Is She Too Young to Be Potty Trained?

I don't think she's too young at all. If she shows interest then go for it. Most parents that I'm in contact with seem to wait until the kid is 3 or even older. The older women I know who have kids my age and older, most say their kids were potty trained when they were two. Anyway, I say start as soon as they start showing interest. I didn't and now I'm having a hard time. Good luck!

if you attempt to potty train to early you will only end up being frustrated. Most children are ready between 2 1/2 and 3. If you wait until she is ready you will both be happier.
N. P

J., I just wanted to tell you, not to worry about her not being sensitive to wet diapers. My son could have sat in his own "stuff" for days without a complaint and he potty trained in 1 weekend 1 week prior to his 2nd birthday. The only thing is I dont think I agree w/ is punishment for any accidents...I mean, you wouldnt put her in time out for falling when she started to learn to walk right. I think punishing her is just setting both of you up for a very frustrating time.

Hello J.,
No your daughter is not too young to be potty trained, what i did with my daugther was when she was 1 and 1/2 i took the potty out and she started going on it when we showed it two her, so for the most part she ran around the house naked, she liked for about 3 months and then wanted nothing to do with it, so then after about three months with no suceess i introduced her to the toliet and she loved it, she potty trained for during the day and naps by the time she was and at night by the time she was 2 and 1/2 i mean of course we had an accident ever now and then but it wasn't two bad i think that we had only like 6, but what i would do is take her to the potty if i knew it had been a while and we would sit on the toliet for 20 mintues at times because she would try to hold it in, i never put her in time out for just having an accdient, and if she did go on purpose i would talk to her about and tell that she need to go on the toliet, we think that they can't understand us but they really do. Good Luck
S.

No I don't think she is too young. My daughter was fully potty trained, in underwear, both day and night by 21 mths. But every child is different. You can try potty training her, but if she becomes frustrated and shows no progress, then wait a couple more months and try again.
And as for the Dr advice on giving a time out, sorry but he/she is wrong!!! You should never punish a child while potty training them!!! I would think it would lower their self-esteem or even make them uncooperative.

I waited to potty train my daughter until she was older than 3. I think it all happened when she was 3 yrs and 2 mo old. I waited out of complete laziness and it totally worked for us. One weekend I just told her she was going to wear underwear and that was it. There were no accidents and she slept through the night in underwear. I have a son who is now 2.5 yo and I am totally going to take the same approach. I think if you try to do it early, you will eventually succeed but it's more work on your part and you will have to deal with the dreaded accidents. If you wait like me, you'll have to deal with the stigma of having a 3 year old still in pull-ups/diapers, but you're life might be a little easier in the end.

I want to encourage you by telling you my first child was potty trained when she was around 2 1/2, and she had been watching her 3-year-old friend using the potty, and wanted to "tinkle" just like her. So that was easy. She's 11 now. Please keep reading!

My second child did not stop wearing diapers until after his third birthday, and continued to have little accidents in his underwear when he needed to have bowel movements. But he eventually caught on. He's nine now.

My third child wasn't interested in potty training until after she turned 3, then we went through the accidental bm's in the underwear again with her, and now, at almost 5 years old, she's fine and knows when she needs to use the bathroom.

Different doctors and different moms and grandmothers will tell you their own opinions and advice, but sometimes you just have to listen to them, and then decide for yourself whether you want to be stressed out about your little girl's non-interest in the potty, or whether you're just going to give her more time. Making a child use the potty when they're not interested is like banging one's head on the wall. I would wait if I were you, and please don't let your doctor stress you out. Your daughter will, someday soon, use the potty all by herself, and you'll be able to think back to this potty-training time and then encourage someone else throug it!

Remember, children are a gift from God!!! --C. P.

I have 3 kids and all of them where potty trained(both day and night(by 2.5years old...
I started potty training my kids when they learned to walk(after they got it down)I started by having them sit on the potty for a few days,than i'd take their diaper off when we went into the potty and than finally they wore regular undies...
I don't think putting her in time out will work.Why would you put her in time-out anyways??What did she do wrong??Having accidents is a natural part of potty training.But Good luck to both of you...
J.

