Potty Training Help

Shelz - posted on 05/27/2010

i think if your child is showing signs of knowing when they need to go then definately try get them into a habit of going... dont wait till they are 18months + just because some say "they are being forced to grow up" etc! Just like saying oh no dont feed that 8 month old child food yet its too early or dont let them walk its too early, they do stuff when they are ready.
Other mothers need to stop being so judgemental on how others parent, we should be helping each other not dragging each other down.

Melanie - posted on 05/21/2010

I really hate the phrase "potty training" and "my child was trained" - They're not dogs! Control of the bladder and bowel is a natural development that will happen in it's own time. If we're having to "train" them then it's not natural. We don't "train" our children to walk, they do it when they're ready. Same with bladder and bowel control. We're not living in the dark ages anymore things are different now.

Brandy - posted on 05/20/2010

Wait for signs of your child trying to control their bladder and bowels better... When they stop peeing through the night until first thing in the morning, if they are taking their diaper off and trying to releive themselfs in random places, etc.. i agree with Jen Maddy too, read Diaper Free.

Angela - posted on 05/20/2010

I can understand your concerns....diapers/nappies are very expensive, but I am planning on waiting until my son is "ready"...you know, showing the signs. He is already growing so fast and becoming independent that I would love to have atleast on thing that I can hold on to that makes him still my baby. The problem with children today is that us parents are so quick to have them grow up fast and this leads them to do "adult things" quicker than they need to or are ready to do. We must remember that God did not make the world in a day and it takes at least 9 months to make a baby, why push nature any faster than it needs. I have a degree in Child and Family Development and we have learned that making children do things before they are ready for them only confuses them. Are you taking the child to the toilet because he asks to go or do you just have him on a pee schedule? They told me at my sons school that he could be potty trained by using a pee schedule (my son has Cerebral Palsy and a Chiari Malformation) I told them that was dumb! If he is not getting the sensations and understanding WHY he is being put on the potty then why confuse him even more? If you are just sticking him on the pot and he has no idea why, then why waste your time...that is NOT potty training. Potty training is when a child finally realizes that pee and poop go in the potty, they have to be able to control their bladder and bowels, not just be put on the pot from time to time. I used to place snacks on my (clean) floor for my now 14 month old son and let him eat because he kept spilling the bowl. Now he thinks all food should go on the floor before you eat it. See, I tried to make it easier for me and only confused him. But every child and every parent is different....do what you think is best for you and your child.

Beverly - posted on 05/15/2010

my daughter is 14 months. we just bought a potty and i plan to put it by the "big" potty. even if she doesn't use it she will, over time, become interested. it is there if she wants it and if not, oh well. i can just dream of the day she does! haha

Mia - posted on 05/13/2010

im not complicating things just because i started introducing my daughter to the potty early but my daughter is 14 months old stays dryy for 2-3 hrs and tells me she needs to go and she has been dry all day 4 2 weeks now so i have only had to use a nappy at night time

Jessi - posted on 05/13/2010

i get what ur saying though...my 13 month old daughter takes her diaper off every time she goes in it...it drives me crazy everyone says to tape it on or on backwards but that is hard to do with such a wiggly girl ..so i bought the potty and she loves to sit on it but we have had tons of accidents i just dont know what to do she takes her diaper off all day she will leave it on as long as its dry..i started makin sure she always has on pants shorts or somthing but she takes them off too...most have told me she is too young but if she has the notion to always take it off we will continue to try...i wake up every morning to a poop covered crib so i have to sanitize every day in there...i dont want to push her but i think im gonna go crazy if i dont find a solution soon

Jenelle - posted on 05/13/2010

Why complicate it? I agree with Beck, you should wait until the child is ready. I hate to hear about moms potty training because they're tired of changing diapers. You have to do what's best for the child. If your not careful it can become a control struggle and like it or not, you can't control when they potty. You can cause unnecessary problems by jumping the gun.

