Is It Possible To...

yes it is. In the 1940s, the average age for potty training was 18 months. Averages today are baby boys in the United States give up diapers at 39 months and girls at 35 months.
I guess before the convenience of disposables there was more incentive to train.

It's very common for a child her age to show such interest in the potty. Normally what happens is that they are not physically ready (there's a lot of development of the nervous system required - able to hold it, able to tell when one needs to go, able to void on demand) and loose interest. If the parent gets too excited and pushes the issue (I made this mistake with one), it can become a power struggle and headache and delay potty training.

It's best to follow her lead. As long as she wants to take off her diaper and sit on the toilet, let her. She may be one of the extraordinary kids who is able to go potty at a young age. But chances are, in a few weeks she'll decide she's done with the game. Let it go until she's ready to play again, next time might be the right time.

I think one year used to be the norm. If she's ready, I'd go for it. One is so much more malleable than two or three, in my experience.

VERY FEW kids are neurologically (not psychologically, but neurologically) ready to potty train at age 1. Which mean's SOME ARE.

If she's ready, no harm/ no foul.

My fam tends to train early or late. I thought my son was going to train at about 1.5. Turned out he was just interested for a few weeks and then not. He trained at 3.5. I trained at 1, along with one of my brothers. The rest of my sibs trained at 3-4.

It's ALL about the nervous system rewiring. There is NOTHING a parent can do to speed that up (although a lot they can do to slow it down). If their nervous system has rewired early, voila.

Even if she's not verbal enough to say "Potty?" or "Potty!"... she's more than old enough to understand those words. Just like asking if she wants milk, or up, or whatever. Asking isn't going to hurt her in any way (just like asking if she's hungry/thirsty) isn't going to hurt her. INSISTING can create a lot of problems (slows down the rewiring), but asking is no biggie.

My daughter wanted to sit on the toilet before she could walk. That was very hard for me to figure out but I went and got her a little old fashioned type fold up potty chair from the dollar store that had a tray on the front. She loved to sit on her chair and eat crackers and cookies of the tray. She was fully potty trained by the time she could walk. I learned to watch for cues that she used and a lot of times she would grab her crotch or point to it. Babies are very smart and I think a lot of times we, as parents, need to sit back to observe and learn by their actions. It is possible but I think that you would definitely have to watch her body language.

Your daughter may just be mimicking what she sees and that's totally fine. She may become less interested for a while, but maybe not. Both of my kids were "trained" early.
I actually hate the term "training" because we just acted like it was the most natural thing. My kids saw me go, if they wanted to sit on the potty, I let them. I put them on before getting in the tub, put them on after. Whether they went or not was never part of it. I just wanted them to be used to it so it wasn't something at 2 or 3 years old that "all the sudden" it was time to start doing.
My first baby likely was potty trained early because she developed an allergy to disposable diapers and got a terrible rash. I switched to cloth, but she had a diaper off more than she had one on and she never got attached to diapers. My son wasn't allergic, but I kept his little bottom bare as much as possible and he couldn't STAND being wet or dirty so he went on the potty early.
There was no forcing, there was no punishment for accidents. But like I said, I made sure they didn't have a fear of the potty early on. Neither of them wanted anything to do with a potty chair. They sat on the big potty. I went to the bathroom in front of them, dad did the same thing.
Monkey see...monkey do.
Some kids do it earlier, some later. All kids are different with it. I know that everyone told me how much harder boys are than girls, but I didn't have that experience with my son.
If your daughter is showing an interest in the potty now, for whatever reason, let her sit on the potty. It's not hurting anything. She may lose interest and that's okay too. Be glad she's getting herself used to the idea and not afraid of the potty. I think that's the most important thing. Not whether she goes or not at this age.

Just my opinion and best wishes.

