Potty Training - Sugar Land, TX

Yes, a trining potty is a good idea :)It makes it much easier for them to go :)Some children are scared of the big potty

My kids were potty trained at VERY early ages. My son at 18 months and my daughter even younger. We bought a plain old training potty... no bells or whistles. We would put them on there after eatinga meal, getting up from bed/nap or drinking a lot of fluids and, while they sat there, read stories. We also kept a small container of M&M's handy on the back of the big potty. When they went in their little potty, we celebrated, gave hugs and kisses and they earned a few M&M's! They both loved it and trained VERY quickly. Consistancy and patience are the keys to this.

There are some very cute little books about being a "big boy/girl" and going potty. Sesame Street had one out years ago that was one of my son's favorites at the time.

Have fun!
M.

Potty seat - to each his own. Personally, I never liked it. I had much better luck with a seat cover that went on the actual potty. Much less messy. I also did have a footstool so that they could "mount up" to the real potty easier.

Serious about potty - when you know they're ready. There really is no majic age. I know a little girl who was in panties at 17 months, and some that were close to 3. In the meantime, start teaching how to wash hands (put a step stool in front of the sink so she can reach the water to turn it on, etc), how to pull up and down shorts - these are big things that can be taught prior to potty. If she comes to you and says, "I have poop!" Then you know she's ready. If she can go 2-3 hours in a dry diaper, she's getting close. If she experiments with success a few times is all it takes before they understand what muscles are involved in making the magic happen. Just keep talking to her about it and letting her experiment.

Wiping- save yourself the trouble and teach at the same time! (Also, night sleeping - save yourself from having to re-train and just bite the bullet and do it all at once!). Teach front to back, and teach that we don't wipe poo-poo first and then pee-pee. I did use those Kandoo moist wipes at first because I just felt like they did a better job and were easier for them to handle. Now, my 2 year old just uses regular paper.

Other pointers:

don't constantly ask if she needs to go - you're just potty training yourself and she won't learn to listen to her body's signals.

praise her when she does it and really try not to get upset when she doesn't. especially in the beginning when mistakes are commonplace - it really is hit or miss! treat accidents matter-of-fact. have her help clean up and tell her that pee pee goes in the potty. when she does it - get all excited and cheer, call daddy and grandma.

Bribing - not my style - I hate feeling like an animal trainer (or worse, the trained monkey myself!) Teaching them to pee for pennies or m&ms just teaches them (IMO) that they should only do what is right if there's a reward in it for them. It breeds materialism. Praise, high-5s, silly potty songs and dances really will do the trick! If you buy her anything, let it be big girl panties!

I think its great that you're starting slowly now. My oldest dd was potty trained before her 2nd bday and it was wonderful since my ds was born around the same time. Now, my ds didn't potty train until he was 3.5 - very different and much more frustrating experience! (You can read more about it here if you're interested: http://www.themommyjournal.com/archive/potty-trained.php)

I don't think that a little training potty is necessary at all unless she is afraid of the big toilet. I had the seat that fit on top of the regular toilet with a step stool and that's worked great for us. Definitely want to teach her to wipe at the same time - you'll probably still 'help' for a little while until you're comfortable with how well she does.

A GREAT book for this that was recommended to me by a friend is called "Time to Pee" by Mo Willems. It starts off “If you ever get that funny feeling… don’t PANIC!” Made ME laugh every time!

Just take it slow and follow her lead and you'll do great! Good luck!
____@____.com

Hi S.-

I think it's fine to start introducing the idea of going potty but you really have to be careful about how "into it" you get. If you are really laid back about it and are just casually reading books about going potty or maybe mention to her that you need to go so that she gets the idea that Mommy does it too that's fine. But, if in your mind this is the start to potty training, by the time she actually gets it you're going to feel like you've been potty training her forever and you're going to get frustrated. It's really best to just wait until they show signs of readiness.

As far as the potty goes it really depends on the child. My kids did not do well with the kind of seat that just sits on top of the regular toilet. I think they felt really unstable and scared being up so high. When we got one that sat on the floor it was a basic one with no lights/music/bells etc and they were fine with that.

The age to start at depends on the child. My son was potty trained just after he turned 4 and my daughter was potty trained just a few months after him when she was only 2 1/2. If my daughter only went pee, she wiped herself. If she went pooh then I wiped her for the first 4 months or so and then she actually initiated doing it herself at some point and I just did a double check for her for a little while and now she is on her own.

