Potty Training My 18 Month Old Daughter.

Cynthia - posted on 08/21/2011

I believe that when you child starts giving you signs it is time to start training. Those signs may consist of hiding in a corner, taking off a wet paper, bringing you a dry one when they are wet, actually saying to you pee pee mommy these are signs

Mel - posted on 08/21/2011

I still ask my near 5 year old if she needs to go to the toilet! lol. Kids need reminding long after they start training. I let my then 2 year old tell me when she needed to go. They quickly catch on and saves most of the trouble :)

Naomi - posted on 08/21/2011

Between 18 months and 2 is a good time to start. Some kids get the hang of it quickly - some take a while longer. Don't ask her if she has to go. Just make going to the potty part of the daily routine. As one of the other posts said, when she gets up, before bed, 15 minutes after eating or drinking, berfore bath-time. Don't make a big deal if she doesn't go; be excited when she
does go. Pull-ups are a bad idea. They are made so well, kids don't feel wet or messy, so there is no real incentive to use the potty. When you are to the point that potty training success feels imminent, stick with "big girl panties" ALL the time - otherwise you are sending mixed messages: today it's OK to go in your pull-ups; tomorrow it's NOT PK to go in your panties

Kathie - posted on 08/21/2011

18 months is early, but no harm in getting her accustomed to it. I had 4 children and the earliest one was 2 years and the latest was 2 1/2. Don't make it unpleasant for her, they are all different. With my granddaughter, stickers worked well..but she was 2 1/2 and wanted pretty underwear as well. I would try 1st thing in am, after a nap of eating and before bedtime right now and make it seem fun if possible.

Julie - posted on 08/21/2011

I have four children and was a preschool teacher prior to having them... Don't push them, when they are ready it will take just a few days and you wont need pull ups... I never pushed my kids and they were all trained by three ( the boys were a little later) My best friend pushed her four and still had problems for years with them wetting the beds,, Their little bodies just weren't ready for it.. why rush it.

Helen - posted on 08/21/2011

what i do is put her potty chair near your bathroom when i go i ask if she needs 2 sit on her big girl potty and its working out great 2 i dont use pull ups i feel it just confuses the child because what is a pull up but a big diaper i use traning pants hope this helps good luck

Kathy Joy - posted on 08/21/2011

I potty trained both my girls around 2 years. My second child had no interest in it so we stopes and went back to it a few months later with great success. Don't stress yourself out with it they will learn. I took my girls about every 30 minuets. Sure there were accidents but with success I gave them 1 chocolate m&m. Worked pretty well. Good luck. And let you child take her time. She'll get there.

Laura - posted on 08/21/2011

Don't let other detour you. 18 months is not too early. All my children were potty trained completely by their 2nd birthday. I find it much easier. They have not hit the 'terrible twos' and do not fight it. They respond very well to positiveencouragement, and appreciate being big! When ihelped train an older child I found more resistance and negativity on the child's part. I took mine to the potty every 30 min. I helped pull down their pants or went with bare bottoms when we were home. Easy peasy, and what. A releif to be diaper free!

Cynthia - posted on 08/21/2011

At age 18 months old I wouldn't suggest asking her. My suggestion to you is to make a notation of how long it takes her to go after she has either eaten or drank. Or you can take her everytime you go. I am a 53 year old mother, grandmother and a Childcare Practitioner of 5 1/2 years. I have potty trained a lot of children in my day. In fact the last two happens to be my two grandchildren who are in my daycare. The four year old has been potty trained since 18 months and now her 2 year old brother is potty trained and will tell you when he has to go. He will nicely proceed up the stairs to the bathroom. Potty trainning isn't as difficult as most people think its all about consistancy

Holly - posted on 08/21/2011

Most kids just go on their own, you show them what to do and where to go, and they pick it up when they are ready.
I have a 14 mo.old right now and he has pooped on the potty 5 times so far.
When he was a "baby baby" every time he pooped I would say "your pooping yea good job" when he was about 10 mo. starting to talk I would say poop when he pooped. So now when he startes to go he tells me poop, and i take him and put him on the potty. Make it a game or as fun as you can, if they don't go on the potty thats ok to. Good luck!!!!

