how soon do you start potty training????

Carina - posted on 07/18/2009

Hi!
My daughter Cara (15 months) has been doing Nr2 on the potty since she was only 5 months old! She is my second child and I never thought I would start w/ potty that early since my son used diapers until he was nearly 3 years old. But, my daughter Cara has had a problem w/ her stomach since she was a small baby, had bad colic, and during a trip down to Nice/France when she was 5 months she was so hard in her stomach/congested that I thought the only way to get it out was to use the "going down" method - I put her on the potty and it came right out... Since then she has done the Nr2 on the potty and it is really so easy - I can see on her looks when she needs to go (often after lunchtime at around noon) and then I just take her to the potty and it all comes... I always have complemented her afterwards and nowadays she always applaudes herself when she has done it... :-) We also have some stuffed animals that sort of "talk to her" asking "where is the poo"? and "my, that was a big poo"! and that sort of things and it is actually very touching when my daughter "talks" to her stuffed animals wanting to show them the poo... :-) We have not had an accident since she was 5 months old and she is now 15 months... She pees in her diaper still but gets better and better at this as welll and during the summer we are gonna start to try to learn her to pee in the potty always as well... I really hope that is gonna go well but we will have to see, I am just so happy having not taken care of one dirty diaper since she was 5 months it must nearly be a record?!!! :-) Regards/C

Amber - posted on 07/11/2009

my youngest is 14 months old and she wants to get on the potty all the time i can say do u have to pee on the potty and she will take her diaper off and head for the potty so in my opinion 13 months is not too young to start just depends on the child if they aren't interested wait a little longer... my grandma told me they used to train their kids as soon as they could walk and hers were potty trained before they could hardly talk so its up to you no one else :)

Amber - posted on 07/11/2009

as soon as she wakes up try sitting her on the potty if she actually pees you make a big deal about it.. she'll eventually catch on... dont get too discouraged if she doesn't catch on fast, my first little girl took FOREVER and i finally decided to buy her panties that she really loved as bribery and her favorite candy and while she's on the potty give her stuff to play with to kind of distract her... mine just woke up one day and said i have to go pee mama and she did and thats been it except for a few accidents... it takes sooo much patience though but its totally worth it to have one less butt to change! haha Good Luck!!

Tammy - posted on 07/11/2009

My mum said she had my brothers and I toilet trained by the time we could walk. It was easier because we could not move off the potty and then when we could walk we went by ourselves. However she only just told me this so my bub is not toilet trained and is walking around. I plan on sitting him on as soon as I have a potty

Nicole - posted on 07/07/2009

with my older daughter she started on her own at 18 months b/c she was around children that were being potty trained, but I think 18 months would be the earliest to start
good luck!

Andrea - posted on 07/04/2009

I know boys are different from girls, but my son (whos 7 now) wasn't 100% potty trained until just days b4 his 3rd Birthday..



I haven't began anything with my daughter (13months) yet, I'll prob wait until 18 months or so & see what happens 'n get a feel for her... b/c she's not ready yet.. when she wakes up from nap(s) shes still got a "full of pee pee diaper" lol & overall is just not mature enough ( in my eyes)



Just my FYI :) *best of luck2ya hun!*

Emma - posted on 07/03/2009

I think starting them early is a good thing. I've started taking my 15month old to the potty and sitting her on it. She sits there without moving for about 5 minutes but doesn't do anything but I know she knows when she needs to go as she says potty just after she has done something in her nappy. So she will hopefully be telling me potty before she does anything soon and then just start going herself. Good luck

Kimberly - posted on 07/02/2009

Quoting Michelle:

But there ARE signs, such as waking up dry after naps and bedtime. These are not signs that they are ready to TRAIN however they are signs that their bodies are maturing enough to try training. 

Michelle,

I just had to say that my daughter was completely not ready according to this.  My oldest just started being dry in the morning after a full nights sleep.  But like you said later it does take awhile for their bodies to mature.

To the parents that are stating their baby uses the potty, I have a question and be honest.  Are they going to the potty all by themselves or are you taking them at certain times during the day.  To me if you are the one taking them to the potty then they are not potty trained.  Potty trained to me is the child knowing when they have to use the bathroom not the parent knowing when the child has to go to the bathroom.

Collette - posted on 07/01/2009

I have just recently bought a potty, its in his bedroom at the mo, just getting him used 2 seeing it! Its one of thouse 3 in 1(its a potty,seat comes off for toilet and it turns into a step) its a night garden 1 so he loves that it has a pic of igglepiggle (makes it more interesting) not started the training yet but every time hes pinting at it i tell him its where u do wee wee and poo's. If he sits on it i make a big fuss.

Doris - posted on 06/30/2009

i trained my girl as early as abt 5mths

NADIA - posted on 06/30/2009

I started my 14 month old about three weeks ago, and she is doing really good. She use the potty about four to five time a day. If she need to use it she stays on it, if she doesn't she gets up as soon as I seat her on it. Just buy 1 try it and see how she takes it. encourage her for trying, and if it gets messy let her know that its okay.

Michelle - posted on 06/30/2009

I agree with Kimberly to a certain extent. 13 months is a wee bit young to potty train. But there ARE signs, such as waking up dry after naps and bedtime. These are not signs that they are ready to TRAIN however they are signs that their bodies are maturing enough to try training. Both of my kids started using the potty at about a year or a bit younger but in a routine such as before bath or bed and after naps. Just to get them used to the potty. I didn't full force train my son till he was almost 2.5 and I stumbled across that baby signs training set. It comes with a dvd, train whistle, books and stickers. I found the sticker reward worked the best for US, you have to find your own reward system. He got a sticker for each successful trip to the potty. We got a few potty books too and he loved reading them, but we saved them to be looked at ONLY on the potty. That also was a bit of encouragement. When we really started the system it took about 4 weeks to go without any accidents throughout the day. I've since read that it can take up to the age of 5 before a child stops wetting the bed because their bodies need to mature.



