When is it time to potty train?

Hey mama’s! My son will be 2 next month and I haven’t started potty training yet. He has actually peed twice a tiny bit in the potty, not empty bladder pee though. My question is what age did yall start? Should I have been started? Also so I don’t fall victim to comparison, any moms have completely healthy toddlers who don’t have any health issues causing it to take longer still wasn’t trained by 3? Also what tips do yall have that helped you the most? Thanks

21 Likes

Help a mama out and respond anonymously on our forum. When is it time to potty train? - Mamas Uncut

All kids are different. Son was 4 when he became potty trained and daughter was 2.

My daughter was 4 and my son was an older 3 when they were trained. I started at 18 months with my daughter because I thought she was ready and she wasn’t, it turned into a huge power struggle. I didn’t really train my son at all, just showed him where the potty was and walked him through the steps. He picked his day to start using the potty and that was that for him.

1 Like

Ive heard boys take longer. My son was 3 and half. My daughter is 18 months and we’re going to start soon. If hes showing signs then I’d start. Dont feel bad for not starting yet it all depends on the kid.

My son was 19months. His choice, my daughter was 2.

My son will be 3 in November. He uses the potty every now and then but isn’t fully ready yet so I’m not pushing it.

1 Like

My grandaughter is 2.5 and will sit on potty but not do anything at all think all kids are different x

As a daycare provider/mom… when they know their wet and dont like it, can undress/dress themself atleast pants up and down… can stay dry for a few hours. In my opinion closer to 3 years old

2 Likes

My daughter is 3 and not potty trained. She resisted when we tried so we are taking a break and will try again soon. Every kid is different. Just remember that you can’t force them to be potty trained!

My daughter will be 3 next month and still isn’t completely potty trained. She refuses to poop on the potty and will only pee on it if I remind her

My oldest boy was potty trained at 3 my oldest daughter potty trained at 1 and my younger daughter at 2 and my younger son is about to turn three and he has zero interest in going potty. He likes to poop outside sometimes :smirk: or pee on a couple things. Like a tree. But he doesn’t care about pooping or peeing in his underwear.

My oldest was 2 1/2 when he was potty trained and my youngest was 3 and 2 months. It just depends on the kid!! Don’t sweat it, mama!

Had both my daughters trained by 1 1/2 yrs

1 Like

Start putting your son on the potty while you run his bath water. They typically will pee just heating the water running. And go from there

My first son was potty trained just before his 3rd birthday… my 2nd son is almost 3.5 and has no interest. We’ve tried pretty much everything- so I’m not pushing it. He’ll go when he’s ready :relaxed:

2 Likes

Both of my girls were potty trained at 2, my granddaughter is 2 and is using the potty pretty well, my son is not there yet he’s only 16 months

All kids are different. You can start trying. Don’t be discouraged if he regresses, as regression is normal. Bribery is your best tool. My first trained at 2, but my 2nd didn’t train till 5. Patience is key. Good luck!!

2 Likes

My daughter was doing awesome with the potty at 1 and a half. (Even pooped in it a couple times) She’s 2 and a half now and doesn’t use it at all anymore. They just go at their own pace :slightly_smiling_face: I’ve always been told to encourage them to use it but don’t push it so they don’t get overwhelmed

1 Like

My son is so difficult to potty train… im here for the comments because I need help with this too. He’s def not like my other children. :woman_shrugging::woman_facepalming:

My son was fully potty trained at 2. He’s 5 now and still no problems.

My son was the easiest He was 2 yo. It depends o the child. Be consistent.

My 3 year old didn’t potty train until 2 weeks before i had my 4th.

Boys tend to take longer in my personal experience. Don’t force it. Try to encourage it but don’t be too hard on him. My daughter was completely potty trained, even overnight by 2. My son was day time good by 3 but night time took until he was 4.

My daughter is 3 and I’ve had a heck of a time getting her to pee on the potty. I think she’s peed maybe 2 times on it, I have taken her to the toilet and still no pee but as soon as we get outside she will literally stand there and pee!!! It’s been a heck of a time with her. We made the mistake of getting her a baby shark singing toilet not realizing the music would be distracting instead of rewarding when she does pee. So at this point I’m going to buy a more realistic toilet with zero singing and see how that goes lol My son was super easy to toilet train but his baby sister is a lot harder and she is a very healthy toddler.