3

Well first thing first - you need to look for a new doctor. I started potty training my daughter before she was 2. She was fully potty trained at 22 months with very few accidents. It takes a lot of work, time, and patience but it will all be worth it in the end. My suggestion is that you put her on the potty yourself and put her on it often. She most likely won't tell you when she needs to go - you have to keep aksing. Ask every 30 mintues or so. Even if she says no - try putting her on the potty. And keep up with it. Don't stop when your exhausted from it, because it IS exhausting if you do it continuously. I think it took my daughter about 2-3 weeks of constant training. I was not only proud of her in the end - I was proud of myself for being so consistant. Oh - and NEVER punish your child for accidents. That's ludicrous.

It is not to early to start. Take her when you go and every half hour or so espcially since she will be drinking juice and things. My daughter will be 4 next week and its been over 2 1/2 years since she has been potty trained and has had only two bedwetting accidents. She will get up to pee in the middle of the night if she has too. And one thing do not go back and forth like putting her in underwear one day and then diapers the next. I only used diapers for naps and bed time until she was fully trained and it took like a month. I am not a stay at home mom and I had help from her daddy and my mom. We all worked together and everything went great. Another thing don't punish her then she won't go at all. It is gonna be hard and stress full but don't quit once you start! Keep going.

I would wait. I would keep the potty out in the bathroom and when you go, put her on the potty. See if the can "make it rain in the potty" like you do. Make it fun for her.

I don't agree with the technique your doctor suggests.

As they always say, when they are ready, they will do it, pushing them sometimes makes them just push right back.

I wish you lots of luck!

Hi I aim a mom of a 15 year old 16 year old and a 2 year old
with my older girls I waited until I was sure they understood what the potty was for.I put pull ups on them and told them they could have any Pansy they picked if they remembered to go in the potty.But all my children are different and were ready at different times so if you are not in a hurry I would trust your own feelings and wait until you are sure she is ready.This is not a discipline problem but a learning experience.
Your doctor may have a lot of working moms with no time or patents, he would benefit from reading Redirecting Child Behavior and applying it to discipline problems

Hi J., I am no expert by any means, but have some advice... My son is 2 and refused to use the potty chair that we bought him... He thought it was a toy!!! He would put toys in it and also stand in it.. He refused to even sit on it for a second!! I had to buy a toilet seat for him that fit on the normal seat... That he will use.. We are in the training process now! He just wanted to use one like mommy and daddy..... Good luck with your training!

Oh man, I'd seriously consider switching doctors if I were you!! That is a HORRIBLE idea!!

Your daughter will potty train when she is ready. Is there some kind of reason you (or the doctor) need to push it right now??

Truly, do you think she's going to go to kindergarten still wearing diapers?? Highly unlikely. Wait until she's ready and the "training" will be a breeze!!

I don't think she's too young to be potty trained but all children are different. I have 4 (including a set of twins) and they were all potty trained before age 2. I found that the musical potty worked well. The children get excited because the music only plays when they do something in the potty. We always made a big production of it when they actually went in the potty. Then for the girls, I always tried to talk to them about how the big girls wear pretty panties and they soon decided that they wanted to wear them too. The boys were a little harder but their dad used to let them go to the bathroom with him sometimes. They wanted to be big guys so they started to go also. I guess I'm blessed that I didn't have a difficult time. Don't give up. Someone I know did what your doctor advised for her daughter and it worked and only took one weekend! The was one mess to clean up but that's it.

I have always heard that you should NEVER punish while potty training - that is very surprising advice. 2 isn't unreasonably early for training, but it's definitely not late either. I'm sure that I won't get lucky enough to have the same wonderful training experience with my second 2 as I did with my first, but I'm trying to apply what I can control to the younger ones.... TAKE THEIR LEAD - My daughter also had some interest right around 2 with the potty, but it didn't last long. We had the potty out and she's sometimes want to sit when we did or go before bath (usually a time they have high success -especially if water is running). Then she commpletely lost interest and refused to go near it. We didn't push, but did leave the potties out in case she wanted to use them. One day when she was about 2 3/4, she woke up from nap and asked to wear underpants...she was potty trained! She literally had 2 accidents (daytime) after that. Both were when she was outside - one I forgot to ask before going outside and she didn't ask till it was too late. The other was at preschool when they had gone for a nature walk and then had playground right after. She is VERY shy and hardly spoke to her teachers plus it was the beginning of the year so it was all new. I have read that if you wait a little longer, you will likely have fewer accidents to deal with.