A good way to get them interested is to have them go with you to the potty, or if you have a niece that they are close to. Let them have a specific book for when they want to try to use the potty. Use a sticker book as a reward, giving them a sticker to put in it every time they are successful. Let them go with you and pick out a potty chair, or one of the training seats they make to set on top of the big potty.

A clean diaper after 3 hours, telling you that they have dirtied their diaper, pulling down their pants or taking off their own diaper, trying to sit on the potty themselves, or them not liking a dirty diaper are some signs that they're ready.

Every child grows and develops at their own pace, and trust me, they will let you know when it's time. Don't make a big deal out of the accidents, and there will be accidents. Be patient and use lots of praise!

Good Luck!

Mia - posted on 05/12/2010

i started EC at 13 months and now my daughter is 14 months and she tells me she needs to go by saying caca and walking to the bathroom she has been dry for 2 weeks now i never expected her to do it i only introduced it but i never force her and it doesnt affect our day at all she usually goes every 2 sometimes 3 hours

Amber - posted on 05/11/2010

I introduced the potty at 8 mnths. I just sit her on it before bath time and sing give her a few minutes and praise her whether she goes or not.Thats really the only time I put her on it for now, just so she gets practice. She was curious about it so I stuck her on it. I'm hoping to have her trained by 18 mnths. I dont think that introducing the potty is a bad thing at all, I really dont see how starting potty training early is forcing your child to grow up too soon, If you feel like your child is ready then go for it.

Hannah - posted on 05/11/2010

I hadnt even thought about potty training my 14 month daughter- but i guess i kinda already have started.... every morning when she wakes up she sits on the toilet...always number 2's at 7:30am...always. but its the only time she does it. and i only started doing it to save on nappies :)

Dorsha - posted on 05/11/2010

My son, he has his days with the potty, sometimes he loves it, and sometimes he wants nothing to do with it. Either way, its fine.. I don't force him.. its there if he wants to use it. Yesterday he had no wet diapers or poopy ones.. it was in the potty everytime, because he WANTED to.. today he has had two poopy diapers...Its like any one that uses the bathroom.. they take time outta their day to pee or poop. You can still have and AMAZING day and use the bathroom when needed..

Leoni - posted on 05/11/2010

If you are happy with what you are doing then thats fine, it's just my opinion like you have your's. I still believe children are being made to grow up to fast this day and age and should be able to enjoy their childhood. I haven't made it sound like anything, you take it as you will..

Pamela - posted on 05/11/2010

and who said none of us are doing that .. I'm in Australia so its warm and my sons have been running around bare bottomed outside 80% of there lifes and it is through play they are learning to sit on the potty/toilet. I am a toddler and baby swimming teacher. A majority of what a child learns in there first 3 years is through play I know this better than most. You make it sound like we are chaining our children to the potty and locking them indoors .. Everyone parents differently and I don't think you should judge how other do it and make statements like " why are you rushing your babies growing up and scaring them in the process...?" and "not emotioanally drag her through a process that is setting her up for a fall (accidents!!! when she is far too young to cope and understand!)".. Im not rushing my babies and it doesn't seem like anyone on here is rushing there's either we are all doing it with love comfort, praise and understanding it's just not the same way you do it, doesn't mean it is wrong.

Leoni - posted on 05/11/2010

Just in my opinion, I think a child would rather be learning through play, reading, having cuddle time, going for a walk outside, or to the park than sat at home learning to 'sit and pee on a potty' Children will learn to go to the toilet, it is a fact of life...It can be done in a week of nice weather to let them run around bare bottomed, and with love, comfort, praise and understanding.

