Potty Training

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I don't know if theres aleady a PT topic on here but I was wondering Peoples opinons on the matter, How early is too early and if its really beneficial? I started my son early. At 2 months old he peed for the 1st time on the potty and has been going (at least once) every day since then. He is now 10 months old and still have accidents about once or twice a day. I think its because I dont remember to put him on and he doesnt know how to tell me yet. Or is it possible I started too early and he's not going to get it till later? I'd really appreciate any and all info. Thanks

[anushyam]

My daughter and son started about the same time around 18 mths. My daughter didn't have any accidents from when she was 2.5yrs old. She could tell me that she needs to go.

But i think my son will take longer to be accident free. Usually boys take a longer time.

The other thing that i try to do is not to put them on diapers when they are at home. They'll know that wet isn't nice and they would want to use the potty soon.

[heyblue41]

Babies are born potty trained!  Google elimination communication and you will find many websites and even forums about it.  We have done ec with our daughter since about 3mos old.  We do it VERY part time.  She is always in a diaper.  She is now 15 mos old and has started signaling me that she needs to go sometimes.  Sometimes we catch it and she goes on the potty, sometimes I miss and she goes in the diaper.  Usually after a miss I realize she was trying to tell me she had to go, I just didn't understand what she wanted.  We usually always catch when she first wakes up in the morning and after nap in the potty.  Starting ec early will lead to early, easier potty learning.  The important thing is not to force it, just like "regular" potty learning.

[Maddy]

Hi guys

Check out the post on my blog about early potty training.

Brittanican, sounds like you're doing a great job on the PT. I have just started with my own baby (our babies are almost exactly the same age!). I definitely think it's not too early. Maybe the only thing missing is sign language, as that would enable your son to let you know when he needs to go, and then once he's on the potty, whether he's finished or still needs to go some more.

If you don't want to do sign language in a big way, you could just teach your son the signs for "potty," "more" and "all done." You can look them up here or here (I personally think they do "all done" a little strangely on the babycantalk site - you can find it under "finish" on ASL Pro). Show your son the sign as you're asking him whether he'd like to go potty/is all done/has to go some more. Always say the word and show the sign at the same time. Give it a month or two, and your son will probably be signing back!

In case you want to teach more signs than just those, I really recommend Baby Signing Time (or perhaps you could go straight to Signing Time, which is for kids aged one and up). Apart from teaching sign language, the music is wonderful! Meanwhile, Baby Signs has a parent kit with a dictionary of useful signs (with pictures), and they also have a dedicated potty-training program (mentioned in my post).

Anushyam, that's a good suggestion about not using diapers at home. Similarly, someone told me that cloth diapers really help children to toilet train earlier - because without the absorbency of disposables, they're much more aware of wetting themselves.

Heyblue, I agree that earlier is probably easier - and thanks for sharing your experience. Maybe next time around I will start from three months!

Maddy

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Oh I completely agree. At home i don't put diaper on him and sometimes even if its just a quick run to the store and I know that he doesn't need to go I don't put a diaper on him either. He does have accidents but mostly its my fault for not putting him on sooner.
I've started trying to teach my son to sign (that was about 5 months ago) I sign to him "more" "please" "Cookie"  "Water" and "potty" he knows what more of them mean but still doesn't sign back to me. He might just be stubborn or just needs a little more time.
I guess I need to just keep it up and soon enough he will be able to tell me and that will make is so much easier.
Thanks guys for your input and not making me feel like I'm the only one out there.

[karli]

I have been EC'ing Ashley since about 3 months. At first it was part time, but now he is 15 months we are down to one nappy a day. And usually that one is because I dont want to get out of bed for that first 6am wee!!
 We use cloth nappies and it's true that they are much more aware of being 'wet' and therefore get the 'cause and effect' of weeing. A few months ago he would start to go then stop, try and take off his nappy, and then continue once I held him over the toilet.
 We have had ups and downs, for example when he started walking I missed a lot because he was too busy to stay still long enough to wee. I think it is important not focus too much on getting them nappy-free, more on making the potty-using enjoyable. Every tinkle in the toilet is one less nappy to wash!!!

[karli]

Check out this site
 
http://www.pottywhisperer.com

[Nikita]

I was never a confident potty trainer... to me that was the scariest part of child-rearing!   My mother reckoned I was fully toilet-trained at 9 months, which I just didnt believe.  So I asked HER mother, and she said, I dont know, but SHE was potty trained fully at 9 months.  Those were cloth nappy days. I've heard of people toilet training from day one, but it seems like a lot of effort... I think the lady carried the baby around all the time so she could feel when wee was happening.  How can you have a life apart from this? (I cant carry babies all day...too heavy, pull your hair, cant reach the sink to do the dishes, cant bend over..)