Good luck and whatever you do, don't PUSH them into training. It WILL backfire!!!!

Kimberly - posted on 06/27/2009

I'm sorry and you can all hate me if you want to but why???? Why are you trying to potty train your BABY???? They are babies, so let them be babies. Signs of bein ready to potty train do not exist...do not kid yourself into thinking that because they don't like the wet diaper or that they are dry after sleep that those are signs. My oldest daughter potty trained around 2.5 and she wanted to use the potty, she didn't want to be a baby. We picked out undies and a potty and it took one day. A 14 month old does not know when they have to use the potty....they don't. If they are using the potty at this age they are parent tried. I say this b/c YOU are trained to know the look they get when they have to pee or poop and YOU take them to the potty. They are not going to look at you and say "I have to go potty" and then run for the bathroom and go. If they do.....well good for you. I prefer to keep my baby a baby for a while longer!

Heather - posted on 06/27/2009

Hi, l was advised by my HCN to start my son at 12 months of age as he was showing signs to train. Dry nappy of a night and also being able to not have a wee on the floor when its no nappy time, looking down at him self and crying - soon as l put a nappy on it would get WET. Three months later l still have not started it as l thought l would wait and see if he was still doing the same thing - yes he is, being my 5th child l thought it was alittle to young to start l usually wait until 18mths to do training. lm starting him these school hoildays to see how he goes. Have you had a go in training?

With my other kids they where trained around 2 - 2 1/2 years and l started them on both the potty and the big toilet with small seat, l change it from one to the other, as they got bigger l left the potty in the room they where playing it was there choice to go to either usually they ran to the big toilet - get to play with toilet paper in there....Good Luck

Jamie - posted on 06/25/2009

I've been thinking about potty training early too. Haven't started anything at all...don't really know what to do to get started. I was told though, not to buy a little potty..just buy the seat that goes on the big potty, because could possibly have to train them again to use the big potty. It's a good idea in my opinion. I'd like to know more about the sign language program also. They teach my son a little sign language at school, so that would be great!

Kylie - posted on 06/24/2009

Hi Ashleigh, I know a little sign language as I have worked in childcare centres and had the experience of working with a beautiful Autistic child but would still love to hear more about the program. Thanks Kylie

Ashleigh - posted on 06/24/2009

I found an amazing program on how to potty train your child before the age of two, if you are into sign language. Im just starting to train my son and he loves it. I find it's way easier to potty train young- they get into the routine and habit about it and don't really fight the issue, where i find a 2 or 3 year old want everything their way haha. Plus, it's better for the environment not using all those diapers!

Kylie - posted on 06/23/2009

My son has started showing signs. He doesn't like to sit on the little potty but doesn't mind the big toilet with a child seat to sit on instead of the big seat. He has been pulling his cloth nappy off this last week. I didn't intend on starting him just this early as its winter here in Australia but was hoping to start him in October as he would then be 18mths old. We will be letting him decide I guess. Today he removed his nappy & walked eagerly to the toilet when I suggested it & sat for at least 5mins or so just looking around & listening to me sing nursery rhymes. Good Luck everyone.

Amanda - posted on 06/19/2009

I have an almost 14 month old & a 2 year old. I just started potty training my 2 year old. I've only been potty training her for a week. But she seems to be doing well with it. She knows she goes the bathroom when she's on the potty. The important things are to be patient and be consistent. I always clap when my daughter goes and give her rewards. And if they need to stay on the potty for a little bit I give her a book to read or a toy to play with. I obviously don't make her sit there too long, but just so she has enough time to try to go. I was trying just regular underwear but my daughter is actually doing better with the pull ups the cool alert ones so I'm going with those.

Angela - posted on 06/19/2009

I am having the same issue so SERIOUSLY if you find a solution to how to early potty train let me know :)

Carri - posted on 06/18/2009

My son will sometimes follow me into the bathroom and try to flush it when I'm finished. He hasn't quite mastered pressing the handle down, but I will hold his hand on it and help him flush. He then watches the water spin away and smiles proudly. If I notice him going #2 in his diaper I ask him if he's poopin', and he'll say "yea" (sometimes), then I ask if he wants to poop on the potty. If he says "yea" then I've just set him on the toilet in his diaper so he can get the feel of things. He seems to be gaining even more of an interest, however, I don't want to force him into it and scare him so we'll just keep doing what we've been doing and hopefully add more steps soon.

Sam - posted on 06/15/2009

a little 2 early gonna do my little girl at 18 mths if u force them they dont want 2 do it as i learned frm my 1 st son he wasnt ready til about at about 22 mths

Morgan - posted on 06/14/2009

I'm glad you asked this question because my baby is 14 mths.old and i have 1 on the way, so I kind of want to get her out of diapers by the time the newborn gets here. But I dont know if it would be too soon for her. My mom said to just go ahead and get her a potty and start letting sit on it whenever I or my oldest daughter goes to the bathroom, so she can get the concept in her mind that that's where she goes when we go to the potty and then progress from there slowly. So I've been thinking about doing that.

Kelly - posted on 06/13/2009

Just sit her on the potty periodically. I don't think you can force a child to go potty but eventually they get the idea. My little one is beginning to wake up dry from naps so we will sit her on the potty after naps to see what she would do. She follows us to the bathroom and shows some interest but I don't think she'll be potty trained anytime soon.



Best of Luck!