Potty Training a 16 Month Old-how Do You Do It?

The way that I potty trained both my children was to let them run naked and I used the big toilet, they just wanted to play on the little toilet. My son actually was naked (I had taken his diaper off to change it) and he just went and climbed up on the toilet (our toilet) and stood up (yes, he stood on the toilet seat) and peed! He was 17 months old! My daughter was 15 1/2 months old the first time she used the toilet. They both were about 18-22 months old before they didn't have accidents on long car drives or before I would take them in public without the diaper.

I think the key is just relaxing and not stressing over it. Don't make a big deal about it, when they peed or pooped on the toilet we would clap and I would sing "Just went pee-pee on the potty" and that was it. I never did anything else. Ofcouse with my daughter I let her be naked, but I put her on the toilet almost every hour and let her sit for about 5 min. looking at a book and then I would let her down. Sometimes she would go and other times she wouldn't. My son, I would catch (or hear the stream coming out) and I would yell for him to stop and going on the toilet...amazingly he would stop, I would scoop him up and put him on the toilet (he is now 26 months old and still squats, doesn't like to sit and use the toilet). Eventually he began to understand the sensation and would make it to the toilet. There were accidents, but for me it was not that big of a deal. They do a great job, and it really is nice to know that they were out of diapers at a young age, considering the cost of diapers is crazy and I have a 3, 2 and 10 month old! LOL...My daughter still wears her diaper at night (only at bedtime, not nap), but my son wears a diaper at night and nap. Just a note, I used to tell me son to push it all out, you'd be amazed at how much is still left in the little man. Also some children will get completely out of the diaper, for bedtime, nap, and day....others can do one or the other, just relax and follow his que. If there is an accident just tell him that it was an accident, you're not mad, but he needs to go on the toilet. And another note, always good to keep diapers around even if the child is completely potty trained because when they get sick and have the runs, it is not fun if you don't have a diaper! That is something that takes time for them to understand that feeling.

Good luck. I know a lot of people have trouble with potty training, and knock on wood I haven't yet....but again I didn't stress over it ever, I let them tell me when they were ready and I was prepared for cleaning up messes!

I have a son who almost the same age. We bought and are using the Baby Signs Potty Training Kit. I finally read the parents book tonight and it was helpful to assess next steps. It's great that he comfortable with the potty and lets you know when he needs to go!

He is definitely showing signs! And how awesome that he is doing it sooo early!
Potty training is a journey though--they are many things that have to develop cognitively and physically for a child to be completely potty-trained.
First and foremost--talk to him about it. Start using all those vocabulary words like "poop" "pee" and "potty." Do this when you see him going and bring him into the bathroom when you use it and start talking to him about it.
The potty seat may be hard since he is still young and will be pretty far off the floor. With his age, I would consider getting him a little potty to practice sitting on (we use the Baby bjorn one--it's simple, easy to clean, has a non-catching pee guard for boys and is white like mommy an daddy's). Some kids take to it immediately while others you have to first let them sit on it with their diaper. Just get him to want to sit on it--read to him on it-play games, make it fun.
Once he gets used to that, just start putting him on the potty at regular times during the day without his diaper. We started at night before my son's bed time since that is when he started peeing on the floor while the water was running--LOL
Be prepared for him to possibly sit there many many times without going to the bathroom, but be sure to give him positive re-reinforcement for sitting there--(the pee will come!)
Read up too! I found it really hard to find materials for potty training a child under 2. But this one had some great advice for that age: Early-Start Potty Training
http://www.amazon.com/Early-Start-Potty-Training-Linda-So...
It also tells you how to start potty training them as an infant--but um, I find that a bit early!
Finally, be patient! He may show signs and interest and then regress and not want anything to do with it for awhile.
So just keep at it, and weave it into his routine...
Good luck!!