When did you guys start potty training your child? What's the sign that your child is ready? DS is turning 2 tomorrow, and for a week now, he's been taking off his clothes and diapers and running around naked in our house. Maybe its a phase that they go through, but he finds a corner somewhere and pees. When I let him sit down in his little "toilet" he just gets up and put his foot into the hole. I'm getting frustrated now because he takes his clothes and diapers at night too and pees on the bed. My patience is running out, and I'm thinking of maybe I should wait another year to try again. What do you guys think?

Ohh yeah how do you get rid of that pee smell in the mattress? I'm thinking of throwing that thing out since DS peed on it for the past week.

I am in your exact boat now. We have not had any success with the little potty, but my ds seems to like the big one. You may want to try getting one of those cushion things for the seat and a stool. hth

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When my kids started staying dry at night, we started trying during the day (at the age of 2). It just depends on the kid. Maybe let him choose some underwear he likes? Ask him frequently if he wants to use the potty etc I was very low pressure about it with my kids. My kids liked to aim at cheerios in the toilet. You can talk to your ped about potty training next time he goes in for a visit to better gauge if he's ready or not and what to look for.

If he's taking off the diaper at night, you might want to put it on backwards or duct tape it on so he can't do that.

You may not be able to get the smell out of a mattress...do you have him sleeping on a waterproof pad? If you don't, that will help since the urine won't even get to the mattress. I liked the crib ones that weren't "plastic-y"...I would just use two or three, overlapping them slightly, over the width of the mattress, underneath the sheet. Well worth the $$ IMO.

It takes a few months (if not longer) to fully potty train. I would just try to be low key about it and see what happens. Try not to get too frustrated, it will come in time.

Taking there on clothes off is just a new milestone totally separate from potty training.
I wouldn't start potty training till you are absolutely sure you both are ready or you may just be starting the battle of your life. Most kids are closer to 3 when they are ready. I would leave the potty chair in the bathroom, let them go in with you and say things like when you are big enough you can go potty too. (like it's something good to look forward too) And you'll find one day they will be asking to sit on the potty.
So, here are the top 10 signs that your toddler is ready to master the potty:

1. She's able to walk well on her own, and can pull down her own pants (elastic waistbands are good for this) and diaper.

2. She shows that she's aware of what's going on in her diaper-- either by saying something like "poo" or by looking uncomfortable when her diaper is full, or pausing in her playing.

3. She's interested in what you do in the bathroom, coming in to watch from time to time. She might help to flush, or wave "bye, bye" to the departing poop.

4. She's not completely caught up in needing to say "no" to everything you suggest (the automatic "no" stage is usually between about 18 and 30 months.)

5. She has tried to sit on the potty, with her pants and diaper on, and doesn't seem to mind it. She feels "friendly" towards "her" potty.

6. She understands when you ask, in a mildly interested way, "Do you need to use the potty?"

7. She's fascinated by putting things into containers (blocks into the box, pouring sand or water in and out of a bucket.)

8. She feels proud when she can do something "all by myself."

9. Her diaper is dry and clean often for a couple of hours at least.

10. She's interested in "big girl underpants."

Most children are ready to start potty training around age 2-1/2, some not till age three. You might put the potty out for them to get used to some months before then.

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I was going to post something on a similiar line to this. My dd (2 next Friday) was constantly taking off her pants and diapers and running around naked. She would want to sit on the potty like 10-15 times a day and was driving me nuts with it. So I put regular undies on her the other day and the first time she peed her pants, then the next time she started to pee her pants and finished on the potty.... stayed dry the rest of the day (yes going on the potty the rest of the time). Today she's been dry all day and it's lunch time. I think when they decide they want to do it they will. I am optimisticly hoping that this isn't a fluke and lasts.

Oh I forgot to mention she's wearing her pants again too!

I'm going through this with my 19mth old ds, daycare potty trained my dd when she was 18mths old. The way they did it and I'm going to try is just to put him in ordinary boys underwear, the first time she had an accident they put her on the potty, the next time she had one they took her there while she was doing it, next time she ran to the room herself and then that was it. I know ds is only 19mths but she was 18mths and he is showing all the signs mentioned above plus it's too expensive to buy two lots of diapers with his baby sister now here.

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I was very low pressure with my daughter as well. When she first turned two I bought a potty for her. She would sit on it, but do nothing. When she was 29 months she started to tell me she needed to pee when I took her out of the bathtub. And she peed in the potty seat a few times like that. But she wouldn't tell me when she had on a pull up. I bought a little toilet seat thingy that you put over the toilet seat thinking she might like that better. So one Saturday I decided to try it out with something new. I let her run around with out any panties or pants on and it worked! She told me every time she needed to pee. Then that Sunday I put panties on her and she still told me everytime. From that Saturday forward she has been potty trained. She has had a few accidents, but not many (she is now 3 yr 3mo). I still put a pull up on her at night just in case.