Potty Training - Chester,NY

I was told if in the morning their diaper is dry, that is the sign they are ready for potty training. It does make sense.

Shes not too young.

I started my kids much younger.. at the time they could stand up and sit unattended.. I started setting them on the potty when I was getting them ready for bath time. I would get them undressed, set them on the potty and then get their bath ready. That water running thing really does work. If they hear water running they are likely to go. My toilet was right next to my tub though so I was right with them all the time.

I started this because my son when he was a 9 or 10 months old and standing next to the tub when I was preparing it, would pee on the floor every time. So, I bought a seat that would fit on our toilet that had a high back that came around the sides. so he had something to hold on to. I set him on there while I was preparing the bath. He told me when he was 18 months old that he didnt want any more diapers and never had another accident. Now I know that my son is a big exception to the rules but I believed it was because I started sitting him on it so early.

When they do go... Praise them and make a big deal about it! IT really helps. Tell them they are becoming a big kid.. I dont believe in treats for toilet time.

I dont believe that bribes and cohersion work with kids. Treats in our family is something we have on occasion and has nothing to do with going potty, eating all the food or cleaning their stuff. I dont reward for things they have to do as part of life.
Also Im germaphobic.. and food is NOT allowed in the bathroom..Ive heard of people leaving a bowl of M&Ms in the bathroom to reward the kid..yuck! I didnt give my dogs treats for going outside to do their business.. I dont do it with my kids either.

I did the same thing with my daughter and she was about 2 1/2 years old. My youngest daughter the same thing..she was closer to 2 when she was trained.. but we still used diapers at night with her.

(I didnt go with the little potty chair that sat in the bathroom because I have a weak stomach and to me those are just gross! I think if you train them to do the potty chair.. that thats one thing more you have to break them of... I didnt want to do that. If they are already on the potty.. they you can simply take that seat away. Its easier then chaning from the potty chair to the toilet, In my opinion)

I hope this helps some.. They are never too young to start then on that path. Make it a big deal of going to the store and getting a "special" seat for her to sit on and a step stool. Have her help pick it out and she will like it.
Oh and one more suggestion.. keep the boys pee cup on it... It helps believe me! Even with a girl, it keeps things where they are supposed to be. LOL!

W. in Watkins Glen
Mom to 3 Kids
Korey-Mikel 16, Whitney 13 and Andrea 6

Sure she is ready to start learning about the potty! whether she takes to it fast or not is another thing. Get a potty seat that goes on the floor near your toilet and have her come in with you and learn to just sit on it at the same time you are. If she doesn't like the potty seat on the floor, get a nice sturdy step and a toilet ring-type seat to put on your toilet. I think its best to have both, because my older one preferred the potty seat on the floor, and my younger one preferred the toilet ring on the regular toilet. Both my girl started going on the potty around 18 months - not regularly, but they knew how it worked! They will go at their own pace, but giving her the tools then following her cues and reminding constantly will help the progress. My older one was completely trained at 2, and my little one is now 28 months and has just mastered #2's in the potty and is waking up from her nap dry....so now we work on nighttime! Good luck to you! Just be ready for it yourself, and remember that its a job for you too!

Hi A.,
Pretty name. I am a mom of a just turned 2 yr. old little girl (Oct. 29) and a 13 yr. old girl. I saw my daughter interested in the potty at about 18-mths. because I babysat a 3 yr. old who was potty trained. I took advantage of her fascination with it and bought her a potty seat and an insert for the big toilet. We have been practicing ever since. I know she won't be ready until she wakes with a dry diaper, but when I change her I ask her if she would like to go potty or she tells me. It is a hit or miss with that. She tells me if she needs to be changed which is one step closer. My first daughter was about 2 1/2 when she was totally trained. Each child is different so I am not expecting that from my younger daughter. Both of you will know when she is ready and that is the best way to go about doing it. I think practice and patience are the keys to successful potty training. Good Luck!

I think you should start as soon as possible. My daughter is 9 months old and she is almost potty trained. I'm sure it's easier with an older child who can walk and express themselves. you have to establish a routine of going to the potty. For example, we take her right after she wakes up and right after she eats. She goes every time like clock-work. In between, we take her every 1 -2 hrs. she has gotten really good at letting us know when she needs to poop, so she has not pooped in her diaper in about a month now, only on the potty. Peeing is a little harder, because she still cannot tell us when she needs to go. But the key is to get them used to going on the potty at the same time and then work on the in-between. Also, for older kids it helps to leave them without a diaper, so they know the feeling of being wet, disposable diapers are pretty bad that way, becasuse they don't let a child feel wet and thus the need to tell when they are wet and later even before they have to go. It's very important to stick to a routine.

