Time to Potty Train?? - Bellefontaine,OH

Hi M.,

My daughter is 20 months and we started with her almost 2 months ago just letting her sit on it until she didn't want to anymore. It also gave her a chance to learn to associate the word "potty" with what she was sitting on. Now she is using it and even asks for it! I agree with the other Moms, you can't push her or she will just lose all interest in learning it. Just keep with it and she will take off on her own. Good luck to you and your daughter.

This is one area the child has total control! If your daughter is not interested, there is very little you can do. THe more you push it, the worse it is going to get. I would try closer to 23 months.
Once they start potty trainning I think cotton panties and rubber pants work the best. Take your child to the bathroom every 1/2 hr. Try to only use diapers and pullups at nap time. Limit there fluid intake, this will help cut down on accidents. Let her ask for juice, milk or water give her enough that she will finish right then.
This might seem harsh or drastic, but it worked on my 3 and the ones I potty trainned when I was a toddler teacher.
I hope this has helped you.
Most importantly, pay attention to your daughters actions/ reactions. If she's not interested, wait a couple of months. You'll be glad you did!

Hi M. -
I agree with the other moms - don't push if she is not ready. My daughter was a little over 3 before we were done. She had a little interest before then but not much. She got Cinderella panties for Christmas and in 1 week we were done with no accidents. I think she wore a pull up to bed for another few weeks. My son just turned 3 and he does it when he wants to. Some days are good and some are bad. What works better for him is if I let him run around naked. If he has no clothes on from the waist down, we have a successful day. Inspite of what your dr said, I would let her take the lead on this one.

Good luck!

L.

It sounds like she isn't ready yet. It's good that you are introducing her, but unless she is pulling at her diapers, able to somehow tell you when she is wet/dirty, and is interested in the potty, she's not ready. I have a 20 month old girl, and she has a potty chair, but we haven't started potty training yet because she doesn't meet that criteria yet. She has just started to pull at her diaper occasionally when it is wet, and is not verbal enough to tell me when she needs to be changed. Every kid is different, but I think starting too early can actually prolong the process. Go ahead and put her on the potty occasionally, like when her diaper is off right before a bath. If she happens to go, praise her. If she gets up and walks around, let her. My daughter tends to go when she hears the water running anyway! One of my friends told me to potty train in the summer, and just let the kid run around without pants on so you could catch it right away. That sounds like a really messy proposition to me, but she swears it works! Good luck! =)

Don't fight over it. It turns in to struggle of powers and you can't FORCE someone to use the potty. Introduce her, encourage her and let her go! My son didn't potty train until he was 3 and half and the doctor was not at all worried about him. Let her show you the ropes on this one.

My daughter didn't start training until 2 years old. She is now 3 1/2 and is just now pretty much accident free. Right now all you are doing is introducing the concept to her. Letting her put in a brief effort is all she needs. Repeation is the key. If you need to go potty take her with you and have her put in a single effort right after you. Maybe buy a small potty for her to go with you. Potty Training is a LONG ROAD. I know Mom's who kids had it at two like a breeze and others that it didn't happen until the kid started nursery school and felt the peer preasure to go in the potty. Each kid is diferent. For my daughter it feels like a switch got flipped this week and we have been accident free but I been constantly working on it for 18 months and had lots of days of fustration wondering when my very smart 3 year was going to get it. Just hang in there.

Despite what a lot of pediatricians think, kids will start when they're ready. The trick is to encourage readiness, not force the issue. Get them curious about the potty.

If a child can change their own diaper, it's time to start encouraging the potty as an alternative. It's not even about gender, I've seen boys that learn faster than girls and girls that learn faster than boys. It's just about WANTING to learn. This is the one spot in their life where you can't control them- and they will realize that soon enough.

My oldest child (female) took 3 years, and finally stopped wearing pull-ups at 3 and a half.
My second child (female) was in panties by 15 months. She taught herself.
My third child (male) is in underwear, but has only mastered urination (and even that's a bit shaky). Bowel movements scare him on the potty, and I know that he'll get it sooner or later; everyday is getting a little easier. He's 3 and a half.