Dana - posted on 08/21/2011

My son (firstborn) was almost three and a half before he was potty trained during the day, but could stay dry all night by age 2 1/2 (weird, I know! lol). My daughter, on the other hand, was fully potty trained by about 26 months. Every child is different and what I have found is that there is really little "training" involved, they simply go when they want. Our role is to show them what to do, help with their clothes, washing hands, etc. Just watch her and if you notice that she appears to have to go, ask if she would like to go on the big girl potty and that should get her on her way:) I agree with the no pullups thing (except at night), I found cloth training underwear work much better since your child can actually feel when she is wet. Good luck! :)

Tessa - posted on 08/21/2011

K well here is my point on this one. If your daughter is waking up dry in the morning and she has taken some interest in using the potty it is time to train. I have 4 children and found my girls way easier to train then my boy. However my first two girls were easier to train then my youngest. I started training when they were about a year and half and they were trained by 2(the oldest 2) My youngest daughter however was a complete different story. I started the same as I had with my older ones, but she had complete different plans. She did not finally train untill she was almost 3 and then it was only because my MIL made her a quilt. I was having a heck of time with her and was completely frustrated. Then one day my MIL phoned her and asked her if she wanted a memory quilt like the ones the rest of her sibling had and she said Yes so my MIL told her that if she didn't pee or poop in a diaper anymore she would make her one. SO from that moment that she got off the phone she was trained. It wasn't that she couldn't do it she just didn't want to. SO moral of the story take your time and do what you think is right and when you and your daughter are ready for her to be trained she will be. And like one of the other comments said you don't see kids going to kindergarten in diapers and you will be surprised it will be done sooner then you think and then she will be a big girl and then its on to all the joys of having a big girl

Kandy - posted on 08/21/2011

With my kids I took them to the potty every time i went. With my grands I bought the free standing potty chairs that you could move around the house and put it in what ever room they were playing in. I even had one out in the back yard for them (its fenced in with a privacy fence). After they got used to that we moved it into the bathroom. I've had success with both ways. You just have to find what works with your kids and have patience. Good luck

Suze - posted on 08/21/2011

Stop with the pressure, already. Where that whole concept we need to potty 'train' came from is beyond me. Kids see you using the potty. They'll want to be just like you and will follow through. And think about it....there are very few kids wearing diapers to Kindergarten unless there's a physical problem of some sort.

Concentrate on other things with your daughter - like playing peek a boo, taking her to the park or walk. In other words, do things with her and have fun! Enjoy her, as I guarantee, you'll not regret that at all when she's grown and gone.

BTW, if there is someone in the background pressuring you - as I certainly had it - guess what? Ain't their kid and it's THEIR problem - not yours nor your daughter's problem. I remember, now with laughter, that my MIL thought I should begin PT when my son was 6 weeks old. Well, guess who controlled the diaper pail....sure wasn't her. LOL!

Sherelle - posted on 08/21/2011

If she was ready and knew her signs she wouldn't need asking. 18 months can barely communicate their needs. Don't push it. You will only cause more work for yourself, stress on your daughter and she'll still do it when she is good and ready. My mum tried to push my daughter at 2 years. I was cleaning training pants all the time until I said enough. When she's ready. She was a little over 3 and never had an accident. I waited with my son (was just on 3) and he's never had an accident. They all grow in their own time and when they're ready they'll let you know.

Natasha - posted on 08/21/2011

i no expert but i just waited till my daughter was old enough to understand she is 3 now and only been going toilet for a month but she took to it like a duck to water, was not stress full for me or her, i had her in pull ups past year though, i don't know some would say that is too old and she should of been going toilet earlier but for us it worked and was stress free, i sometimes think people do it to young and it puts allot of stress on them and the children we skipped the potty and went straight to toilet. good luck

Debbie - posted on 08/20/2011

9 mins after she drinks something. I used to give my daughter a cute stamp from a stamp pad when she used the potty. She love getting them.

