Lets talk Potty training.

[Deleted]

When are you going to start? I met a mom yesterday and she was potty training her 15 month old boy. Wy is almost 14 months old and he is just getting the hang of walking let alone potty training. 

So? When are you going to ponder the thought? I thought I would start thinking about it around 2 years old. And have him potty trained around 3ish. 

Was I supposed to have him potty trained by 9 months old?! Am I failing as a parent?! 

[Deleted]

I haven't even thought about it. He's so clueless of his penis, diaper, and general 'area' down there that I dont think he'd ever get the slightest idea what I was doing if I tried now. I think I'll wait until he shows some kind of interest to 'potty' and then we'll try it. But I cant imagine we wont get serious about it until 2-2.5

[kkfeb04]

I'm trying really hard to potty train but I'm failing, we tried off and on for a year now.


Oh you mean the little one....yeah, she probably will be by the time the 3 year old is. We'll see at 2 where she is with control.

[mrsjaymay]

I probably won't even think about it until age 2 unless she shows some sort of interest before that.

[vthokie]

I'm glad you started this. I've heard so many people talking about 18 months. That's so soon. I keep feelin like I should at least get a little potty so she can familiarize herself with it. She always comes to the potty with me, so she certainly knows what goes on in there. I just don't know

[eav2c]

We will start thinking about it and preparing around 18 months or so. I don't expect it to actually be viable to at least 2. I was an oddball child and potty trained myself by 2. I highly doubt Colin will do that but here's for wishful thinking, lol.

[dixeedeluxe]

We'll do the same with Adeline as we are doing with Edie. We'll introduce it around 18m if she's even a little bit vocal (meaning, can communicate, not an interest in potty). Then, we'll let her lead the way.

Since they aren't in daycare, it isn't really a race to get it done. Edie still isn't interested most days. She'll poop on the potty a few days a week. We tell her she needs to do it if she wants to go to school. But she thinks that means after she does it, she will get to go to school that day!

[mrsjaymay]

May 31, 2013 10:11:15 GMT -5 kkfeb04 said:

I'm trying really hard to potty train but I'm failing, we tried off and on for a year now.


Oh you mean the little one....yeah, she probably will be by the time the 3 year old is. We'll see at 2 where she is with control.

Just to give you hope, SIL tried with nephew for.ev.er. He hit age three... still no interest. Finally, at age 3 years and 3 months, something clicked. He was completely trained in 1 week  - daytime and night time. That was probably 9 months ago and he's had only a handful of accidents since then. I guess he truly waited until he was ready!

It will happen soon, have faith!

[teamhayes]

I was thinking next summer when he is in less clothes and we change more often bc of the heat? I will follow his lead though _ i don't want to push him too soon.

[jessandandy09]

HI Smudgee!
I havent been on in a looooong time, but I saw your post and wanted to say I just bought a potty chair yesterday and started putting the baby on it.   I wouldnt normally start until closer to two, but Ev seems very aware of going potty.  In fact she almost always poops in the bathroom.  She will crawl into the bathroom and sit and grunt, so I figured I would start putting her on her chair and see if we can get the same result.  :-)  good luck with your decision.

[cat19]

Lily likes coming into the bathroom with me - it makes her giggle. I'm thinking about getting her a little potty just so she can "play" with it. I won't "train" before 2 though unless she wants to.

[Deleted]

I was going to ask the same thing today!

I have no clue. I am thinking about starting to talk about it at 18 months and attempt the first time at 2-2.5. I would be ecstatic if she was potty trained by 2.5!

[rainbowchip]

I'm going to wait for cues from her that she is ready. Mostly just telling me when she needs to be changed and knowing when she poops.

We didn't start with Dylan until over a month after he turned 3 and it was pretty easy for him to get the concept. He still has some pigheaded 3 year old-ness that makes him not use the potty.

I've heard girls are generally easier to train than boys and that when kids have an older sibling they train faster and easier. Plus, they start putting kids on the potty at age 2 at daycare (dylan wasn't in daycare until he was almost 3) . I think all these things will have me PT Lyla at around age 2.

