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You probably have started potty training 4 or 5 months early. It doesn't hurt him to start early since you are taking a positive approach (not forcing) but it also doesn't benefit him in anyway either. To start potty training, you want to look for all of these signs of readiness first:

-Stays dry for more than 2 hours several days a week

-Wakes up dry from nap time and is still dry for at least 15 minutes after nap

-Is aware that he has peed/pooped in his diaper

-Able to pull pants up and down (potty training is about independence!)

Girls are typically ready to start at 24-30 months though some girls (very few) are ready before them. Boys are typically ready to start at 26-32 months. I have potty trained and assisted in potty training in a few hundred children and haven't met a boy that was ready before 24 months but that doesn't mean it's not possible.

Next step is to let your child see you or other children go potty so that he recognizes that it is normal. Get him some pull-ups so that he can pull down his pants and his pull-up all by himself and sit on the potty. (It sounds like you have this step mastered! You are ready to support him with cheers, hugs, and excitement when he does the deed and you don't force him to stay on the potty. He just isn't ready to take that step.) It doesn't matter if you use a potty seat that sits on top of a regular toilet or if you use a toddler potty chair, completely your preference. Take him to the potty every two hours.

Once he makes his first tinkle, congrats! You have made it over the first hurdle. Most boys won't poop in the potty until they are almost 3 or 3 and a half, this is normal. You may notice him going into another room or hiding to poop in his pull up. If you can pick up this, try to get him to the potty to poop. Getting #2 in the potty will be the hardest step!

Some experts say you should never use food as a reward but this would be the one instance where I recommend it. I would give one small piece of candy for pooping in the potty (like ONE m&m or skittle or jelly bean.) This works best if you rarely give him candy.

As he poops in the potty more and more and his pull-ups are dry for 4-5 hours, it will be time to go to underwear! Once you go to underwear, do NOT go back to pull-ups. He will regress if you do that. It is okay to put a pull-up on him at nap time, bed time, and for a car ride that is more than an hour. Take him to the potty every 30 minutes. Going potty is no longer a choice now. He has to go sit or he can't play.

When he has an accident say, "Uh-oh. You peed/pooped in your pants. Let's get cleaned up." Don't immediately take off his clothes for him. Let him feel how uncomfortable it feels to wear soiled clothes. Ask him if he likes how his dirty pants feel. Try saying, "Does that feel yucky?" and ask him "Where does pee-pee/poo-poo go?" You need to let him take off his own pants and underwear and put on fresh clean clothes by himself. Also, if his pee has gotten on the floor, give him a towel to clean up his own mess. You will end up having to clean up the mess after him as well but the idea is to teach him to clean up after himself. Your first few days are going to be rough and he will have several accidents in a day but he will catch on quick. Give one small piece of candy for every pee and every poop until he catches on. Then go to one piece of candy for staying dry all day.

As he has less accidents, extend potty time to every hour and then every two hours. The very last step will be over night potty training which he will accomplish on his own usually between 3 and a half and 4 and a half. Some other tidbits of advice is not to give him tons of water when he first goes to underwear. My best friend used to make her daughter drink a full sippy of water several times a day and her daughter would have several pee-pee accidents because it was too much pressure too quickly. Also, cut off liquids an hour before bedtime when over-night potty training until he is succesful in this area. Good luck!