Nina - posted on 08/20/2011

Every hour

Chrissy - posted on 08/20/2011

I started my daughter about the same time. I would set the timer and make a game of it. I started out at every 15 minutes, which is a lot of work, but worth it. You quickly go to every 30 minutes when monitoring what she drinks. Mine was trained in a couple weeks.

Beverly - posted on 08/20/2011

Fyi alot of abuse happens for the first time while potty training due to the frustration of parents that put unreasonable expectations on children who are started too early please read up on the subject 14 & 18 month olds may go potty here and there but do not understand how to control their bowels you really shouldnt rush the issue for your own reasons

Juli - posted on 08/20/2011

Both my boys were potty trained at 2 yrs old. I asked them every 5 - 10 minutes. It's not too early, some parents are just too lazy to run to the potty every five minutes. It only took a week and they were accident free, even at night.

Meredith - posted on 08/20/2011

Every 20 minutes or so worked for us and it was done in two days. Our preschool teacher told us two things that were great to know: 1. little ones don't know that "the feeling" in your tummy means you need to go poopoo, so poop takes a while and 2. she's not going do do overnights for quite some time.

Pamela - posted on 08/20/2011

You need to use common sense and learn to watch your child's own body patterns. Watch her face or body for physical signs for bowels. Watch the patterns for urinating by checking the diaper often after a large consumption of liquids.

You will eventually see the "cues" for bowel movements at least starting and checking the diaper for wetness can give you an approximate time for urination after drinking and eating.

If this is difficult for you, then watch the time intervals. How long after she ate did she need to go?

As long as the potty training doesn't become a "regime" with negative energies attached to "mistakes" everything should go smoothly.

Roberta - posted on 08/20/2011

Hi Nicole:
I am a grandma now, but had three sons. They do say girlsl are easier to potty train, I wouldn't know!!! I am thinking it sounds a little young and agree with one of your other readers, that it is you that is being trained not her!!! However, I do really feel that there are signs they are ready such as not liking wet or poopy diapers. When I was training my kids I think I put them on the potty after a drink, first thing in the morning of course, before bed, and once an hour inbetween. However, they were fine with it. I left them on for maybe five minutes max. Never make them feel bad if they don't go. My middle son Mike, was a real surprise. He wasn't showing any signs that he was ready. He was over two and one day I asked him if he would like to put on some big boy panties. He said Yes. He seemed very excited about that. I told him he needed to tell Mommy when he needed to go to the bathroom. He didn't wet his underwear once. He was ready long before I even thought about it!!! When you put your daughter on once an hour or so you will figure out how long she can hold it. Some children have immature bladders as well so it takes them longer to train and especially nighttime training. My oldest was a bed wetter until he was 7. A hard time for us both and embarrassing for him. He didn't have a physical issue, but was just a very deep sleeper. Just something to keep in mind. I liked the reading time to a point. The only thing I am wondering is if that child is really focused on going to the washroom or listening to mom read. My grandson is 17 1/2 months and my daughter-in-law is putting him on the potty, but not seriously. She tells him to try and pee on the potty. My kids preferred to sit on the big potty most times. I got an insert for the big potty. I did have a child's potty. Praise her lots. Good luck and don't get frustrated with her. It will come when she is ready.

Wendi - posted on 08/20/2011

My daughter is 14 months and I have started with her. She is dry all night and during nap time so whenever she gets up straight to the potty we go. If she does not want to sit I do not make her, but we try to read a short book during this time. I have potty trained 3 other children and they have all been different. My oldest daughter was done in a week whenever she was 16 months, other daughter was 2 1/2 before she thought it was time & my brother was 3. Every child has their time, try to make it fun, add in lots of praise and be very patient with her. Good luck!