For me, the bribery was not a sign of frustration. I offered a prize for going on the potty from the very beginning of our potty training. I felt like this was a huge accomplishment for the kids and they deserved a little something.

Good Luck!
K.

My daughter is 3 and it took us awhile to potty train her .But she is now fully potty trained and even goes to bed in her panties . Has not had an accident in awhile . Boys on the other hand are alot easier ! We bought her one of the potty's that had a step stool ( comes in use when washing hands and brushing teeth ),and it also sings and I think it made a real flushing sound like when they was done . That was about a year and a half ago . We also treated her with m&m's every time she went . If your daughter seems excited about it I say go for it . We also bought a lot of panties . Ones that she really likes ! Character ones !! Just make sure there is no stress or big changes in your family because if there is the potty training will back fire . Don't really force her either if she don't want to . I know there are some parents that discipline their child with spanking if they have an accident . To me that seems wrong in my book !My daughter just let us know when she was ready ! The only thing we had trouble with was going to bed at night in her panties she wanted a pull -up not panties . Children are different then others . Some potty train before the age of 2 and others it just takes a while . Good Luck !!

P.S.- I think the earliest stage in panties is I believe 2T
Also most day cares want kids potty trained buy 3 for the 3 year old class but I do know that some do help with potty training .

I always (have 4 kids)introduced the potty chair at 18 months and seriously potty trained at 3 years. I tried everything but until 3 they just had no interest. So don't get too stressed out. I think the next to the toilet potty chair is the only way to start. The toilet is very big and a little scary,and the hole is HUGE a kid can fall in. At the beginning the potty seats that sit on the toilet are a little wobbly or they are attached to the seat and have to be removed so adults can use the tiolet. Once they are mostly trained get the padded seat that sits on the toilet and a stool.

So first get the one that sits next to the toilet then the one that sits on the toilet. We used the singing potty. It is just nice because they do tend to sit there for a long time before they pee and the potty tells you when you can start singing and dancing.

Have fun you will catch yourself doing things you never thought you would do. Dancing and singing potty songs.....once in a lifetime experience.

Also use regular underwear and plastic pants (target) when the time comes the pullups are just confusing and expensive.

Debra

S.,
I am a Mom of 4 (3 girls and 1 boy.) Mine ranged in age from 2 years to 3 1/2 when they were potty trained. Just remember that they are all different and what works for one won't necessaarily work for all. A lot of it is individual muscle control. Don't get frustrated if it oesn't happen as easily or quickly as oher kids you've heard about. Good luck!

When my daughter was little we set just a plain ole potty chair in the bathroom. When my husband or myself would go sit on our potty she would sit on hers. It was no time till she was using her potty and we wiped her for a while till she was ready to start trying herself. I have done the same thing with a granddaughter and it still worked.

Well, good luck, I started my lil one when he started walking 14 mths. I have always heard to start training as soon as they start walking and I sure didn't waste any time. Start by saying something like "oh, boy I need to go potty" and take her in there every time you go potty, sometimes it's very fustrating, but it then becomes a part of their day and they start to do it even if you don't need to go. If you stop one day and start the next day she won't take it so seriously, but if she doens't do anything, don't get discourge and tell her maybe next time she'll want to go. Any potty trainer is good, no need for the singing and all that. The cleaning part, you can do that after she is done and later on she'll want to experience herself. You should have her potty trained within a few months.

I recommend a run of the mill training potty w/ out the sounds and silliness. I also agree with you that you should start talking about it now. I started talking about the potty when my boy was 15 months. Around that time I started putting one or two trips to the potty into our daily routine, just as an introduction. My little guy would sit on the potty before he got into the tub each night. I would praise him whether he peed or not.

When my guy was 2 1/2 (which is early for boys, I know, but I was hoping to have only one child in diapers when my baby is born this fall)we just told him that diapers are for bedtime and switched him to underpants. In two weeks, and after a number of accidents, he was trained to go pee on the potty. Poop came along slower, but only about two more weeks later. The inconvenience of having to stop every fun activity and change everytime he wet himself was incentive for him to use the potty. He just got tired of all the hassle and also got to where he didn't like that wet feeling.