My sister got into a real power struggle with my neice over potty training and had a dreadful time. My neice would come right out and say she'd go potty at school, but not at home. My sister tried bribing, punishing, guilt... she had no success until my neice decided it was her choice and she wanted to do it.

Some kids aren't ready at that age and some kids are. If she's not interested in the potty then she is not ready. You can keep encouraging her to use it but don't push her, it'll take longer then. And Do NOT punish her for not using it. When potty training you should use positive reinforcement never punishment. It's not her fault that she had an acident, she's still learning the whole concept.

Absolutely DO NOT put her in time out for having an accident, even on purpose. We bought daughter a potty when she was 1 & kept it in the living room. Since it was always around, she had a chance to get use to seeing it. She used it as a toy for a long time. When she was watching TV, she had no diaper & sat in it. But we didn't stress about it. She wasn't fully potty trained until she was 3 1/2. And NO pull ups. They are more absorbant than diapers & children can't feel they are wet. I've heard good things about the get cool ones though (they get cool when they pee), but also heard some have a reaction to them. I promise your daughter will NOT go to college in a diaper. And 2 is too young for their bodies to have control.

She may not be too young, but she may not be ready. The way your Dr. suggested is a bit barbaric.

When Little girls are ready, they normally wake up dry, from nap/over night sleep.

Punishing a child for not understanding is redundant.

I have found it better to let things run their course. When I pushed the potty training issue, it seemed to have an adverse reaction. The doctors advice on using punishment as a technique does not sound like a good idea. My daughter began to use the potty on her own at 2 1/2 and was fully trained by three. Honestly, being out of diapers isn't all that it's cracked up to be. Once your daughter is potty trained, she will want to use every disgusting potty under the sun. Good luck!

Your doctor is suggesting you "train" her. What really works and helps her feel good about herself is to wait until she's ready in all developmental areas - social, emotional, physical and cognitive. She'll let you know when that time has come and then the mastery of the process of using the toilet will come easily for her. Punishing her will set you up for failure. She can control her peeing and hold it in or do it at inappropriate times and places if she gets upset or resents being punished. It's not worth it. Waiting awhile longer and letting her play with and get used to the potty can only help her learn. Keep in mind that it there is a lot to learn and it's a difficult process. Break it down into small steps and you'll see what has to be done. Don't rush it.

Punishing them is the worst thing you can do... You do not want to draw attention to it in a negative manner. Of course you need to go by the signs but age is not generally an accurate indicator. My daughter was interested in potty training very early. IN fact, she was fully trained shortly after she turned 16 months. I think potty training is an all or nothing sorta thing though (in my experience with my own child). It seems like you really have to committ to it for a couple of days (basically you have to make it your life for a weekend or so). I let my daughter run around in a dress... no diaper ect.. and left the potty in the room. Yes there were accidents just ignore them... do not get mad and than place her on the potty and say this is where we go.. when she goes give her a treat (I gave my daughter tic tacs or a m and m...).. When she relized she was getting treats for going she was going just to get treats which in turn lead to her getting a sense for what it felt like when she had to go ect... It worked great and fast! Good luck!

My daughter is almost two, and I think putting your daughter in time-out is a little harsh. I do think continuing to put her on the potty is a great idea. My friend found that doing a chart with stickers helped. Let me know how it goes, because I'm about to start the process with my little girl.

Hi J., I'll tell you what my doctor told me, as long as they (my girls) are trained by the time you put them in school they are not late! I tried to potty train my oldest when she was two...she was just like yours. It was a nightmare for me and her. So I said to heck with it and let it alone. When she was three she asked if she could go potty like me. I bought the little seat that goes onto the toilet seat and she never even used a potty chair (no mess!). She did wear pull-ups at night until she asked if she could wear panties to bed (about 3 months after she started using potty) she never had an accident, never wet the bed, and we did the same with both her sisters with the same great results!

