Potty Training 20Month Girl

Updated on July 07, 2009
C.V. asks from Orinda, CA
11 answers

I've been trying to potty train my 20 month daughter but she will always tell me after she goes. She actually pooped twice in the potty at 18 months, but hasn't done it since. She actually enjoys sitting on the potty and asks for a book, but won't go. Any tricks on timing? I've heard try 20 minutes after they wake up? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

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So What Happened?

Thank you all for your great advice! I will definitely try some of these new techniques. I agree that it should not be forced or pushed on them and have been doing it more as a "fun" thing and going at her pace. THANKS again!!

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D.G.

answers from San Francisco on

My daughter was the same way around 20 mnths sometimes she would go on the potty. Everytime I went to the bathroom I let her sit on her little potty (even if she had her diaper on) then everytime I changed a diaper we would go sit on the potty just to get the idea of what it was for. Then right after her 2nd birthday a friend told me how she trianed her kids and I tried. You do all the work at first but it really works. For the first couple days you bring them to the potty every 15 to 20 minutes then after a few days you bring them every 30 minutes, I skipped the every 45 minute step because after a week and a half my daughter started telling me she had to go potty.

I just started with my 2 year old son and he is getting the hang of going potty in the potty. I have him run around in shorts without a diaper and he has been going in to sit on the potty. He doesn't always go but he is getting the idea of it. When I had the diaper on him he would pee in the diaper then take it all off and go sit on the potty.

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S.E.

answers from San Francisco on

I gave my daughter lots of sweet drinks I knew she's want to drink more of and salty foods. She peed up a storm all day long. I just kept taking her to the potty about 15-20 mins after the drink until I figured out her rhythm. Then I'd reward her with a little sticker. (She was into stickers at the time.)

I also kept her naked and we did this outside with a potty chair. She was covered in sunscreen and stickers. I did this for several days in a row...spending most of the day outside. Then tapered off and we were done by the end of the week. It helped that at daycare they had them on a potty schedule.

Stephanie

J.P.

answers from Stockton on

I always took my kids as soon as they woke up - then I would take them about 15 - 20 minutes after I gave them a drink or they ate.....hope that helps, and good luck! And you may want to wait just a little bit longer, I know that you think getting them out of diapers is going to be so great and everything, but that is kinda an early age, AND - what I didn't think about with my daughter is that it never failed anytime we go to the store or something - she had to go to the bathroom, and I really hated for her to use the public toilet (but at that age they can't hold it).....and not to say that they can hold it 6 months later, but just something that had not occured to me. My son could just stand and pee or I would hold him up so that he was tall enough and never had to touch the yucky toilet....LOL - Good Luck!

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E.B.

answers from Sacramento on

It sounds like she is just not ready for potty training. I would back off for a couple of weeks. Let her play and read on the potty but don't make a big deal about it. She is going to be entering the phase where if she knows this is a big deal to you, she won't do it. The more you stress about it, the more she will resist. Give her time. My twin daughters are 3 years old and we are going to potty train this summer. There is no "requirement" that kids have to be potty trained by two years old. Pick your battles and don't worry about.

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J.H.

answers from San Francisco on

I was asking the same questions when my daughter was 18-20 months old. She seemed very interested in the potty and would sit there and "try" but she always seemed to tell me after she went. I tried the going naked method and she would still go pee but then would be very emotional. After about a week of this and her emotions running crazy I decided to go back to the diapers. I really believe her body just wasn't ready no matter how interested she was.
Two days after her 2nd birthday she tells me "no diapers Mommy"!! I was so excited but acted calm and said "okay, let's get your pretty underwear". She still wore diapers during the night because she would wake up with a wet diaper and the doctor said that her body just couldn't hold it overnight yet. She is now completely out of diapers and has not once wet the bed.
In my opinion, when the child is ready that's when it's a good time to start. It's so much work and takes an emotional toll on the child that it's better to wait if you can. I was lucky to be a SAHM so I didn't have to worry about rushing the process because of daycare or whatever.
I wish you the best as I know every child is different. Just don't feel pressured from outside family or friends to rush things along as your daughter will let you know when the time is right.

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J.A.

answers from Sacramento on

Hello...my daughter started pooping on the potting very consistantly at around that age for about 3 weeks and then stopped. Since then she really hasn't showed much interest. I was really excited because I thought potty training was going to be a breeze (it was not with my older two), but maybe not. I just backed off and let her be. She is now almost 2 1/2 and it is time to get consistant and work on it more routinely.

So, she may just be too young. I did learn from my older two that a child will start using the potty when they are ready (despiste all my effort, neither of my older two were potty trained until they were over 3, almost 3 1/2, a girl and boy). A parent can do a lot to encourange it, but actually doing it is really up to the child.

I think the best thing I did was plan on being home and let them run around without anything on.

Good luck and remember it will happen. I got incredible frustrated with my older two...just about put me over the edge. My mom kept telling me they won't go to kindergarten in a diaper...they start kinder next month and she was right :)))

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C.F.

answers from Sacramento on

I let my daughter wear a dress and fancy shoes that she loved and no diaper. The third or fourth time she peed in her special shoes she was done. She hated the feeling of the wetness on her feet and down her leg. Good luck!

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K.M.

answers from San Francisco on

HI C.,

I just finished potty training my daughter. She was 18 mos when we started and like you it worked for like a week then stopped. At 20mo I tried again but had to stop because I couldn't make the time she needed. A week before her 2nd bday she kept crying when I put the diaper on so I explain to her she can wear underwear but had to sit on the potty. The first day she pee and poop in her underwear and would say "pee pee" right when she was going. The second day was better, by the third day we had only one accident. Now after 3 weeks she even wakes up in the middle of the night and super early in the morning and asks me to take her "pee pee" she doesn't want to go in the pull up she has at night. I think kids take a while to get the hang of it so maybe let her run naked or just on underwear.

A tip that I did use a lot was to make sure I was able to stay at home for 2-3 days while we had to be training. Now we can go and come and I usually sit her on the potty right before we leave.

Good luck!

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J.K.

answers from Fresno on

Just consistenancy. Every hour or so take her to the potty and if she goes praise her like the dickens and make up a potty dance like on Supernanny. If you make it fun she will want to go. Gert her a stickerbook and stickers and let her put one everytime she goes. Get big girl panties that she can pick out. If you rely on pull ups she knows its ok to go in them.

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D.S.

answers from San Francisco on

Greetings C.: Since your little one has the desire to potty train then let her do it at her pace. The fact that she wants a book is saying that maybe she has associated reading with the toilet not all the bowel movements.
We keep a childs potty chair in the familyroom's bathroom ( that is vocal & musical) and they know that it speaks to them and rewards them for the things they do. Even the boys are able to learn to stand with it.
But don't ever push and try to force it faster than they are ready because it sends them the wrong message.
Good Luck& enjoy the adventure of parenthood. Nana G

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T.P.

answers from Sacramento on

Hi C.,

it is summer. girls are easy, they don't like it when they pee down their leg. Let her run around naked outside, keep checking to see if she has to go. If she goes outside, try to bring her to the potty and "see if anything else is in there" if not, no big deal. Just let her know that is why we use the potty. she will put two and two together soon. I didn't mind cleaning up a few messes in the house either because it meant having a potty trained daughter at 22 months. She was so proud of herself when she mastered it, it was worth the time.

As for public restrooms, I just hold her back to my belly and grip under her knees. That way she doesn't touch anything and she has some security of mommy too. Pretty easy, just be sure to have the toilet paper in your hand before you pick her up. :)

blessings and best wishes on this fun time.

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