My little 16 month old is putting her hands between her legs and saying PEE! She is also going up to the toilet, pulling up her shirt and saying PEE! (Although I guess she could just be mocking her father and brother). I forget when it's appropriate to start potty training. I've heard girls are more advanced in some things and was wondering if this was one of those areas.
Also, any suggestions to make it successful would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you.
I THINK SHE'S TELLING YOU POTTY NOW. GET HER A CHILD'S POTTY. mY SON WOULD SIT ON THE POT WITH A MAGAZINE JUST LIKE HIS DADDY. HE TRAINED HIMSELF..mY DAUGHTER WAS JUST AS EASY ,SELF TRAINED.
Every child is different. She's obviously showing signs of interest. So putting her on the potty when she does that would be a great first step.
If you talk to any doctor they will tell you that many children are not ready to be fully potty trained up to age 6. Their bodies just aren't ready. They don't get the signals that they have to go before they start going. Or they don't get the signal to wake up at night instead of peeing the bed.
There are many stages to training. Introducing the potty and the idea is the first. She seems to have that already down.
There will be people to tell you to just sit her on the potty until she goes and then don't put diapers on her anymore. Like cold turkey. I don't agree with that. In my opinion, it's not like the child is going to be 8 years old and still in diapers. I think they have so much other developmental things going on at that age that adding another physical milestone to it isn't going to help with their mental capabilities.
I believe in the approach of you setting the stage for it to happen, but don't try to push it. Get the potty, get the big girl undies, take her and let her try it out, but don't be discouraged when she doesn't become fully trained in a week.
When she can go all night and wake up with a dry diaper, that's another clue that she's really ready. When she comes to you before she goes and tells you that she needs to go is the biggest clue that she's ready. Can't hurt to try, but don't push if she doesn't take to it.
Hi Heather,
It sounds like you are going to have an easy job with her! Since she is aware of her need to pee, get her a potty chair or attachable seat that goes over your current toilet and let her start now:) I have a step-sister that did the same thing! I had the joy of watching once, and she was basically training herself in the one day that I allowed her to try out the potty! My step-mother had no idea that she was giving her signals by patting her diaper and saying, "Wet!"
When she starts telling you she has to pee or if you notice her having to go, help her take her diaper off, or if she can take it off by herself, encourage her to do so. Sit her on her potty and praise her when she goes! She will love being a "big girl."
~Enjoy!~
S. S.
Sounds to me like she's ready to start using the potty. Why don't you steer her toward it the next time she does that? She's obviously showing interest in it.
We were lucky to live down the street from a girl who was potty traiing. My daughter at age one saw her 17 month old friend beginning to use the potty and my daughter soon showed interest. She really got into it around 18 months. We got the little baby bjorn potty for her at age 1 as soon as she showed interest. It is low to the ground, relatively easy to squat over. Of course we had lots of little accidents over the first few months but that is normal. She was potty trained by age two. She still wears a diaper at night though because she still nurses and thus has to pee more at night than she would if she weren't nursing.
Children are very different. If she is showing signs of interest then let her start. I have 4 boys and 1 girl. My daughter was in big girl panties before she was 2, three of the boys were between 2 1/2 and 3. One of the boys showed signs of interest just before he turned 2 and was done with training in about 2 months. It just depends on the child. Second and subsequent children will train earlier because they are trying to imitate older siblings. I believe that is normal and it is very helpful. Your daughter sounds like she is ready, I see no problem in putting her on the potty when she asks. Also, keep an eye on when she first wakes up to see if she is dry. Most children will wet their diaper as they are waking up and not while they are asleep. It may help to have a small potty she can use by herself and maybe put her in pull-ups.
Best of luck,
V.
When she says "PEE" try taking her to the bathroom and putting her on the toilet. Even if she doesn't go, she is at least getting exposed to the potty. The fact that she is interested is good. My son just sat on the potty for months before he was actually ready to go! Then one day, SUCCESS! This is a good first step toward the best milestone ever!! Good luck!!
I have never trained my children to use the bathroom. I've used the bathroom myself with them there. I've had a potty in the bathroom but I've never made a deal over it. One day, they just start going.
I'm not sure about the being ready part, but I trained my son in less than a day. We stayed in the kitchen all day, b/c of the tile and messes were easier to clean up. We colored, playdoh, read, anything you can come up with to keep her in the kitchen. The little potty was in there with us and he had on his underwear. We started at 8:00 in the morning pushing as much water or juice he would drink and he didn't pee in the potty until 3:00. There was a bowl of treats (stickers, m&ms, small candies) that he got to pick from everytime he used the potty. He knew that it was there, but he couldn't have any until he used the potty. By 7:00 pm that night he was forcing himself to pee (10 times in 15 min) just to get a treat. The pooping in the potty took a bit longer, but that's normal. He's been doing great ever since. I've heard of a book I think it's called Toilet Training in Less Than A Day, I have friends that liked it so you may want to read it. Good Luck!!!
Sounds like she is ready. Let her pick out a potty for herself and see if she goes in it. Most girls start potty training around 2 because that is when they start to know they can go but if she knows now go with it.
Yep, it's time. Each child is different, but girls are usually ready before boys.
I think whenever they show interest it's okay to start. I'm a sinlge mom and my daughter always followed me into the bathroom when she was younger. So she started to want to go potty just like mommy. Start off slow. I alway have her go first thing in the morning, before bath time, and again before bed. At the day care she uses a training potty as well. She's still in regular diapers because she hasn't started telling me when she needs to go. But she knows what it is, how to whipe herself, to flush, and to wash hands afterwards. Pun intended, but it's baby steps. :)
