What kind of potty for potty training?

[monkey-lamb]

Does anyone have any information on which kind of potty is more effective for potty training - an adult toilet adapter vs a small kid-size potty? Is there any reason why I might want to use one over the other?

[physmom]

DD LOVES her Baby Bjoern, won't go on anything else. We want to get her used to toilet adapter's, though, because then it'll be easier to travel with her. We started with a baby bjoern, though, because the thought was that she could more easily learn how to sit on it by herself (she's still a little clumsy with it but she can stand up well).

[ProtoLawyer]

I have no actual scientific information, but we just used a regular toilet with my stepdaughter. When she was at home, she used the adapter ring, but when she was anywhere else, she just sat on the adult-sized seat and we helped her stay up.

From what my husband says, that decision was made so that going to the toilet in public or at someone else's house would be easier, and there wouldn't be an issue of training her to go in a plastic potty, then having to train her again to go in the toilet.

Good luck!

[Vancouver Mommy]

When it came time for ds to learn to use the potty I realized that I didn't really need or want to clean out a small bowl of poop. Toilet ring adapter it was!

[GoBecGo]

We had a few potty's, one of which lived in her room at night (she went nappy free day and night one day so we put it in there in case she needed to go and didn't have time to make it to the bathroom - she used it every morning until i put it in the garage, well after she was able to go on the full-size toilet!). For teaching her it was handy - i would "demo" on the toilet and she would sit next to me on her little potty. I too was never thrilled about washing out a bowl of poop however, and we soon bought 2 adaptors, one solid and one folding (for out and about). To be honest within a few weeks of beginning to use the adult loo with adaptor SHE ditched the adaptor and chose instead to lift the seat and sit on the bare toilet edge, which she seems to be able to balance on better. With the next one i'll have to see - i know a few women with boys who just taught them to stand next to the toilet and dangle their willy over the seat into the loo - much easier than teaching and then un-teaching to sit and then aim etc. apparently.

[tatsu15]

I think the potty should be a simple one. We bought our 21 month old this fancy potty with a lid and she's only interested in taking it apart and putting it back together instead of actually learning how to use the potty

[MissMommyNiceNice]

We use both.

At first, we used the small potty in front of the big potty. Then we moved it downstairs when things got more serious, so if we couldn't make it upstairs, he could go there. We use the ring upstairs, but he mostly uses it to poop. Peeing standing up was the best thing that ever happened to us potty learning wise. Leaps & bounds after that.

I think after the holidays, the little potty may be retired. But I'm waiting until the new baby arrives to make a decision, b/c I don't want a bunch of regression accidents to deal with. But he's been solid for the last couple of months except once at the library.

[GoBecGo]

Originally Posted by tatsu15

I think the potty should be a simple one. We bought our 21 month old this fancy potty with a lid and she's only interested in taking it apart and putting it back together instead of actually learning how to use the potty

She'll probably grow out of it soon - 21 months is very young to be potty learning. My DD was playing with her potty at 24 months, and not potty trained until 34 months. Having said that she did literally give up ALL nappies, day and night, one Tuesday in February and has had 2 pee accidents and no poop accidents since. I didn't believe it before DD potty trained, but they will do it when they're ready (i felt like DD was SOOOOO old to be in nappies when she finally ditched them)

[MaterPrimaePuellae]

The Baby Bjorn is my favorite little potty. It is so simple, easy to clean, etc. It is great for car rides, too.

We also had a safety-first very basic potty w/ the pull out basin. That one seems possibly a little more comfortable (more of a seat for her bottom), but there are crevices that make it a pain to clean.

The important thing, IMO, is to give them lots of opportunities to try different types of toilets so that they don't become attached/dependent on one.

The little potties are easier now that DD is able to take herself to the bathroom by herself, because she still is not able (or unwilling to try) to lift herself up onto the potty.

Both sets of grandparents keep rings at their house, and DD likes/uses them, too.

[iris777888]

I know this may not be helpful, but the most effective seems to be whatever the child prefers! We had both the BB little potty and the BB toilet insert and DS would have nothing to do with the little potty for the most part. He only wanted to use the insert like mama and daddy. Still, I've seen other little kids do just the opposite, prefer the comfort of the little potty (no scary flushing or being high up), can do it on their own sooner, can move it around to other rooms, etc. If you have the money, I'd vote for getting both and seeing what the kid gravitates towards using.

[Nimbus]

We had a fancy one with a removable bowl, a ring insert, and a one-piece shaped much like a Baby Bjorn but from Ikea. My ds used all of them, but didn't like the ring on the big potty much. We ended up stashing the Ikea potty in the car for emergencies and long car rides. It's been helpful, even last year when he was 5. I'm thinking we'll just get another one of those for dd when she's ready.

[sapphire_chan]

We got both the BBLP (actually 2) and a seat reducer at about the same time. Total cost for all 3 was under $40 (Would've been about $24 for just one potty and the seat reducer).

Oh, and for the few poops that stick enough to need actual cleaning instead of just being dumped, get one pack of those disposable disinfectant wipes. Most poops are a matter of just dumping them out, rinse the potty, spritz with disinfectant. One poop out of 10 has bits left that would need actual washing. If you aren't squeamish, you could also use whatever your family uses for TP plus your disinfectant solution to do that.

And word of warning, the poop that doesn't entirely make it into the toilet when they sit on the seat reducer is worse than the poop stuck in the little potty. Happens less often than the stuck poop.

[SparklingGemini]

Since DD was diaper-free so early(completely out of diapers, 24 hours a day by 19 months) we preferred the potties on the floor that she could easily access herself. Now, at 2.5, she can get herself onto the big potty without an insert. If its a tall toilet, she straddles it backward and if its shorter, she pushes herself up.

As for which ones we liked? Baby Bjorn. Hands down.

We have the regular one in the house(one upstairs, one down) and the Little Potty in the car.

I used to be a nanny and have been through the gambit of potties. The BB really is the most awesomely simple potty ever.