It is absolutely possible. Some children (usually girls) just catch on faster. I was potty trained by 18 months. My sister has two daughters, her eldest was potty trained between 18-20 months and the other is mostly going on the potty now and she is 19 months. Just ask her if she has to go, sit her on the potty and let her know it is ok to go...take her every 30 minutes if you have to, make a game out of it. Within a few weeks she will be going on the potty. If she is barely one (12-15 months) you may need to wait a bit, bit if she is interested I wouldnt stop her - too many parents ignore signals there children give (and end up with kids who are wearing diapers at 3 or 4, still sucking a passifier at 2,3 or even 4 etc.).

Good luck

My daughter was 18 months when she was potty trained. Work with her and see what happens. It isn't going to hurt to try!

Just make sure to ALWAYS use encouraging words and lots of "Good Jobs". Even if she has an accident don't make a big deal of it.

If shes liking it, I would encourage her and try. Its very possible, but it is also possible for it just to be a fun phase to her and shes not really ready. My son showed lots of interest in it, did great for a week, and now hes scared of it. Ugh. I had such high hopes! But anyways, like I said, I would go with it, but if she pulls back its ok too becasue she still is young.

if she wants to, there's no harm in letting her try, just dont push her too much. Our old daycare lady's daughter trained herself this way by the time she was 18 months.

I d say: don't stop her. teach her sign language so she can communicate via her hands and let her do her thing!! congrats! that is awesome!

Some of my girls were trained at 18 months. It is definetly possible. I am not being mean. I really think people wait way too long now. My latest child was trained just after she turned 2. (i have 4 kids)

Yes you can. My sister and I were both trained by 13 months. It used to be really common (before the days of disposables). There are some websites.

Look into elimination communication. That will help you understand her cues to go to the bathroom. I don't know if you can truly train her at that age, but if she is ready, she will do it.

Hi Casey,
On average, children potty train between the ages of 2-3 yrs old. I suggest that you check for all of the signs of readiness for potty training. Children have to be ready physically, emotionally and cognitively to be successful. You don't want to start to early because then you will end up frustrated and your child may not understand what you want them to do and feel your disappointment.
Physically their bladders and bowels need to be developed enough for them to control themselves. They need to be able to sit on a potty, pull down and up their pants etc...
Emotionally kids need to want to be a part of the process of being a "big kid" Most kids want to please their parents and this is the emotional component.
Cognitively kids need to understand what it is that you are asking them to do. They need to make the connection with the "feeling" of having to go and what you expect of them. They need to understand what you are saying and be able to communicate to you that they do have to go potty.

There is more information on potty training at www.pottytots.com

Good luck!

Why not? I heard that if you know your baby's potty schedule (pee), then you can hold them over the tiolet and wait a few minutes, they just might go!
Early on, I used to tell my daughter to "let her pee pee go". Those were my "triger words". It worked everytime! I think she was about 21 months old.
She is almost 4, and I feel like she has been potty trained forever.
Good luck. Oh, I have a potty training on-line book if you want it. My email in ____@____.com, and I will forward it to you.

My cousin had her son one week after my son was born, and he was trained at 18 months. He was also extremely verbal already at that age, which doesn't indicate readiness, of course, but as you noted, it does help. I couldn't fathom how he trained so early, but he did. My son, on the other hand, trained just before his 3rd birthday.

So yes, it can be done. You could look into the *signs* for potty instead of using verbal cues...

The only thing I'd say is not to have great expectations, and if after a diligent attempt, if she isn't buying into it, then let it go for a while. Don't make it a quest to train her early if she doesn't seem to be ready, despite her early interest...

Good luck!

Hi Casey,

Here is a link that provides a great guide for readiness assessment, which is essential to both child and parent having a relatively positive experience with learning how to use the toilet.

http://www.betterkidcare.psu.edu/AngelUnits/OneHour/Toile...

The article is from Penn State and is written for early childhood ed students. I have found the principles in this article to be true time and again. (This, from years of experience helping children and their families make the transition from diapers to underwear.) While I am not going to bash traditional 'potty training' methods, it's undeniable that they are problematic and that in itself shouldn't go unquestioned. They just don't work for every kid.