Lita - posted on 05/10/2010

I would say look into Elimination Communication as well. I started with my daughter at 2.5mos and she has now graduated at 13mos. I started my son at 8.5mos because he started bringing me the diapers, but nonetheless, I had to watch his cues just as you do with EC'ing. You could also try doing cloth diapers which I think are better because they KNOW when they are wet. Start looking at ur childs cues....because they do give hem, and go from there. Put ur lil one on and you can also give the pssss sound (like a snake) to give the child the cue that it's ok to eliminate. I hope that helps, but google Elimination Communication and that should help

Pamela - posted on 05/10/2010

We are not rushing or children to grow up and we are definitely not scaring them. My son loves the game where he sits on the potty he says my turn!! Im not forcing him to sit there against his will and telling him he is letting me down or being naughty by not going .. We have fun with it and laugh. Im not dragging my sons through anything. I ask my 27 month old do you need to go wees and some times he will say no no wees and thats that we leave it other times he will say OK we go wees and we go sit on the potty . My nearly 14 month old loves it he gets excited and his brother gets excited for him sitting him on the potty. I think its far better to introduce them to the concept early so you don't all of a sudden say okay right what you've known for the past 2-3 years is all out the window your to go on the potty now. At least by having it there and letting them sit on it its not some weird thing they are being introduced to for the first time.

Cindy - posted on 05/10/2010

Kids Bladders are still Developing Its Way to early to start Potty training now and for her it could be to early at 18 months as well
My daughter was 21/2 Before she was fully Trained.
In reality the KIDS Train when ready you can't force her to train
My Neice was Trained at 18 months though Every child is different
Get use to Diapers you have possibly a few more years to go
My boys were Almost 4

Leoni - posted on 05/10/2010

why are you rushing your babies growing up and scaring them in the process...? My little girl is 14months old and enjoying her childhood...will start potty training when she is ready, and not emotioanally drag her through a process that is setting her up for a fall (accidents!!! when she is far too young to cope and understand!) enjoy your children, their childhood does not last long!!

Melissa - posted on 05/10/2010

Hi my little girl is also 13 months and she has started saying pee pee and poo poo usually when she has done something, sometimes she gets the 2 mixed up though. She has also started pulling on her nappy when it needs changed. I was starting to think that these are signs that she could soon be potty trained.



As she is not wlking on her own yet I was gonna wait til the summer til the weather got a bit warmer first and then try. I'm expecting again and due in Dec so would be great to have Jessica out of nappies by then.

Pamela - posted on 05/09/2010

I have started pre potty training with my son ( nearly 14 months) which is getting him used to the potty I put him on it after naps when he wakes up before meal and when ever he is having nudey time some times we get luck but I don't think he has the control yet. but if I say Ewan need to wees ( or poos) he goes and sits on the potty...It depends on the child though if you think she has control and is happy to go along with you why not try I say . Im training my 27 Month old and have been for nearly 4 month he has good days and bad days I really thought we would be through with nappies by now but he just doesn't want to do it some days.. he has been dry at night for 4 Months though. good luck let us know hows its going

Amber - posted on 05/09/2010

My daughter is 13 months also and I've already started. She doesn't completly understand yet cause she's so young, but I put her on the potty first thing when she wakes up and when she goes I make a big deal about it and we clap together. As far as I know though, she really doesn't get that sensation that tells her she has to go, and if she does she doesn't yet know how to communicate with me to get her on the potty. I do use it when I can though and it does save some diapers. It can't hurt to try. Just don't stress about it and it will happen when you child is ready.

Carneshia - posted on 05/09/2010

I just bought a potty for my daughter (14 months) this weekend. I put her on the potty when she woke up this morning. She didn't go,but she liked sitting on it. I decided to go on and try to start potty training because she now takes her diapers off. Good luck and I'm open to any suggestions as well. Happy Mother's Day to all the Mommies!!!!!!

Shelz - posted on 05/08/2010

you can start now, i am soon! and im so nervous, my sister told me its pretty much a fulltime thing if you want it done fast. My niece was trained by 18 months. And crazy enough my mums friend started one of her 5 children at 6 months and they were trained by the time they could walk ( i dont know how but it seems the impossible is possible)

Ive been told firstly to start putting them on the toilet/potty everytime you change their bum, they wont go at first but after attempts they will.

