Potty- so many choices- which one?

[Snapdragon]

Which type of potty do people recommend for starting potty training with an 18 m.o boy? So far we have a small one that sits close to the ground but ds will have nothing to do with it. there are about 25 or more online at target- and so many types. Should I just get a seat that goes onto the toilet? Or a small potty? one with a back? Which ones worked for you?

[lifeguard]

We went with the cheapest, simplest seat that sits on the toilet. In fact we started with one that was a bit nicer & padded but I found the hole was not big enough/not the right shape for ds to sit on it & have his penis dangle down well. The one we have has a oval hole instead of a round hole & that works better. Bonus was that the seat is about $4 so I could put one in each bathroom, one in the car, one at my Mom's & one at the in-laws to make pling easier for everyone.

Imo it's better to skip the potty on the floor - it's just one more step to go through but obviously others feel differently 'cause the little potties are fairly popular.

[Snapdragon]

yes- I am thinking of trying one of those on the toilet ones as the little potty is not workig what so ever so far. But do I put a step or something for him to climb up to it? Also- what are those called so I can look it up? potty seat?

When I look at target online, for example- I see a bunch of little potties but only one or two of the things that go on to the toilet.

[lifeguard]

I just picked mine up at wal-mart. Potty seats or toilet seat reducers. I keep a stool in the bathroom but most times ds would still rather I pick him up & sit him on the seat.

[Snapdragon]

thanks! I will get one and try it.

[crunchy_mommy]

The nice thing about little potties on the floor is they allow them much more independence with pottying, especially if your child is small like mine! He cannot easily get onto the big potty by himself, he usually needs me to be there, but with the little potty he just goes & does his thing on his own.

My DS was resistant to potties to for a while, but the reason was more that he just wasn't ready to potty-train, not that we had the wrong type. We ended up with 3 different potties:

He hates the Safety 1st Nature Next potty, it's just not comfortable for him at all, and he'd only pee in it standing up, hates sitting on it.

A friend had the Fisher-Price Laugh & Learn Potty and he loved it so another friend gave us their hand-me-down one (and we removed the batteries) -- he really liked that it looks just like our 'real' potty, and it helped him when he was in a stage of just wanting to play potty, not really USE it much. It was pretty messy when he peed it in because it leaked a lot around the bowl. He would sit on it for fun but rarely to actually go.

His favorite (and mine!) ended up being the Ikea potty... much more comfortable for him to sit on, especially to poop, and no mess, no spots for leaks, easy to clean, easy to carry from room to room etc. The Baby Bjorn potties are very similar to this one (though I think more pricey, but smaller) and everyone I know has ended up preferring those or the Ikea one. I'd probably avoid the Baby Bjorn potty chair that has 2 pieces -- more pieces = more leaks/more to clean IME -- and stick with the BB Little Potty (like the one I linked to).

When we use the big potty, we use it without a seat reducer, which makes it much easier when we are out & about -- I don't have to carry a seat around. He will sit to poop but if he's just peeing he usually stands or kneels on the seat, facing the wall.

[Peony]

Some kids are also terrified of the big potty for a while so a little potty is a gradual introduction to get there. We do both but my kids prefer the little one in the beginning. And the ability to sit on it themselves, priceless at times!

[newmamalizzy]

We just got the simple Baby Bjorn for my 18 month old girl.  She had a different potty with several pieces and she was uncomfortable sitting on it.  She doesn't have the idea of pottying in her head yet, but she LOVES sitting on the Baby Bjorn whenever she's naked.  We have a toilet seat thing, too, but I felt that it posed too much of a change from the squat position she uses when "going.

[Baby_Cakes]

Around that age I took DD to the store and let her pick one.  She chose this froggy potty and that was that!

http://www.google.com/products/catalog?q=froggy+potty&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=shop&cid=3651849365420913195&sa=X&ei=aW9-ToeuIYH30gHjxcW8Bg&ved=0CHsQ8wIwAg

Make sure you get one that you can easily pour out and clean.

We also had the rings for the toilets which are great for car rides, etc.  We now have a smaller seat that's built into the bigger seat that flips down (tons easier to keep clean).  

[Aufilia]

We have several and my son's favorite is the Froggy Potty.  I think it may be a FP product.  I just like that it comes up really high in the front, which lowers the chance of his peeing all over the place since he has no aim.  We have the Baby Bjorn but the front is lower and he seems to have more trouble getting positioned well on it... plus that low front equals easy penis access, and then he spends the whole potty sit playing with himself. 

[Perdita_in_Ontario]

DS is 19 months, and has been ECd since 4 months. Up until now, I've had him on the toilet with a padded seat, but now that he's showing more independence, I've bought him the Baby Bjorn Big Potty, which he LOVES. He is able to get on and off it himself, and he's clearly happy on it. We also have the BB Little Potty, but he pees right over the top of that :P.  We've only had it a couple of weeks but so far it has been extremely easy to clean.

Interestingly, though, he still prefers to poop on the toilet rather than the potty. No complaints here!!