My older son was potty trained by the time he was 2 but he was very interested in the potty. Second son will be 3 in November and is very upset by the potty for some reason so we haven’t been pushy about it :woman_shrugging:

My granddaughter started showing an interest in potty training when she was about 18 months. We didn’t push and by the time she was around 26 mos she was completely out of diapers, even at night.

The recommended age to start trying is 2 but it depends on the child. If they aren’t ready don’t force it.

My granddaughter was potty trained by the time she was 1.Just keep putting them on,and opening a tap,a few times a day.:blush:

All my kids I waited til they were 4. Much easier that way

They will pretty much let you know that they are ready by being interested in it. Then just be consistent. Dont go between training and taking breaks from it. That’s confusing for them. Once you start, be committed.

When ur kid shows that he is ready

Back when I was training my 3kids, they were all trained by the time they were 2.

1 Like

My opinion? The second year towards three. I personally think it’s a little easier because the understand more of the concept. Otherwise it can be very frustrating for you… Not seeing others I haven’t been trained earlier… Just my opinion. ( I raised 4 :wink:)

My son was 2 when we started potty training but he was3 before he was fully trained to use the toilet, boys are easier than girls.But each child is different so when they are ready the child will let you know.

1 Like

We’re using Go Diaper Free (at 2.5) and it’s going very well. :slightly_smiling_face:

1 Like

I have 4 boys one of which just turned 3 and he’s still not showing any interest. None were potty trained till closer to 3 and a half. Every child is different. It doesn’t hurt to pull out a potty for them so they can see it and maybe follow you into the bathroom and even just sit there. I have also trained all of my boys to sit down to use the bathroom. That helped as well.

1 Like

My son was 18 months when he was potty trained he watched his daddy

When they are ready they’re ready, I was very very fortunate Idk how it happened so easily but all 3 of my children were completely potty trained by the age of 2 , 2.5 years old at most, all I ever did was have their dad take them in the bathroom to see how " it’s," done and I did the same with my daughter, not 1 of them ever wet the bed or anything. Again I was very lucky!

My daughter and son were both fully potty trained at 4yrs.

1 Like

Depends on child I had one that was 1 1/2. Other was 2 1/2. Really depends on child

1 Like

As someone who is both a mother and used to work in the toddler room at a preschool, boys take longer generally. On average girls train around 2 and boys around 3. This is just average. My oldest completely healthy boy trained right before his 3rd bday in a week. Just take them with you when you go potty and let them sit there with no pressure. Praise success but also praise the attempt even if they don’t. They will get there in their own time.

My oldest was 3, but had accidents still for about 3 months. My middle was 3, almost 4 because she hated the idea and would scream. She also would tell me she’d bring her own diapers to school and change herself lol. My youngest is 2 1/2 and has tried the potty, but doesn’t seem quite ready yet. I suspect she’ll be 3 too lol

Around 18 months my daughter showed an interest so I would place her on the potty at diaper change time. Around 2 we got a practice potty that she used quite often. Then around 2 1/2 we took away diapers during the day and the practice potty too. She is now fully potty trained before 3, including nighttime dry. There were plenty of accidents in the first few weeks after taking away diapers but we stuck to it. Rewarded with a sticker chart, praise, treats and picking out her own big girl panties.

Follow until the child is ready. You dont need to push it.

We started at 1.5 but he wasn’t ready so we tried again at 2. He did great going number 1 on the potty but wasn’t fully (number 2) potty trained until just before his 3rd bday.

Wait until they’re ready. My sons weren’t fully trained until almost 4

1 Like

My son started showing signs just after 2 years old he will be 3 in 3 months and is almost all the way there. No accidents just pull ups at night

I tried in the 2 year range, but my son wasn’t ready. He was ready at 3.5 and caught on right away, no accidents. Waiting until he was ready saved me a lot of frustration, I think. :slight_smile:

4 Likes

Boys do tend to be slower at potty training. Just keep working with him and he will get it . They’re all different. Good luck !!

My daughter is 19 months,has a little potty and we tried for several days and she had absolutely no interest at all. So, like everything else, we’re going on her time, when she’s ready. The most important thing is to make sure they’re comfortable, showing signs and most importantly, ready to start going potty

I started training when both my kids started taking off their diapers all day long. I took them to choose their favorite underwear and a training toilet thing.

My pediatrician told me the average age for boys is 3 1/2. Wait til ready.