Then start taking off the nappy for periods and asking if they need to go.

Thats as far as ive been told...

Good luck! Ill be reading around too for tips.

Nana - posted on 05/07/2010

Introduce her to the potty now. Let her sit on the potty with her diaper on whenever you go and then start sitting her on it after meals or whenever you notice her going in her diaper. Eventually work her up to sitting on it without her diaper. Don't force her to use the potty, just have a daily schedule of when she is to sit on the pot and make it fun. Give her a sticker or a stamp as a reward and eventually she will be telling you she wants to go potty on her own.

Dorsha - posted on 05/07/2010

Yeah. I agree. Like I don't expect to actually fully potty train him till after he turns two, unless he wants to use it more.. I put him on there with diaper changes and baths. And when he goes to his potty and opens the lid.

Julie - posted on 05/07/2010

My son si 13mths and I just recently bought a potty. So far I have only been putting him on it after waking from bed/naps and before a bath. He hasn't gone on the potty yet but will sit there very nicely, while I sit on our adult potty "showing" him what to do. My thought was he may not be ready for potty training, but there would be no harm in introducing it to him and showing him what it's for.

I was potty trained by 18mths so it is possible.

Dorsha - posted on 05/07/2010

I introduced my son to the potty at 10 months.. we are a marine family so I didn't plan on it being succsess full, but he loves the potty. I would like to say, put him on the potty, give her a toy, or read to her.. don't force her to sit there.. she will feel like its punishment. I would also suggest always to praise her, whether she uses it or not.. and maybe a treat when she does potty. I give my son ONE fruit snack for peeing, and three for pooping.. and not three packs, just the individual fruit snacks..

Angie - posted on 05/07/2010

Hey Anna! When my husband and I were checking out day care centers for our daughter, they all talked about how willing they were to help with potty training... on YOUR cue of course. I think if you tell them when you are ready that they will be willing to help. They won't initiate the training though because they don't want to push your little girl into something that neither of you are ready for. But, when you're ready, let them know how you're going about things and they will resume the training while you are at work. Hope this helps...

Anna - posted on 05/06/2010

I must be the worst mommy ever. I work until 6 p.m. everyday and hustle to get my 13-month-old baby fed by 7 p.m. Then it's a sponge bath, toothbrush time, reading time and lights out. I can't fathom starting potty training at this stage. Would it be nice? I guess. But I'd have to get her daycare in on the training, too. Maybe someone out there has some tips on getting daycare teachers to work with mommies on potty training. I would find that helpful. Thanks, gals!

Avni - posted on 05/06/2010

I have trained my daughter for "peeing" in the potty from the time she could sit up without support. The trick is to put her on the potty and say "pssssssss". I repeat this every one and a half hours. Given that I dont use diapers at home, this really helps me in keeping my house less messy.

Lesley - posted on 05/05/2010

I will start trying my now 13 month son on the potty once school is out. I work alot as a sub-teacher at my kids school. Im hoping by the end of summer we will have it down packed or at least half down packed.

Mel - posted on 05/04/2010

My daughter is 14 months old (March 2) and I haven't exactly started toilet training. But she does do a wee on the potty just about every night when I am running her bath. No pressure at all. She seems to do it best just after her dinner. I'll probably start doing it more at about 18months. He older brother was completely toilet trained at 28months. Was lucky with him!

Christina - posted on 05/03/2010

my daughter has gone to the bathroom with me sice she started crawling, she does not talk but 2 weeks ago i told her to go get me a diaper and her wipes and she did so the other day i desided to "try" her on her pot...she went and and we clapped and everytime i put her on there she goes and i will ask her "do you need to go potty?"and she tries to take off her diaper so she knows...my mom got on to me and said "she can't even talk yet how is she supposed to tell you?" believe me when they are ready they will tell you...it diesn't hurt to introduce the potty chair just don't stress over it believe me she is the 5th child i have done this with...good luck!!