[KL]

We never really potty trained Felicity. We just started to ask her to tell us when she was about 2 years old, and shortly after that she started telling us regularly, and we stopped using diapers.  Before 2.5 years she was completely off diapers even at night, and never had any accidents.

I didn't realize that was late!

[Nanayaya]

I have started to use the Baby Signs Potty Kit recently, but I did put my baby in a potty everyday after her breakfast since she was 8 months old (as I knew she will go then). This actually helped her got used to sitting there until she has finished.

Also, when I go, I do the potty sign for her so she knows that is what I am doing. Hopefully, that will help her tell me when she needs to go.

I have also read that you should not use diapers if you are planning to PT and switch to pull ups instead. This actually makes them understand that they are no longer 'allowed' to pee in their diapers. My friend actually told me that in the US, they put some stuff in the pullups that will actually irritate the baby if she pees in the pull up, thus making them less likely to do it. Sounds clever but also a little cruel to me....

Anyway, would love to hear more about how you all do this as I am going through it now and will be doing it again in the next year or two for my to be born baby.

[karli]

 ....... >............
 Ok....Firstly I can totally believe that there are those poison nappies as there are some totally sick people out there but I have to say that you CANNOT force a child to potty train if they are not ready. 

 If you are going to start assisting your child to wee on a potty or in the toilet from an early age you must first get your head around the concept that the baby is just doing what it wants to do...I believe it is the MOTHER who is being trained. Trained to read the baby's cues, or even just to make time to take the child to the toilet.
 This may seem like a lot of work but it is what you make it. Some mothers do decide to go completely nappy-free and are always aware of there children's needs. More mothers (and Fathers!!!!) decide to keep their children in nappies but keep the children in mind, if they miss it, they miss it... Others decide simply to hold their children over a pot once a day, upon waking in the morning etc.  So it doesnt have to be an all consuming task.

I have potty trained a few children in my years as a nanny and I believe that it is just as much work and a lot more pressure potty training a 2 or 3 (or 4 ) year old. By then there are so many other factors-emotional etc.
 I have a friend who is a Clinical Hypnotist and he says this is a perfect example of how it is harder to UNLEARN a habit than it is to start a new one. He thinks children are trained to pee IN their nappies when we ignore their cues. How many of us have seen a child start to wee or po and rushed to put a nappy on? We then turn around after years of encouraging this behaviour and say ' Right, thats wrong now you have to do this potty thing' By then they have no concept of holding etc.

Sorry for the rant!!!!! Can you tell I've spent a lot of time talking about this.

[karli]

On a positive note, signing is a great idea and I wish I had started with my son a lot earlier. the main problem we have at the moment is that often when he shouts to tell me he needs to go, I misread him as shouting because he wants to go on the computer (Little reader! ), wants to feed, wants to show me his toy , wants me to stop washing up etc.
If he had the sign it would be much easier.

 Also,I have friend who is doing this for the third time. her first two children were fairly easy and were out of nappies by 16 months. However this last one doesn't want to cooperate and loves to poo in his nappy and wee on the floor. My point is that kids are individuals as well, if its not working for them, then just carry on at their pace and you never know it might just all fall into place one day!

[Nikita]

my mum said she used to sit me on the potty regularly through out the day so I got the idea that was where I was meant to go to the toilet.  I bought bub a potty training DVD... was going to give it to her for her first birthday. Have never seen them, but I'll give it a go.

[karli]

Another key I think is 'showing by example' . Ashley loves to watch me and his big sister though he sometimes tries to get a little to close
 In our culture we have hang-ups about carrying out our 'business'. It is seen as a private thing that we have to hide and so first children especially dont get to see other kids 'go'. So when we sit them on the potty for the first time at 2, they're like 'What am I meant to be doing here???????' A shame I think.

[Nikita]

I let the kids watch me, but as our toilets arent in a bathroom, they're a little tiny room on their own, it's hard to fit even with the door open.  Was difficult teaching my son to go... he got the sitting down part easy enough, but the standing up part was hard to demonstrate.

Be careful with the little seat that fits over the toilet.... my oldest, at 12 months, when I was 8 months pregnant with number 2, put this over her head.  Then she tried to pull it off.... and had a fit about it.  There she was, kicking, screaming, trying to pull this off, but unless you calmly pull it straight up, it wont come off.  So I had to physically restrain her arms, and carry her around the house until I located a hacksaw. (not easy at 8 months preg)

Moral... take a hacksaw to your seat incase they put it over their head... then its easy to get off!!

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