Potty seat/chair recommendations?

• 0 votes

  Our son is almost 17 mo old, and he seems to be tugging on his diaper when it's wet or poopy.  So we are going to purchase a potty...  Do you have recommendations between the potty versus the toilet seat?  Should we get both?  What brands would you recommend?  I was on Amazon reading reviews, and there were different sizes of potties, implying that we might need to buy several as he grows - perhaps depending on how long it takes for him to get it?

  Thanks for any advice!

  • Topics:

  • potty training

  • Kids:

  • 17-mo-old boy

  • Jul 22, 2010

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  Evelyn

  Los Altos, CA

4 Answers

• 0 votes

  We like the Baby Bjorn with the removable seat because that makes it easier to clean it out.  We tried getting a 1-piece (I think also a Baby Bjorn) but it was smaller and didn't really suit our kids as well (plus more of a pain to clean).  We also got toilet seat covers (1 Baby Bjorn, 1 Dora) but those are for when they are older (2.5 or so), not really for when they are first learning.

  • Jul 23, 2010

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  kristie

  CA
• 0 votes

  We didn't get a Baby Bjorn at first, but wish we had. We had a flat hand-me-down toilet seat cover that, we found, didn't give the same sense of security as the Baby Bjorn contoured seat cover.  And, as we learned, security is the name of the game when trying to learn how to relax and let go! :)

  We also purchased a standalone potty that - honestly - I hate (I don't see it listed online at Amazon, Target or ToysRUs). The inserted bowl makes deep lines on my child's bum that look uncomfortable, the pop up arch in the front seems to only make it harder to sit down without actually containing the (boy's) pee. Again, I wish we had spent a little more and gotten the Bjorn.

  As to which or both, I'm a big fan of the seat-on-toilet because I don't enjoy cleaning the other one. The downside is that my 18 month old (starting this time sooner than with the older one) needs help getting up to the toilet seat potty, even with a stool, and then I end up staying with her and waiting. The standalone we can put anywhere and she can sit on it herself, and get used to it, and try, and it's therefore a much lighterweight, and frequent, effort. So, as much as I hate buying or having temporary kid-related stuff around, I'm glad to have both - and will move her exclusively to the seat-on-toilet as soon as we can.

  • Jul 23, 2010

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  andrea

  both so cute, & so tiring!

  mountain view, ca
• 0 votes

  Hi,

  We have a cheaper toilet seat and also the Baby Björn for our now 18 month old. She's actually been using the toilet seat for about two, three months now (potty contents are just way too accessible, and she loves to copy what grownups do), and is fascinated to say "bye-bye peepee" and "bye-bye kaka" and then flush them away (the latter has happened twice on her own volition). So if your kid is into it, you can use these at this age already no problem, but you do have to help them on and off and be there with them all the time.

  To me the comfort is not the issue as much as material. The other seat is a soft material, think massage table. The Björn is hard plastic has a nice contour that helps contains pee better, keep it from splashing. The Björn has these adjustable prongs that make it sit well on the seat, but it takes up more space than the cheap toilet seat that is essentially flat. Of these, I would probably recommend the Baby Björn.

  Of actual potties - we have this one and she's been getting used to it since age 6 months. It's small, easy to get on and off of, but now if she uses it, she sometimes sits up and down, up and down, and then lands sideways and hurts her butt because she's goofing around and not focusing on actually sitting on it. If we hadn't gotten her excited about the throne already, I'd buy this. It looks sturdy and proper, and practical.

  • Jul 27, 2010

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  katja

  one day at a time...

  Silicon Valley, CA
• 0 votes

  Why the bother about potty chairs?  I think being trained on " the real thing" is more efficient, more " grown up", and way less trouble than fooling around with kiddy chairs on the floor.  Parental supervision is needed in either case, so why not start off with the equipment that will always be used in the future?

  Oh -- and whats all the fuss about training diapers?  A pair of regular underwear is very effective in teaching the child when they have wet their clothes. Cotton underwear doesn't hide or mask " accidents", and can be visual and sensory when  toilet training a child.  Training works best in warm weather. Use the cute little patterns on the " big boy or big girl" underwear to motivate the child to keep the pictures dry.  Toilet training can take a just week or so under these circumstances.  Parents who take months to toilet train their children mystify this old Grandma!    

  • 2 weeks ago

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  Suzanne

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