Potty Training - Norwalk, CT

She is really young to start it.......my first went at 3 years old and I have my second now - who tells me when she pooped and pee'd but she doesn't want the potty - she is 26 months - I think close to 3 years is best - I wouldn't force her though

My dgtr did the same thing at that age. She is now 26 mos old and is very used to her potty and sitting on it. She even pees and poops sometimes (she is telling us more often before she has to go). Last week - she told me she needed to pee when she was in the tub - I put her on the potty and she went. So - we kept her diaper off for the next 3-4 days. She was doing really well telling us when she needed to go - a few accidents, but overall ok. BUT - she was whinier, crying, yelling and having more behaviors overall. We put her diaper back on and within a day - back to herself.

So - my point is - she may be interested and getting used to her body and awareness of it - but she may not necessarily be ready for the next step and is probably too stressful at this point. Maybe just have her sit on the potty seat and see how she reacts - if she's resistant - don't push it - she won't be 15 still wearing a diaper!! Follow her cues and she'll let you know when she's ready for the whole kit and kaboodle!

Hi K., Your daughter telling you after she pooped is a good first step. If she does not like being dirty you may have and easier time. The next step is a maturity thing. It is not something you can teach her. The message has to go from the feeling to the brain to her telling you. If you can put the poop into the potty and make a fuss about flushing it. Tell her that she could sit there and do it on the potty. It takes time but you will get there. Grandma Mary

Honestly, I think she's a little too young. I would wait until she's almost two. One bad experience can cause a huge set back.

Good luck,
Kim

Everything is up to you and your daughter. I take care of a child whose parents are from another country where they don't use diapers. She does but every morning they put her on the potty since about 12 months. It was a routine thing at first but now she goes both pee and poo on it without any problems. She uses diapers with me but is interested in the potty here. She likes to sit on it and will stay on it for some time. Sometimes she goes and sometimes not. She is 19 months and I would say she isn't ready for all out no diapers but is liking the exposure to it. I take care of 2 other boys who were two in March/April. One pees almost all the time on the potty and the other one refuses the potty a majority of the time. My son is almost two, likes to take off his diaper after he goes, likes to sit on the potty, and sometimes uses it. He doesn't exactly get when he should be on it but it is there for him to use. Some days I'll have him go with just underwear so he can get the feel of when he goes and then we put him right on when he goes.

I think it is all up to you and your child and your style at home. If she's interested in it you shouldn't discourage it because 'she's too young'. Potty training and start times vary in each culture and I don't think there is a right or wrong way to go about it, everyone eventually uses the potty. If you like taking frequent trips to bathroom or whatever then do it. My only suggestion is don't force it and don't treat accidents in a negative way and be patient. It might take longer for the two of you to get it because she is younger and it might take longer than if you waited but if she's interested and you are too no reason to not try it.

Telling you that she has pooped is a great first step towards potty training. She is starting to be aware of her diaper, something that she has lived with all her little life. I bet she is also going into a corner or under a table and squatting to poop. If not she soon will be. IS she used to the potty? You dont want to grab her up in the middle of a movement to sit her on this strange thing. But if she is familiar with it, then watch for her 'secretive' signs and lead her to the potty. She is well on her way to being trained. Congrats.

I think you may be asking for a little much here...it's great she's starting to communicate with you, but be careful...it could set her back...

Both of my kids started at about 18 months with training but both quit suddenly...then started again at about 2 or so...My advice - don't push at all.

Hi K.,

Its great that your baby is learning about her body and communicating about it too. However, many babies this age are able to recognize that they have a dirty diaper and let a parent know. It doesn't mean that they are ready to use the ttoilet, or to tell you that they have to - often telling that they have to go is the last step in the process, not a first step. Both of my kids had told me they'd already gone for a year and a half before training.
Most 17 month olds aren't ready to train. Often when parents start at this age, the process takes a long time, months (or more). I didn't opt for this since I didn't enjoy the process, find it cute or anything - I found it easier to have kids in diapers than ones who would use the toilet occasionally, have lots of accidents, etc.
However, when your daughter shows signs of readiness - staying dry for a few hours at a time, able to take her own pants up and down, maybe the awareness that she is urinating, I'd say to use cloth diapers or cloth training pants with waterproof outer layer/plastic pants. This lets her know what happens when she pees - she gets very wet, and starts to recognize what it feels like just before that happens. Disposable products don't allow for that wetness. Take her to the toilet frequently - I did it every hour and a half. Don't ask if she has to or wants to, simply take her. It took my son 2-3 weeks to stop going in the cloth training pants and to wait til the toilet trips to go, but he did. However, it was still a month after that before he started to verbalize the need to use the bathroom. That's often a late step. And while it could go either way, many kids are pee trained before poo trained. Although my kids were both at once. Good luck!