28 months, I became brave enough to stop putting on the pull up at night (even though she had been dry every morning for the prior 2 months). Although, she was trained early, I really give most of the credit to her daycare teachers (and peer pressure ) but they in no way forced it on her.

Re: SAHM and Daycare Moms - Potty Training and Age of Child

Re: SAHM and Daycare Moms - Potty Training and Age of Child

Julia was fully potty trained at 2 1/2, she actually decided to go on the potty herself one night and never went back to wearing diapers again, she didn't have any accidents either, she wears underwear to bed too.

I feel that they can start to learn at an early age, but its having them tell you before they go thats the problem, and that usually doesn't happen till they are at an older age.

I just hope Todd Jr is potty trained just as easy!