A good site to find out more info about whats right for you...

http://www.mypottytraining.com/

IT IS NEVER TOO EARLY.
My 11 yr old was potty trained right before he turned 3.
My 2 yr old was potty trained by his 2nd birthday.
As soon as they show interest, then go for it!
My older son had the basic potty - but eventually he liked the big one better. My little had a flush/singing potty, but he never used it. It was great to introduce him to the whole concept. He would sit on it (with this diaper) when I was on the big one. We talked about what was going on and what we were doing. He was actually given that potty for his first birthday - so he was introduced to it a little younger than yours. I have to say it has to be the reason that he was potty trained so soon. I NEVER PUT THE BATTERIES IN IT. he never even knew it sang and did other things, as we did not want to distract him from his 'purpose'. When he finally wanted to peepee - he wanted the big toilet. We had the seat for him at first, but not for long. Eventually he just held himself up. The running water thing REALLY WORKS. so keep that in mind. In the end, just get her started and then she will advance on her own. Kids tend to do better when they are not pushed. GOOD LUCK!!

I have to agree with Karen...if you just start talking about it and not really expecting any results then you are fine.

My son wasn't fully potty trained until 3 years and 4 months. He just wasn't ready until then, we had a few false starts which really left me frustrated. I cleaned up so much pee and poo that I wanted to scream!! My son went through stages where sometimes he wanted the little potty and sometimes the big one. During one big potty stage the little one turned into a step stool and stayed that way. Plus I got tired of cleaning it out!!

My son calls me to wipe him after he has a number two...I would rather I wipe him for now and work on it slowly...sometimes he wipes himself and calls me just to check and usually he still needs a bit of help.

My daughter is almost 15 months and isn't even walking yet...she is a talker "gab gab gab"...I can't imagine starting the potty thing yet, but that is me...I am still shell shocked from my son!!

Good luck with it all...I have heard girls are easier and train younger. Sending you a great big hug {{{{{hug}}}}}

I also reccomend a plain training potty. The one we used doubles as a step stool when you are done using it as a potty. (It just flips over.) I would skip any fancy ones.

I think it's a good time to introduce potty training, but keep in mind that she won't be fully potty trained until she is ready. I would suggest to get a potty, talk to her about it and maybe buy a book to read about the potty. Then watch for the signs to see if she is ready. Some signs to look for are is she dry for 3-4 hours? Is she uncomfortable in a wet diaper? Does she hide while pooping and then want to be changed immediatly?

Here is a checklist to help you know when your child may be ready to seriously potty train:

http://parentcenter.babycenter.com/toilet-training-readin...

There is no age that children are ready, each child will become ready at their own pace anywhere 18mos to 4 yrs. Some children are ready at 18-24 mos, some may not be ready until 3 so don't get frustrated and don't push her.

I didn't need to use bribery, but I gave my son incentives. he knew that once he was potty trained we could go pick out his big boy underwear and that was a great incentive. He wanted to wear his superhero undies so much that he potty trained over a few days, but he was 3 1/2 or so. Also there may be accidents even after she is potty trained so be patient!

Good luck!

wow! you've already gotten a lot of responses... We started introducing potty-training to our son early too. There was this cute book we got that had a button that made the potty flushing sound to introduce the kiddos to that too since so many are afraid of it. Phoenix was potty-trained at just over 2yo, which is really young for boys, but he was ready.

Also, because he is so big for his age, a training potty did not work for us. We just got one of those kiddie seats that fits over the regular toilet seat so he wouldn't fall in and made sure we had extra stools so he could keep one in the bathroom all the time. This also made it much easier when we were in public b/c he wasn't afraid of the big potty & would still go with no problem (other than us helping hold him up so he wouldn't fall in!).

I wouldn't really bother talking to her about the potty unless she is showing an interest. It really could just overwhelm her and make the whole process go longer. I have 4 kids and didn't buy a potty seat until my 4th child was born (to potty train my 3rd). I wanted her to be able to go to the potty on her own with out me in the bathroom if I'm busy taking care of her baby sister. Potty chairs are also good if your child is afraid of the toilet. It's just a big whole to them. I did use the seat size adjuster thing that you just set on the toilet and it makes it childsize so they don't fall in. Girls are ususally easier to train. My oldest was trained by the age of 2. My son on the other hand was just past 3yrs old. My 3rd is another girl and she would be potty trained already if I could spend more time with her with it. She's 28 months now. Best of luck.

I, too, wanted to start early and I would say started about the same time that you did. We started by buying a very simple, basic potty and taking it to school and asking them to sit her on it once a day to introduce it to her. We also had one that my mom bought her that we kept at home and did the same thing. We didn't FORCE anything, but tried to make everything very natural. We also bought a potty book and read it regularly.