For what it's worth, I encouraged my husband to let my son take his time with a more "toilet learning" approach as suggested in the article. Kiddo started wearing underpants last August and has since had a grand total of 3 poop accidents (two when he was sick with stomach ailments) and some small pee accidents. He's almost four now, and waiting worked for him. Your daughter may be ready sooner. And signing is another great way to communicate. While she may have the receptive language skills (understands and acknowledges what you say) she will need to have her own way of letting you know she needs to go, or she may end up very frustrated.

H.

Certainly let her try, just don't have any expectations. If she already has the idea, that's great and as her body matures she'll probably slide right into it. That's what my youngest daughter did and she was completely done, not even wetting the bed, the same summer she turned 2. I didn't push her on it, she did it all on her own. I just left a couple of potty seats around for her since she seemed interested.

no she is showing signs of readiness. i would keep her in diapers but encourage her to go potty in the toilet. this may just be a phase that will pass. tell her oh do you have to go potty ok lets go try :)

Girls often are earlier than boys. My younger daughter pretty much "trained" herself by 18 months. She had peeing dolls we played with, and the 3yo girl she was with at babysitter was being potty trained, and she started imitating that, and at 18 months, she did it as well. I was very surprised when she insisted sitting on the potty chair saying she needed to do a BM and I humored her, but she actually did. And that was that. She still had accidents when she slept, and when she cried hard.

Personally, to me, the words "Potty Training" are offensive. I would much prefer "Potty Learning". Do you 'train' your child to blow kisses? Do you 'train' your child to self feed? Do you 'train' your child to speak? No, you teach by example, and they learn Like someone else said, "Monkey see, Monkey do.
Our son was completely out of diapers when he was 15 months, He was walking by 10 months, so it became very easy to take him to the bathroom with us every time we went. We had his little potty chair next to our toilet, and showed him everything we did in the toilet, then let him touch our clean and dry underwear as compared to his wet or messy diaper. We made a big game of waving byebye to the mess as it was flushed down. He learned he preferred dry to wet all on his own, and wanted panties like ours.
Leave the "Training" aspect for your dog.

no shes ready go for it mine says that that for poop use her own language it doesnt have to be right but dont expect to much

I have heard of people training kids younger than that. The trick isn't teaching her to put herself on the toilet so much as to watch for her cues that they need to go, and getting her where she needs to be... As long as you don't expect more than she is able to do, I don't see there being a problem. As far as the communication of it goes, maybe you could teach her the sign language signs for pee/poo?

The only psychological damage comes from pushing kids before they're ready. Sounds like your daughter is showing interest, and that's the perfect time to introduce new things.

Teach her the sign for potty (tip of thumb tucked between index & middle finger while making a fist, then move your hand up & down) and go with it!

For the record, when people say that kids are potty trained before or at age 1, don't believe it. It's the parents who are trained to take the child to the potty when they know the child has to go. No one year old has control over their own bladder and the cognitive ability to understand that they need to get to the bathroom before they wet themselves.

However, if you can get your daughter to eliminate when you put her on the potty, more power to you!!

gosh YES, go for it.
And for what it's worth NO toddler will say to you "I have to go pee", nor will they say yes if you ask them if they need to.
What you do is set up a routine so that they try to go when they wake and before and after every meal. make it fun with books etc
My library has cute little board books and DVD's written for Kids all about potty training.

Being from a different country, I can proudly say that we potty trained my nephew when he was a little under 1. There was no need for diapers. :-)

My MIL insists all 3 of her boys were out of diapers by 15 months. I think she's nuts, but, maybe not.

My daughter was interested at one, but we kept using diapers. She sat, I didn't make a big deal about it, and several weeks later, she just lost interested. No big deal. She trained herself about six months later - again with no real input from me. I think children are ready at different times - and yours may be ready. But, I wouldn't actually do any "trying." I'd just let your daughter do what she's ready to do when she's ready to do it.
Good luck!

My daughter potty trained very early. She thought wet/dirty diapers were "Ucky!" and she didn't want them! She loved big girl panties. She really did most of the training for herself and we didn't pressure her. It was just her time. Your little one will let you know if she's not ready. No pressure and lots of encouragement, and if she doesn't seem comfortable, slow down. It will happen soon enough.
Good luck!
:)