Your child will let you know. Dont stress about it cause most kids…like puppies…will train themselves eventually lol.
If you start too early you’ll put them off. Let them guide you. I took both of mine when I went and they eventually copied me.
Boys sit down too as a rule

My first was 2 1/2 my second was 18 months. I just started putting on the toilet early to get comfortable with it and just let them take the lead
They get the hang of it when they’re ready

It all depends on your child. Some take longer than others my daughter was potty trained by 2.5 but my oldest son is almost 4 and barely wanting to go on the toilet and I’ve been working with him since he was 2.5. He just wouldn’t.

When your child is ready. Its really not up to us. It’s up to our children. My son is 27 months and is scared of the potty.

Focus more on if he’s showing signs of being ready to potty train rather than age. If he can recognize and communicate when he’s going or when he needs to go, taking his diaper off, pulling pants down, wanting to sit on the potty, and waking up dry - those are all good signs that he is ready or will be ready soon. :+1: every kid is different, but we mostly potty trained my daughter in 3-4 days when she was 2.5 years old.

All my boys were trained before 3. We took a week and just dedicated the entire week to potty training

Wait for the signs your child is ready, like hiding in the corners when they go to the bathroom, or trying to clean themselves up, taking off diaper when it’s dirty etc, my daughter was potty trained except at night when she was 2 and my son is 18 months and we’ve slowly been potty training the past 2 months

They will tell you when they are ready. Don’t push it

A child begins to realize they have to go around 18 months. If you start then, you are teaching them to use the toilet. Much longer than that, you are retraining them and it takes longer.

1 Like

Every kid is different :blush: my middle son was a challenge to potty train but the oldest and baby have been really easy. With my youngest he basically runs naked while we’re home :joy: I keep a little potty in my living room for him and he goes on his own. I’ve just started putting regular undies on him when we leave, instead of a pull up. I had the most problem trying to get him to :poop: in the potty. He would cry saying it would give him a booboo :joy: once we got through that he’s been good to go, he’s 2. Just stay on it once you start. Don’t get too upset or angry if they have an accident. Don’t push the issue, I really think that just sets them back. I knew he was ready when he would tell me he was wet/dirty and needed a clean butt.

1 Like

Don’t have little ones but they always told me they first wake up dry put them on potty. I agree girls usually easier to potty train than boys

My son wasn’t fully potty trained till 3.5

My son started wanting to at about 20 months. Once i started putting him in underwear at 3 it just kind of clicked.

Every child is different my oldest was almost 5 out of him just being stubborn my daughter was 3 my youngest was 2 depends on the chd give it a try and see if he is interested

My grandson is 3 he knows how to use the bathroom but refuses unless he wants to his sister is 18months an shes ready I think its different for each child so dont worry when hes ready he will let you know.

Since I had two in diapers, a year apart, I tried too early with my son. At age 3 he couldnt reach the toilet so I gave him a little coffee can. Told him he could pee in it and dump it in the toilet. He thought that was cool and immediately started using the can. Although he quit wetting, pooping was way different! He was 4 by the time he pooped iin toilet and had lots of accidents. He was just to busy to come and use the bathroom.

All kids are different, my first was almost 4 and the doctor said she was rebelling and he was right. As soon as I stopped bugging her about it she started doing it on her own. Middle kid was about 2 and a half and my third was just before he turned 2. All of them were completely different so for me it’s kinda hard to give advice on this one. Personally I think they’ll let you know when they’re ready

We put cheerios in the potty for him to pee on. He was 18 months and potty trained. My girls were a nightmare and almost 5

Both my sons no problems trained after 3my daughter just before there is no rush

When the child shows interest not a mom yet but been a teacher in the 2.5-3 at a daycare for 6 years next month

My two boys were 10 months apart. I was a stay at home Mom. Both were trained as soon as they could walk. For a short time we didn’t have indoor plumbing and cloth diapers. We used a coffee can and little potty chairs. Not to say this young age was right or wrong but I was persistent and they caught on quick.

1 Like

Boys are so different from girls. My boy is 2 1/2, still not potty trained, despite my efforts. We just talk about it and try to incentivize, but he shows zero interest. They’ll let you know when they’re ready.

My oldest was ready to start on his own at 2, I tried with my middle one when she turned 2… she is now almost 3 1/2 and it’s still a struggle some days, my youngest is almost 2 and is already in the process
All babies are different!
Make it a big deal when he goes… And an even bigger deal when he tells you he needs to without you asking
Give him something to look forward to
Whether it be each time he goes or if he goes all day/week
A snack, cool underwear, a fun dinner, whatever
Good luck mama!

The only tip I have is just wait until they’re ready and don’t rush them into it. It will go much smoother.