Dear A.,

Just turning two to me is very young, not that it can't be done however I have seen some children regress and loose interest when they are trained so young. I trained both of my kids at around two and a half and had no problems both were trained within a week. First, they have to show interest and second if they are still waking from naps and bedtime really wet that means they do not have bladder control yet and you could be starting to early. If she is waking dry and is showing interest then I would start. NO PULL-UPS they are a waste of money and are confusing to children. Go to Target and buy cloth training underwear. Cloth training underwear are very thick and are much more absorbent then regular cloth underwear to help with the messy accidents. Expect accidents do not get upset when she has accidents, just change her and say we will try again next time. I wouldn't do it until you can dedicate a solid weekend of staying home and letting her run around in the cloth underwear. Just take her every half hour or hour until she gets the concept down. The secret is to stay consistent you can not go back and forth to diapers (only for sleep) it will confuse her more. When children are busy playing they do not take the time to figure out what they are wearing, however if you stay consistent she will eventually remember she is wearing underwear and needs to use the potty. When she does make a big fuss, sing, dance, clap, do whatever you need to to let her know she has done something wonderful. Like I said she is still young so you have to be the judge of when she is ready, no one knows their own child like mommy. Good luck!!

You have to train yourself and she will get trained in the process. Get an egg timer and have her sit on the potty every hour. Don't fuss or beg or plead, just as you put her in her car seat or high chair, put her on the potty. If she goes, its great, if she doesn't its ok too. Eventually she will go. At this age they are rather regular and get that glazed over look when they are going, Often they hide to have a bowel movement. When you see her glazed or hiding tell her its time for potty. BUT dont yank her up and rush her to the bathroom, thats very scary for kids. The key to potty training is for YOU to relax and treat it as if it were another activity. Such as learning to use her spoon or put on her shoes.

Hi A.,
I never treated training a girl differently than a boy, other than starting earlier with my son because I waited too long with my daughter. I was waiting for that magical day when she'd tell me she had to go. I didn't realize with my first child that telling beforehand is the final step in training, not an early step. My kids both trained at 3 yrs 1 month and had both been telling hubby and me about having a dirty diaper for about a year and a half. While it's good that they have the awareness, it doesn't mean they recognize the urge ahead of time, and also - most of bathroom activity is peeing, not pooping
Due to disposable diapers and disposable "training pants," most toddlers really don't have discomfort because they don't really get the chance to feel really wet. Switching now to cloth diapers gives your daughter the chance to experience what happens when you pee in your diaper - you get uncomfortably wet - and will then help her to identify what it feels like just before that happens. Cloth helps with awareness and motivation
When I trained my 2nd child, my son, I put him in triple layer cloth training pants with a waterproof outer layer and took him to the bathroom every hour and a half. I didn't insist he stay til he used the toilet (we never did a pottie) but just a few minutes. The first 2-3 weeks, he used the training pants like a diaper and had only a couple of goings on the toilet. After those few messy weeks, he got the idea and would wait to pee and poop til I had him on the toilet. It was still another month after that before he would tell dad or me that he had to use the bathroom, or take himself there - that's usually the final step, after they're already using the toilet when you bring them. I think sometimes we forget to tell them that they should let us know when they need to go, or just get themselves to the bathroom, and we just assume they're going to start doing this, but we've never told them they should.
I never did any kinds of rewards, etc because I didn't believe in giving my kids the idea that using the toilet was optional or that it was something they were doing to please me if they felt like it, but rather a behavior that was expected.
Good luck!!!!

I am in the process of potty training my 19 month old daughter. She went on the potty for the first time at 18 months old, all by herself, and she is doing the same thing. She tells me that she wants to go on the potty, but pees in her diaper. By the time we get her pants and diaper off, she already went. I am learning that she is associating peeing in her diaper to going on the potty. We sit her on the potty and realize that she is not finished. She gives us a heads up as well. My husband and I also run the faucet because we heard that this helps the kids go to the bathroom...not true how this is. She sees my husband and I sitting on the toilet and she started doing it. Be patient, give it time. By her telling you that she has gone in her diaper is how our daughter started. We also reward her with jelly beans or an animal cracker when she pees on the potty.

the fact that she's aware of it afterward and wants it away from her body is half the battle. that's great. pay close attention to what time of the day she often goes and begin putting her on the potty around that time. she'll get the idea.

Hi A., Each child is so different with potty training. Your daughter telling you after the fact is a good first sign. It could mean that she does not like to be dirty. You have to follow her lead. Get her a potty (let her pick it out) Occasionally ask her if she wants to sit on the potty. You can also get a movie, I watched one a million times with my grand daughter. Take is slow, never force. She could train soon and then again maybe not. Best wishes, Grandma Mary

Hi A.,

Yes by all means go for it. Your daughter is intelligent, she doesn't like messy pampers touching her skin. Now you an introduce her to a way to eliminate that. I don't think it will take long. She's ready for a drier bottom.

All the best to you and your beautiful children.

C.

Girls are typically ready at about 2. I used m&ms as a reinforcer. you have to start and not look back. go right to big girl panties pull-ups are too much like diapers. put her on the potty every thirty minutes and give her a m&m for each success-if there are no chocolate allergies! It may take a few weeks and a bit of extra laundry but it'll be worth it in the end!