Anne - posted on 08/20/2011

dont be discouraged if you want to start potty training now and most people think you should wait. Its all about your baby's signs. Does she act uncomfortable in her diaper when she goes? does she have less and less wet diapers after naps and bedtime? Does she hate the feeling of a poopy diaper and lets you know so? Can she pull her pants off by herself and put them back on? There are many signs to let you know when she is ready. if shes doing these things, give potty training a try! if she doesnt take to it right away, wait a few weeks and try again! just remember not to force her or push her to go. At 18 months, let her do the teaching for you. She will let you know when she is ready!

Bronwen - posted on 08/20/2011

18 months is a little young - they barely can understand they need to potty. you can try taking her every hour and helping her sit, then praising her LOTS when she goes.

Rachael - posted on 08/20/2011

i'm starting to potty train my son and it take him 1st thing in the morning, about 15-20 minutes after he eats/drinks, and every 45 min to an hour otherwise. He also goes on it before bath time (which is right before bedtime). I endup moving it from room to room around the apartment cuz sometimes if he has to leave what he is doing to pee he gets mad

Rachel - posted on 08/20/2011

before and after everything!!! eg after breakfast before morning tea etc

Pam - posted on 08/20/2011

At 18 months you are just potty-training yourself to read her signs. although not impossible, it's pretty unlikely that an 18 month old will tell you she needs to go potty. I would wait until SHE shows she is ready. Otherwise it's just going to be frustrating. Seriously, who wants to spend half their day in the bathroom? Not fun for your daughter or yourself. Let her enjoy being a baby and don't push her so early.

Mel - posted on 08/19/2011

Good luck! I've always been told between 20 minutes and half an hour, keep extending it and try not to get upset if they wet themselves. Make sure you keep LOTS of spare undies and pants/shorts on hand and most of all - good luck! I'm going to start with my 19 month old once it warms up a little bit :)

Crystal - posted on 08/19/2011

Go for it if she is interested, my son is the same age and he just pooped in the potty today! I thought it was too soon to start too but he really wants to try it, so I am not getting too serious but starting out with taking him first thing in the morning, before and after lunch and dinner, and before bed time. Good luck!

Flavia - posted on 08/19/2011

I wouldn't even start this young. I think you will have a more successfuland much more easy time if you wait aanother 6 months

Alexandra - posted on 08/19/2011

i think 18 months is too early, but again everybody is different. i have friends that take the kids to the toilet every 20 to 30 minutes, from waking up to going to bed.

Teresa - posted on 08/19/2011

with my oldest when he started it was every half hour but he was 2 1/2. my 2nd oldest was almost 3 before she would do anything on the potty. my 3rd started being interested in the potty about the time she was 15 months and i let her sit on it whenever she wants. shes 21 months now and i'm about to start getting more serious with potty use. don't force her. she will potty train super fast if she is ready. if you get the pee part down but have trouble with the pooping, try a paper towel with a hole cut almost all the way aroun the size of the seat hole so any pressure of poop will allow it to fall. my two were scared to let the poop fall into nothingness. they had the security of the diaper for so long that it was weird to them to let it go off their skin. after a couple paper towels they were ok to let it go without needing the towel there and then i moved them to the big potty.

Leslie - posted on 08/19/2011

I wouldn't push it at 18 months. I agree with the other posts. I started every 15 min, if no accident extend it 5 min, until you figure how long they need. Good luck!!

Amber - posted on 08/18/2011

every 30 min. o an hour

Kristen - posted on 08/18/2011

I know I was annoying when I was potty training my daughter I would ask all the time.(if she was making a weird face, got really quiet all of a sudden ect) As for how often you need to take her to the potty depends on how much she is eating and drinking. What goes in has to come out. I would suggest making routines 15mins after eating or drinking, before bath time, before bedtime, first thing in the morning and maybe once every 30-45 minutes. Here is a tip that worked for me: We took her potty out of the bathroom.That way it wasn't a "punishment" to stop playing and go sit on the potty. Once they get the feeling/ timing down you can move it back to the bathroom. Hope this helps.....

P.S. I know a lot of people recommended pull-ups but I found them to be a waste of money. They feel to much like a diaper and your can't really tell the difference.