How/when to Get Started with Potty Training

With my daughter we had to get a stool and the cushy seat that fits on the toilet. She would not use the potty seats that sit on the floor. We did that and she learned really fast.

As a daycare provider, we are encouraged to begin potty training during the warm weather and right after the second birthday. Some children will show an interest earlier...some will be closer to age three.

Develop a reward system for sitting on the potty...something she loves...stickers on a "daily potty report", fruit snacks, grapes, etc. Don't *ask* her if she needs/wants to go; *tell* her it's time to go. Sit with her...read to her...sing songs with her...make it a pleasant time. Be consistent and firm, but loving. No scolding or criticism. You'll see a change in a few days.

There's a wonderful DVD out called "Potty Power"! My daycare group absolutely loves it. I would strongly recommend watching it with your little girl on a daily basis for a time and see if her attitude about her potty changes. We've learned all of the songs and sing them throughout the day...especially at diaper changing time. My tiniest toddlers will raise their hands up in the air and cry out, *potty power*, LOL!!

http://www.missbrenda.com

I wouldn't use the term painless process and potty training in the same sentence. It can be very difficult if you are ready and she is not. If she is afraid of the potty then maybe you should consider waiting until she's older. My son was afraid, too and we waited until he was about 3 and a half and then read him books while he sat on the potty fully clothed, seat down. After a few weeks he sat on the potty with just diaper on and seat down. After a while of this he became comfortable with the potty and the process went much smoother. Your daughter is still very young and I think all kids hide when they use the bathroom in their diaper at this age. Good luck to you and your little girl!!

My experience with is there is a window of opportunity when they are interested and potty training is easy. If you miss that window, it can be a struggle until their interest peakes again. I suggest letting her go as often as she wants, but when she actually potties, make a HUGE deal out of it: Cheering, clapping, "parade", even call Daddy or someone important immediately and let her share the news. If it's a false alarm, be supportive and encougaging by saying something like, "Did you potty?" Look in there. "Oh darn it. No potty this time. I'm so proud of you for trying. Maybe next time you can go potty in your potty chair." That can help her understand it's not just the behavior of sitting on the chair you're looking for, but actually using it.

i also have a 2 year that i have been working on the potty. so days are better then other. but the we started was, i went out and made a big deal about her big girl underwear, which she loves and i also bought some small cheap toys and stickers. she got all in to it and tried the potty. the first time she went we made a big deal. then i set a timer for 15 mins, as soon as she heard the timer we run in the potty. this has worked for me. the timer is more for me, becasue if i get busy with my baby or things around the house i remember and there are no accident. but the thing that i have learned that they will start and using the potty when they are ready, my 2 yr old for some reason wants diapers or pull up again and somedays cries to be on it. but then somedays she is great with the potty. potty training is tuff...good luck

My kids are all older now, but just wanted to throw this in the mix. I had three in diapers of various stages all at once. It seems that everyone thought bragging rights among the mothers went to the one who could potty train their kids the soonest. I felt the pressure even though I had all I could handle just keeping everyone fed and safe. My sister told me she had never seen a normal school age child in a diaper so just quit worrying about it. That took the pressure off and I just bought them a pack of underwear and let them decide when they were ready. All of them had transitioned out of diapers sometime in their threes and I was a lot less stressed not trying to win the mommy potty training award.

T.,
There are numerous things out there you can do...the trick is finding what connects for your daughter! My daughter acted ready when she turned 2 as well so we bought the potty chairs...at first she sat on them and then all of a sudden she didn't want anything to do with them. Since it was summertime, we decided to wait til school started so there was a routine. Mind you, all summer she would pull off her diaper when wet or poopy...with the poopy ones, we had to be quick!

Anyway, after school started, (since I stay home with the kids) when we were at home I would have a bottom naked little girl running around. She would almost beg for a diaper when she needed to go because she didn't want to sit on the potty. I gave in twice but not after that! Both times I gave in and put a diaper on her, it was wet and back off her within 1-2 minutes.

