Potty Training - Joshua, TX

My personal opinion is that if your husband isn't on-board then it's not going to happen. Since he's the primary care-giver, it's sort of up to him, even if she is ready. However, with my daughter (who is 2 1/2 and is just now potty-trained), she liked the idea of wearing panties (Dora or Elmo) and showing her little sister how to go "pee pee on the potty." So my suggestion for a "speed" train, is to put her in panties. You'll have one long, full day of accidents and the next day she should be using the potty and telling you each and every time she needs to go pee pee, if she's in fact ready. Also, with us, the moment you put a diaper or a pull-up on her, she'll use it. It's the feeling wet that does the trick. Good luck to you!! Oh and my daughter still wears pull-ups to bed....I think that's something that comes a little later.

-R.

I have news for your husband. He has to help. When he is home
taking care of your daughter, he has to enforce what is going
on...regardless if it is potty training or the same discipline
for a no no in times when she is older. And right now, it is taking her in and having her sit to get used to the potty. That means he goes in and sits *toilet seat cover down* to just keep her company.*make goofy faces**read a book*. If he wants no part. Then the cost of childcare will be up because she will be in
childcare period. If he does not do potty training, he can
not say anything when she messes her pants. Will he be able
to keep his mouth shut? Will he be able to ignore the wet
or smelly area when he gives her a hug? I do not want him
to further distance himself by not wanting to even deal
with his child. I don't mean to be mean. It is the straigth
truth. If is was a son, would he act the same way. He can
not be prejudiced against his own daughter if he had no
problem with the boys like the girl. Main difference is that
girls sit. And wipe when they have a big one. Wet wipes work
wonders for faster cleanup.

Hey, there, J.. My husband and I were in a similar situation as we both worked while she attended daycare. They would consistently ask her if needed to go, but what really helped was when I bought her a potty chart. For ea. successful potty (while at home), she would get a sticker to place on the chart. We placed this on our fridge and it was a good reward system. She was potty trained in 2 - 3 days.

If your husband doesn't want to mess with it, I'd leave it alone until he's ready. Even if you (or someone else) takes a week to get her started, there will still be plenty of accidents and regressions. Then you'll have a toddler still in diapers and an angry husband. I'd rather have the former than the latter.
I just asked my pediatrician about potty training my 18mo old son. He's very interested (he wants to be like his big sister), he can follow simple instructions, and he knows when he's wetting his diaper. However, the doc said most kids will show interest at this age, but then they lose interest. Most moms and childcare providers I know say to wait until age 2 1/2. It will happen quickly at that age and be permanent, rather than going back and forth and having everything in your house peed on for a year.
Also, from most things I read about signs of readiness, realizing that she's wet or that she has just gone potty is a step, but she needs to have the muscle control to hold it until getting to a potty, and the sense of needing to go BEFORE it happens. For example, if you're in the car driving from the mall to your house and she's gotta go but can't hold it til you get home, she's not totally ready.

My personal opinion is that 16 months is really early. Unless she's showing signs of already being able to control it. I know I was potty trained at 18 months and I did it on my own because of a hospital stay (Mom says I didn't want to sit in it). I have 1 other friend who's little girl did it herself at 18 month. She's the only one though. I think the key is that she did it herself.

Having had 2 boy's (which are very hard to potty train), my 1st showed interest at 18 months and then sat down on one of those pottys that auto flush and it set us back a year. He was trained about 2 weeks before hs 3rd birthday and we did it when be brought #2 home from the hospital. He loved having the extra attention and it took 3 days. The 2nd was trained shortly after his 3rd birthday. He showed interest and controlling it at 18 months, he just didn't want to. I tried 5 different times. Told him big boy's don't wear diapers and he was going to be a big boy when he was 3. He woke up a couple of days after his 3rd birthday and said he wanted Spiderman underwear. We ran out and bought them and that was it!

My point, don't push it too hard. It's a control thing. I can assure you she won't go to Kindergarten in diapers. Even if it's just from peer pressure from other kids as she gets older.

Good luck.

Well, J., first I think this is a VERY contraversial subject, not only with other moms, but with you. It sounds that you are convinced that it isn't too early but the majority of the moms on this board suggest that maybe it is. While it is true that no one knows your daughter like you do, many studies and research show that if you try to begin training your child too early they will regress and it could be a while before she feels safe enough to try again. Since your husband doesn't seem to be on board (and really what father would be...it is difficult to be consistent with this) starting her this early will be even more difficult. Now with saying all of this, I have a friend that had her daugher trained by 12 months!!!!! Yes, I said 12 months! She did still wear pull ups to bed, but other than that she wore panties all the time! The difference is my friend was a teacher at a High End Pre-School called Montessori. Some of those schools begin to work on potty training at 9 months. If you are absolutely positive that you are going to potty train her now, you might try calling one of those schools for tips, or looking on Ebay for Montessori books. My son was fully potty trained at 3 1/2 and this was because we started when he was 2 and it was too early so it took us a year and 1/2 of pull ups to be succesful. With my daughter I waited until she was 3 and she was completely trained in about 3 months! Ofcourse all children are different and I am not saying 3 is the magic age...just be careful not to put too much stress on your little one. Good luck, I see that it is very important to you...it will come in time. I mean seriously I don't know anyone in Kindergarten with pull ups!! :) (wink)

I really think that 16 months is rather early. If your husband isn't interested in helping you I would really think this whole thing through. I also have a daughter and I thought she was ready at that age (she complied for a bit) but she quickly went back to her old self. My ped. told me that she would do it on her own time and she did. Good Luck!!!

My son just turned 3 and is officially potty trained. It helped that they are working with him at school. However, what I've been doing is consistently taking him to the bathroom every two hours no matter what. He finally caught the hang of it...and now rather than tell me after the fact. He says he has to go and goes! This is for BM's too. Since your daughter has some comprehension already, maybe also put her in little undies to begin to feel the difference and tell her that she's not to wet her "big girl pants". I've been doing that too..........good luck.

I agree with the other moms that potty training a 16 month old is a little ambitious. My daughter started potty training at 2, and it was not until 3 that I truly considered her safe to go out in public without a diaper.
Your husband just may feel overwhlemed by the task and does not know how to recognize when your child needs to go. My advice is just to ask him to put her on the potty, whether she has to go or not, once every hour and a half. When your daughter actually goes, really give her praise.

My daughter was very interested at 20 months. We bought the potty, the Elmo goes to the Potty doll, lots of books, spent lots of time, and she quickly lost interest. She just turned 3 and we are still not completely there. Your friend can help you for that week, but I don't know that your daughter will fully be ready to take on the responsibility of letting Daddy know when she is ready. I would wait awhile if I were you-- this could become too much for your daughter and a big sorce of tension between you and your husband.

the best thing i can think of is to start her out at night when you get home... more than likely she will catch on and start asking to go durring the day when daddys home...take your time though, she is only 1.3yrs she still has time. make it fun and like a game then she will get the point...oh and use the pampers training pants... when they wet themselfs it lets them feel it and then soaks it up... its a good training tool and cheeper than pull ups by about $2-3. well worth it...Good luck