Jo-anne - posted on 05/03/2010

Children know when they are ready for the potty and will start showing signs (taking nappy off whenever they are wet or dirty, always wanting to watch you on the toilet, telling you they have done pee or poo in their nappy). When my son started showing signs I bought a potty and he took to it really quickly. He was 22 months at the time. And try not to use physical rewards like lollies whenever they go, as they will link going to the potty with getting a treat. Use praise, and allow them to link going to the potty with a sense of pride instead.

If you start before they are ready their bodies are not yet developed enough to be able to tell when they need to go, it means it's up to you to watch for the signs and make sure you are putting them on the potty at frequent intervals. So be prepared for lots of accidents and having to watch your child for the signs of needing to go.

The main reason I disagree with training a child too early is because the child is not learning to read their own body. My mother-in-law was always going on about how she toilet trained her kids at 12 months, but she was shocked that my son was going to the potty by himself by the age of two, because even though she had been putting her kids on the potty at a younger age, they did not learn to read their own body signs until later because they had become used to mum reading the signs for them. In the end it hindered their natural development.

Sabrina - posted on 05/03/2010

Once my daughter started walking I started putting her on the potty before bath time. She thinks its funny. After 2 weeks. She actually started using the opportunity to use the bathroom. So I will take it slow...but at 13 months we are starting. I hope to be finished by Christmas (or before).

Melanie - posted on 05/03/2010

I'd also like to add that pull-ups didn't work for my daughter either, as far as she was concerned it was a nappy so she weed in it! She wasn't stupid! Why ask for the potty when there's a nice dry nappy waiting to be filled?

Melanie - posted on 05/03/2010

I'd say it also depends on you - if you're prepared for months and months of "training" and "accidents" and putting them on the potty 20 times a day, go for it. If you leave it until they tell you they're ready (I'd say around 2 - 21/2 years) you can probably get them out of nappies in a couple of weeks. I chose the latter I don't have time to put my 13 month old on the potty every hour. My eldest was dry at 2 years 5 months all her own doing.

Daarina - posted on 05/02/2010

well around one is a good age to start introducing your child to the potty. i trained my neice and my daughter and neither one of them didn't start going to the potty all the way until 2 1/2 years of age! my son just turned one and i sit him on the potty everyday and he actually pea pead in the toilet once already! he's kinda afraid of it so dont be shocked if your baby is a little cautious just talk and make it fun by singing or something! try " do the potty dance song" from nick jr my son loves it!

Ivy - posted on 05/02/2010

I had a potty for her at 6 months old. I started to slowly introduce it to her. She almost 14 months old and she goes pee in her potty after her bath. Our next step is to introduce it during the rest of the day. As long as you entertain her while she is on the potty then it will help. If she starts screaming, take her off and try again tomorrow. It will take time as this is something foreign to her.

Suparna - posted on 05/01/2010

i agree with that too,kids r smarter than we think..i make my 13 mth old son sit on potty ,the first thing wen he wakes up in the morning & then every couple of hrs,especially after he eats a meal...its helping,so hopefully wen he starts talking ,he can let me know wen he's ready to pee/potty.

Bonita - posted on 05/01/2010

This might be a little unusual, but I started potty training my kids as soon as they could sit up, when they were around 5 months old. I would sit them on the potty when they first woke up in the morning, and then every couple of hours from that time on. If someone else was with them, I would give them the potty and ask them to please do the same.