Mommy won out! After needing to really go, she finally sat on the potty with a little encouraging from me. All I did the next time she wanted a diaper on was take her hand and tell her we needed to walk here (of course the bathroom). When we got to the bathroom, I asked her to just 'try' sitting on the (potty) chair. It wasn't 30 seconds later she was peeing in it! We had a Hi-5 dance party for it! She was so excited she couldn't wait to go again! Then the first time she went poopy in it, we had a Hi-10 party dance. And I mean we Hi-5'd and Hi-10'd and DANCED in the bathroom! My husband thought I was crazy (especially the first time he took her)! But it worked for us.

I'm sorry this was so long. Give it a try and see...sometimes the nakedness works and sometimes it doesn't. We were lucky...She was potty trained at 2 1/2 and only 2 accidents in the next year. Namely because we gave her TOO MUCH to drink TOO LATE before bedtime.

Good luck!!
D. :)

Start slow. Get her some books about the potty. Read these to her often. Don't try and force her or make her go ont he potty yet. Let her sit on it with clothes on at first to get used to it. You might even buy one of those seats that fit on the toilet too -- a lot easier to clean imo. Basically, let her take the lead. Don't push since, chances are, she'll only push back and make it worse in the long run. It needs to be her idea.

We just started potty training our youngest (17 months). We have every form of potty chair known to man as my first son was picky about where to potty! We started out talking about the potty and then we had him sit on it and we cheered and clapped! Now, he wants to sit on the potty - a LOT! He has only gone a handful of times, but it is good that he has interest. One piece of advice - be patient and don't make it a battle...we did that with our oldest and it was a painful expereince for me! Make it a positive - go and let her pick out some BIG GIRL panties - maybe let her pick out the potty chair that she wants. It makes a HUGE difference to get them involved in the process. Award her with something that she REALLY wants if she starts going potty in the BIG GIRL potty. Don't give up, don't get upset, don't get frustrated...she will eventually be potty trained! (I wish someone had reminded me of that the first time around!) Good luck!

I agree with others put the potty where she plays and let her sit on it fully clothed until she gets use to it. You may also want to get a doll that pees ( you know the cheep plastic ones that you give water in a bottle and it comes out), and let the doll pee on the potty. Since you do not use a potty chair she may not know what it is. Or she may do better using the regular toilet with a attachment or sitting backwards. Since I am sure that she has seen you go on one.
good luck

I think she is so ready to be out of diapers. I don't do poop so my kids were potty trained early. At least the poop part. My daughter poops at the same time every single day. So I always took her to potty every day at the same time. Also, when I noticed that look in her eyes I would take her straight to the potty. I don't like potty seats because I don't like poop. So I used the seats that go on the toilet. I would take her and we would sit. I would read to her or give her a book for her to read to me. Of course she couldn't read but she would make stuff up. Also my kids always went to the potty with me so they wanted to be big like mommy and use the potty.

Best of luck.

i just got my almost 3 yearold potty trained. it took a little bit but this finally worked. all of my family and friends told me to just put him on the potty and tell him that he cant get up till he goes. but before that he would tell his daddy and i that he had to go potty and we would encougrae him and go in there with him. and we rewarded him when he did use the bathroom. not just praises but he got a treat.now that he is potty trained he doesn't get his treats much any more but he still gets praised.

i am a real geatful mother of a potty trained 3 year old

www.askdrsears.com has great tips and advise.....

We started to teach our son how to use the pot when he was 9 months. That time he did not walk yet, but he could set himself. Therefore it was easy because he could not stand up from the pot himself. Now he is 1 y.o. and very often when he wants to do his big business he stats to show us that it is time to put him on the pot... but of course sometimes he can go to his diaper.

We are going through the same thing right now! I just read an idea that I never thought of; bring the seat into her play room. This should help her feel more comfortable with it. The goal is for her to use it as a chair and then move it into her bathroom. Encourage practice runs whenever she gives a signal that is promising. Praise for cooperation or success. Keep trying; she will get there when she is ready. We have just started focusing on it with our 2 year old. She finally expressed more interest!! Best of luck!!

A good rule of thumb is when your daughter wakes up in the morning with a dry diaper, some doctors suggest that is a good sign of muscle continance and ready for the discipline of potty training! Boys seem to be older when ready for potty training

Good luck! but when ready make it fun with no pressures whatsoever!