2 Likes

If he’s showing interest encourage it but don’t try to force it. He will do it as he’s ready :relaxed:

My 3 year old son won’t go on the potty. He knows and understands but is too stubborn.

2 Likes

2 and a half I feel is the best age for boys. I have 3 boys.

2 Likes

When they’re interested. You have to make them interested. But when they’re interested, then they’ll start trying on their own. When my son turned 3, literally on his birthday, he saw his dad using the bathroom and then he was like, “I wanna try!” So he tried and ever since then he went in the bathroom. Never had an accident, never any night accidents, etc… so it’s best for them to learn when they’re ready, and interest them in it.

1 Like

Don’t compare I have 3 boys my oldest potty trained by his first birthday, second one by 3 and my middle pee on potty by 2 poop on potty well he is 5 and still makes mistakes but he has bowel issues…little humans are all different.

Honestly, it depends on when your child feels ready. Trying to do so before before can make it difficult. My oldest was potty trained by 3 years old(she’s now 9) My second was 4 years when she started(she’s now 6), my third is 4 years old and autistic so he goes pee in the toilet but not poop because he’s afraid. My youngest is 2 years old and will only pee in the shower. Lol

Started potty training my boy right when he turned 3. We made it exciting for him, we bought a cool urinal that went on the wall, made a sticker chart, etc. He picked it up in a weekend and in two weeks he was almost fully potty trained.

Boys typically are later then girls on potty training. Around the age of 2 1/2-3 they may start to pick up on it. It’s all in his cues. He will give u signs

1 Like

Try now if he’s interested in it. It takes boys longer to learn

I started my kids at 14 months same with my grandkids they all did amazing had a potty that sang songs when u peed the kids like that made them want to go all the more good luck he should be more than ready

I started at 2.5 even though I knew he wasn’t really ready and didn’t show much interest. Kinda just let it go and tried periodically. I knew he would get it when he was ready on his own. Which he did. He basically potty trained himself in one random weekend just a few months ago - he is 3.5

1 Like

Mines gonna be 3 in November
Hes proving to be a bit difficult potty training but hes also stupid strong and I refuses to fight him trying to get him to sit on the potty each time. Hardheaded, loves the word ‘no’, and seems to hate having to pull his pants down to potty hes so smart but also so stubborn at the same time ughhh

Yeah shit I have no advice, mine still wont stick to it and I’ve tried everything.

My son is 3 will be 4 in January and we just potty trained!!!

All children have a different schedule stick to trying praise when they accomplish the task n b consistent other than that it will happen when the toddler is ready!good luck❤️

Start NOW. If you wait until 3yrs it will be HARDER

One was 2.5 completely trained
One was under 2 completely trained
And one was almost 3.

I found it easiet by not buying anymore nappies or pull ups and expecting some accidents during the transition. They did catch on very quick

1 Like

My son’s pediatrician said not to even attempt it until my son was 3, because their brains are not developed enough to comprehend what they’re supposed to even be doing. He potty trained him self about 3-4 months before his 3rd birthday by doing what his daddy and older stepbrother done though.

2 Likes

Definitely recommend the book “oh crap potty training”. It covers when to potty train :relaxed:
As a first time mum who had no idea this really helped!

Tried with my son at 1 and 2 and he just wasn’t rdy and i didn’t feel right forcing him. He turned 3 in march and last month i found him on the potty peeing. Caught me by surprise! They know when they’re rdy (:

Niether of my kids were toilet trained before 3. They just weren’t ready. :woman_shrugging: so we didnt force it
My son was almost fully trained and then broke his leg and needed a full cast to his hip so he went back into pullups. 6 weeks later it came off and he went straight back to undies without a problem
My daughter is 4 in December and shes only just toilet trained over the last 8 weeks. We’re now confident in going out without changes of clothes etc. Both still wear pullups overnight.
Sounds like your little one is showing signs for day training though. Good luck!!

I always started when my boys started taking off their diapers… every baby is different tho. I would say around age 2 - 2.5 you could start introducing it. I would avoid pull ups if possible. They definitely made the process longer bc they are basically the same as diapers. Sensory plays a part in potty training. If they feel like they have a diaper on they will do what they know best and pee/poop In it. Underwear obviously feels different and won’t offer protection. Stick to it tho when you start to avoid regression and confusion. Your son seems to be interested so I hope it goes well for y’all. Best of luck.

With the boys about three or when they are captive because of winter

My son wasn’t potty trained til 4 and we didn’t put a whole lot of effort into it it will come!