My three children were more or less potty trained by the time they were a year old. Each one is a little different. My first, a girl, was potty trained throughout the day by about 15 months old but still wore diapers at night until she was two years. From the very day she stopped drinking bottles at night, she never wet the bed again.
My second child was also dry during the day by about a year and a half, but for the next two years, we would still need to sit him on the potty exactly one hour after he went to sleep at night, otherwise he would wet the bed.
My third child has definitely taken to potty training the best. He is 13 months old and since weaning him a couple of weeks ago, stays dry through the night as well as throughout the day. I put him in a diaper when we go out, and during the night just in case. Every now and again we have an accident, but for the most part he does well.

The other night he woke up in the middle of the night and started patting his diaper to indicate that he needed to use the bathroom.

Bottom line, kids are smarter than we realize and can learn whatever we teach them, if we have time and are able to do so consistently. I definitely feel that the earlier you are able to start potty training them, the better. Then it becomes a habit and not something you have to work so hard to teach them, first having to unteach them peeing in a diaper.

If anyone wants further info or help on it, feel free to contact me.

Connie - posted on 04/30/2010

I agree! Definately don't start until they are ready... we started at 18 months with my oldest and just this month finished potty training (he is 34 months old now). :( I agree with not using the pull-ups either. We stopped using pull-ups a month ago and that is when the potty training started going MUCH better!

Good luck when the time comes!

Kristy - posted on 04/30/2010

I agree with the one mom...start when she shows signs. I have 3 kids ages 10,7 and 13mths. My oldest daughter started to potty train around the age of 2 but then we moved and it set her back so she was almost 28mths before she was potty trained and another 2mths before she went through the night. My 7yr old at 27mths started wanting to go potty and wouldnt want to go in her diaper. I had her potty trained seriously and honestly in 3 days...and through the night within a week. They need to be able to tell you they have to go and they need to be ready. Also when you do start training I suggest NOT using pullups. Its a confusing thing to the kids because its essentially a diaper. I only put on big girl undies and would just prepare for accidents but it helped them learn. I had tried pullups with my oldest but she would just go in them b/c she felt it was a diaper so I said the heck with that put big girl underware on and within a few days no accidents. So with my second one I didnt use pullups at all. I did use a diaper at night but I didnt give them anything to drink for at least an hour or so before bed and always had them go potty before bed. Its not something to rush at all..just let her tell you when she is ready! Good luck!!

Beck - posted on 04/29/2010

Everyone has there own opions on when to start but I am going to throw in my say which is based on my experince from many years in child care centers.
ONLY start when they start to show some interest. We had a little boy in care 5 days a week whos Mum decided at 18mths that he was ready...he was NO WHERE near ready and for over 12mths we had to deal with accident after accident as he had no control or interest in toilet training. He weeed and pooed himself most of the time, even though he was being placed on the potty several times a day.
Let her watch you go to the toilet and talk about what you are doing
Use lots of launguage with her, like "your nappy is wet isn't it, you have done a wee" So she understands what the process is
You could set up a potty and place her on it using lots of praise when she does but another thing that often happens when you start too early is they loose interest very quickly and all the praise wears off and they start wetting again (I have seen that many times)
Some bubs are ready at 18mths, many aren't. I have a little boy who is 14mths and I will wait until he is ready and wait for him to show me the signs he is ready. Things like, staying dry longer, not liking to have a wet or dirty nappy, using communciation to tell me he is doing a wee or poo, pulling his nappy off, showing more interest in the toilet.

The only signs my little man has shown is hopping off the bed during nudie play before his shower, weeing on the floor then hopping back up! Curtious I thought! hehehhehhe

Good luck, its a big step, one that I am not going to rush!

Sue - posted on 04/29/2010

I wasn't even going to think about Potty training til 18 months. I'm not sure she understands enough yet and I don't want to frighten her.

Jennifer - posted on 04/29/2010

Look for resources on Elimination Communication. I've been doing ec since my son was 7 months old. The key to it is relaxing, don't stress out about it. I put my son on the potty when he gives signs that he needs to go. Do I always catch him? Heck, no. But, the few times I do, I can save a diaper. And, I like the Baby Bjorn Little Potty. And read the book Diaper Free.