I have watched many a friend struggle, fight and go through too much agony with potty trainning. I know many like to brag about how their child was "trained" at 2 or younger, but at what expense? It should be easy and natural, not a fight to the finish. Some kids want to do it early...lucky them. Some kids need more time...no big deal espically now with all the new, larger diaper & pull-up sizes they have now.

So, my best advise is to relax and wait. When she's ready she'll let you know.

My suggestion is to keep working at it. Offer rewards when she goes etc. My daughter will be three in a couple weeks and she has been potty trained since early spring of last year. Every kid is different. The best thing you can do is let them be interested in it when you start this process and keep reinforcing that the potty is not a toy. We never bought my daughter a potty, just the seat and she thought it was a toy so we stopped that all together and just held her on the seat. Good luck

Oh my!! I am glad I do not know the name of that doctor. A child should never be punished for having an accident, even if it is just time out. My daughter just turned two in sept, she has done pretty well. When we are home, she does pretty good using the potty. I place her in panties and then cover them with plastic panties. She makes it to the bathroom about half the time. She is very familuar when she has to pee or poop. When we go out, I place either diaper or pull up on her(whatever I decided to grab). It has been easier than I thought to start the training process, but I will not rush her. Just keep working with her on sitting on the potty. Ever half hour is good(set the timer), but if she does not go, just say we will try again. PRAISE her when she does pee, even if it is a drop. Good luck

Let me start off my saying that by far potty training is my least favorite motherhood adventure. It is incredibly difficult and frustrating for everyone involved! I have done it twice now (one more to go) and have struggled through both of them. I think that you are a little early in starting potty training. I started my daughter at about 27 months and she had a very hard time with it. It took her a long time to catch on. I started my son after his 3rd b-day and within 3 weeks we were done. From people I have talked to the early they start the longer the process. One mom I talked to (when I was potty training my daughter and soooo frustrated) said that she had heard that around 30 months for girls and 36 months for boys is the best time to start. So, maybe give it some time. She may just not be ready. She may be starting to show some of the signs, but give those some time to develop.

Also, I strongly disagree with your MD. I don't think that time-out has any place in potty training. Accidents happen. And to punish her for going in her pants/diaper, something she has done her whole life, is a very slippery slope. Instead, just stay positive. Anytime she does anything right regarding potty training, give her a positive reward. Ideas: suckers, dollar-store toys, small games, or a big hug. When she has an accident just tell her that she has to go in the potty now and you know that the next time she will do it. Don't give acccidents too much attention as that can act as a reinforcer as well.

Overall, stay positive. And try not to get too discouraged. It is tough. But I think you should also wait until she is a bit older. Potty training is not a race, she won't get more "points" if she is trained early. Let her take her time.

GOOD LUCK!

I have potty trained 2 girls, and they were as different as night and day! My older daughter was semi-potty trained for a while, then totally reverted to diapers. She was about 2 yrs. and 9 mos before she totally got it. When she was ready, progressed nicely. My middle daughter pretty much did it on her own before she was even 2. It helps to have an older sibling who uses the 'big girl potty!' Don't stress yourself or your daughter out trying to get her potty trained at a certain age. She'll let you know when she's ready. If she's developmentally on track, she should be transitioning soon. The fact that she's interested in the potty at all is a good sign. She'll become familiar with it and be comfortable using it when she wants to. If she has a doll who pees, the doll could use the potty. Whatever works for you -- just don't worry too much. Also, I believe that you should never discipline in coordination with potty training -- it creates fear of the whole process, which you don't need! I have a son to potty train next, and I hear they're harder. We'll see! Good luck, J.!

first of all, i would wait a bit, because she doesn't sound ready to me. secondly, who the heck is this pediatrician who is recommending time outs for accidents when potty training? every book i'm reading says that's the biggest no-no you can do......of course there are so many opinions on how to do it.

my daughter is 2.5 and we tried to begin potty training this past weekend because we thought she was ready. she seemed very enthusiastic about using the potty. but she just had so many accidents one right after the other, and she seemed not to grasp the concept yet of having the feeling of needing to go, so she said she wanted to wait a while and then try again, so she's back in diapers for a little while, and we'll probably try again in a couple months.

hth. let me know how it goes.

S.