I believe the key to potty training is the parents (as well as the child being ready). i.e. if we had been more persistent and consistent when she was 18 months, I think she would have been trained earlier than she was. About 20 months, we got serious (but I was 8 months pregnant) and then decided to wait until our son was born. When she was about 2 years, I woke up one day and said "It's panty day" and never put her back in diapers. She was completely potty trained (no accidents) in about a month.

IMHO, you don't need a fancy potty..in fact, she doesn't ever use it (but I think it was good in the beginning because it was something that was her size). You do need to teach proper wiping, which I must admit that I am not doing so well at.

I never knew you were suppose to wipe a certian way and of course when i did find out in my 20's I was doing it wrong. I never could train myself to get out of the habbit and go the other way so I ended up just blotting the front insted of wiping. If you have a problem with it mabey this will help. Good luck.

My daughter was potty trained at around 20 months. I started with #2. She loves to read books and is pretty regular. So, I would just sit her on the seat (the kind you put over the regular seat), usually after she ate, and read her books. It only took a couple of weeks before she understood the whole concept. She was trained for this relatively quickly. When it came time for #1, we happened to be around my big family, all weekend. Every time she went "pee pee" in the potty, everyone would cheer..... she was trained before the weekend was over.
I preferred the seat over the toilet because the thought of cleaning out a potty was pretty disgusting, for me. My girlfriend had a toilet seat that incorporated a smaller seat, within it,that flipped down. I'm sure cleaning this was much less disgusting. She bought it at Target

S.,
15 months old is really early to talk about the potty. Most children don't go until they're 3 years. You have loads of time. My two cents is you need a small potty to start out because the regular toilet is huge to them and they are scared of falling in. I bought one at Walmart that also served as a stool for handwashing. It's plastic, no bells, no singing, etc. My thing was if I got a singing potty, when he started going in the regular toilet he would be upset because it wouldn't sing. She will let you know when she's ready. She'll start telling you she's wet or has poop in her diaper or she needs to go. Just enjoy her and don't worry about it. Take her potty with you and tell her what you are doing. On the wiping thing, she won't start doing an efficient job with that until she's 3. I used stickers for rewards, not bribery.

Good luck,
C.

Getting a potty is a good idea if for no other reason just to introduce the concept to her. I would not get one that sings or something else. My oldest had one that would sing when you "flushed" but she would make it sing while sitting next to it, not on it. Put the potty where you go and let her come in with you and sit on her potty. I would start as a suggesttion, but not make her, you can even let her keep her diaper on at first. My oldest was potty trained, even at night, a few months before she turned three. Part of it is personality but with girls I believe it is a little earlier than it is with boys. With the wiping, we taught our three to "touch your toes" and then as they get older they can try with supervision and then eventually they are on their own!We also use the flushable wipes and that really helps with the hygene. Good luck!!!!

I really like the little seat that goes right on the big potty seat. However, the child needs to be, say, 3 to get up there by herself. I have used lots of potties and my favorite, the only one worth buying, is the Baby Bjorn and you can get it in SOME specialty stores but usually just order it online from Target or Babies R Us. They have a little tiny one and a bigger one with a nice high back. My 15 month old sits on the big one, the little one is better for younger babies.

You are not too early at all. The sooner she gets accustomed to it the less likely she'll have anxiety. When my baby is in the living room I take off her diaper and have her sit on the potty. We'll read a book, play a game, ect. If she ever actually potties in it we'll make a big deal. :) You can get a doll that pees in the potty that might help too.

S., mom to four girls

Relax, the intensity that you are putting on this way before she even needs to be focusing on this will only intimidate her and make her feel bad about not achieving your goals for her. When your daughter can negotiate pulling her pants/ dress up or down and get on the potty by herself then you should bring this up. That runs anywhere from 2 -3 yrs. Let your baby be a baby because she won't be a baby forever.

With my oldest daughter, she was 14 months when she potty trained so really there is no "right" age. A lot does depend on if the child is ready themselves. I purchased the seat that actually fits onto the actual big toilet. She did awesome with it. I also had a step stool that she could use without having to "jump" up on the seat. Also, this allows them to go themselves without having mommy watching over them. I did however have her call me when she was done so that I could assure that she wiped properly. Good luck!