[laurack]

this makes me   because Matilda has no idea whats going on down there at all. Sure I could whip off her diaper and put her on there when I see "poo face" like they say you should on those elimination communication things. but why? then I have to clean a bunch of poo off the potty? no thank you. 

I do have a potty., little plastic thing I bought for $3.99. I read something about having it around and sitting them on it sometimes to get familiar with it but I haven't taken it out yet.

My nephew is 19 months. I highly doubt he would understand anything about holding pee or poo or communicating it. I just think it is too soon.

I am cool with diapers. Keep it all in there thank you very much.

[dixeedeluxe]

Yeah, I don't care about changing diapers at all.

My niece potty trained on a normal grown up toilet. So she can just use a normal grown up toilet wherever. It's pretty cool.

[carawestt]

Closer to 2 I'll start thinking about it.

[rxbeth]

I will see when she stars to show interest but I'm sure it will be nowhere before 2. She can't even wlak yet.

[laurack]

is early potty training/elimination communication a crunchy thing or the opposite? I'm trying to figure it out in my head. It seems it would be non-crunchy but I'm not sure.

[katie]

I have not even thought about it. But she's in DC and as mentioned I think they start there at 2.

[Deleted]

Whaaaaat? I didn't think this was something that should be on my radar. The only time he shows interest in the bathroom is when he follows me in and tries to climb up my leg. I have been trying to teach him to flush, but only because it distracts him from trying to wedge his fingers under my leg while I am on the toilet.

[laurack]

yes Matilda LOVES the toilet. She is always trying to put her hand in there whether I'm on there or not. And she tries to flush it now. Have to be careful to keep the bathroom door closed when not in there because its her favorite room.

and she loves toilet paper, of course

[raynes]

Yeah, nowhere on the radar right now. He does love to grab his junk though.

[shevacc]

We did part-time EC so we already have a little potty and a seat. She uses it about 50% of the time, but goes in her diaper the rest of the time.

[charlielove]

I will put the potty in the bathroom around 18 months, and have her sit on it for however long she wants before bath time. I won't even think about PTing before 2, unless she is showing all of the signs that she wants to do it. PTing was probably one of the most frustrating parenting experiences I've had to date, but some of that may have to do with having a very strong-willed child. I don't look forward to doing it again.

[devonpow]

We did it the day H turned 3 and it took less than 24 hours from start until he was entirely independent at it. The vast majority of my friends who started earlier took a few months. I'm all for waiting until it is easy

[katfco]

May 31, 2013 10:28:02 GMT -5 laurack said:

is early potty training/elimination communication a crunchy thing or the opposite? I'm trying to figure it out in my head. It seems it would be non-crunchy but I'm not sure.

I know some people do it because they want to avoid diapers and waste, but others do it because they want to have that sense of control, well, maybe control isn't the right word, but I can't think of a more tactful way of putting it. I didn't even know people in the States did it until we came back from China--everyone does it in China. All babies wear split pants.

[cat19]

May 31, 2013 10:28:02 GMT -5 laurack said:

is early potty training/elimination communication a crunchy thing or the opposite? I'm trying to figure it out in my head. It seems it would be non-crunchy but I'm not sure.

So very very crunchy

[ashleydl83]

May 31, 2013 10:59:17 GMT -5 charlielove said:

I will put the potty in the bathroom around 18 months, and have her sit on it for however long she wants before bath time. I won't even think about PTing before 2, unless she is showing all of the signs that she wants to do it. PTing was probably one of the most frustrating parenting experiences I've had to date, but some of that may have to do with having a very strong-willed child. I don't look forward to doing it again.

This. Micah went for the first time at 15 months, but he was watching his dad. I was surprised he did it. He was fully PT 2 months before he turned 2. Eli was a couple of months after he turned 2. I'll start somewhere around that age if I feel like she is ready.

[joyhart02]

We waited until Lydia could realize when she was going pee and poop. She would say "I am going poop now" so we knew she was ready. That was a few months before she turned three and it was a smooth transition. She also goes on the big potty.

[katfco]

While you can encourage potty training behaviors and interest, kids are ready when they're ready. Starting them too early can lead to an aversion and make it take even longer. With DD, it was nice because, being at daycare, she saw all the other kids going and she became interested. She was fully daytime trained by a few months before her third birthday.