Potty Training an 18 Month Old?? - Philadelphia,PA

My daughter started doing the same thing at 17 months so I totally went with it. She is 21 months now and does pretty well around the house. We don't use diapers except for nap and night. We still use them when we go out and she will tell me almost every time she needs to poo while we are out and sometimes pee. I say go with what they are telling you! You can try her in padded training pants. She will really feel it when she wets and that will teach her what the sensations mean. Yes, there will be clean up but it's part of her learning what those feelings mean and what she needs to do.

I was thinking when I read the heading way to young. but after I read it I would at least try. she can definately tell the sensation of poop and verbalize it. It took my oldest longer to feel the sensation of needing to pee. so don't be suprised if she poop trains and not pee train. Its not uncommon. do not discipline her for peeing her pants due to her age. she may not reconize the sensation yet. I say go for it if you pull it off great if not she was young anyway be patient.

My second daughter started using the potty at 16 months, because big sis had just trained. All i can say is it was a big pain in the butt. It is so much easier to wait until they are a little older and more ready for it physically.

My younger daughter would pee on the potty, then run around naked (she's a nudist! haha!) and pee on the floor 5 minutes later (at 18 months). it was exhausting.. I had to use a spot shampooer all the time to clean up all the pee. I actually stopped encouraging her for a while just to give myself a break. My older daughter started training right around her 2nd birthday, and was fully trained at 27 months... it was a breeze. The younger one finally had it down at 27 months as well, but it was a LOOOONG 12 months getting to that point.

Having them trained isn't so much fun either... I'm always at the back of a store with a full cart when i hear "POTTY!" and we have to make a run for it!!!

I suggest keeping the potty out for her to see, get some potty books and movies (i recommend Elmo's potty time DVD and bear in the big blue house potty time), and let her set the pace.

Maybe!.. here is something I have posted many times.
I like to remind parents that children that are truly ready should catch on in a few weeks. If it is months and months. it is really a waste of energy, just try again in a few more months..

Here is a list of signs, your child may be ready to potty train. It has been my experience, MOST children really will let you know when they are ready. Spending a year trying to potty train is a waste of everybody's time and energy.

* Your child signals that his or her diaper is wet or soiled.
* Your child seems interested in the potty chair or toilet.
* Your child says that he or she would like to go to the potty.
* Your child understands and follows basic instructions.
* Your child feels uncomfortable if his or her diaper is wet or soiled.
* Your child stays dry for periods of 2 hours or longer during the day.
* Your child wakes up from naps with a dry diaper.
* Your child can pull his or her pants down and then up again.

You may start noticing these signs when your child is 18 to 24 months of age. However, it is not uncommon for a child to still be in diapers at 2 and a half to 3 years of age.

Here is the link to information.
http://familydoctor.org/online/famdocen/home/children/par...

Most kids are older (around 3) when they potty train , but you do get some that are ready earlier , the fact that she knows she needs to go and tells you before she has done it is a really good sign. I would take a day at a time , next time she says "poo poo" sit her on the potty and see what she does , if she goes on th potty then keep doing the same each day , after a few days the novelty may wear off and she no longer wants to use it but she could just take to it and you could have her trained in a very short period of time. You are right in not wanting to pressure her , that does not work and just makes the whole process take longer than it needs to.

Good luck

D. -

SWEET! I'd say something to the effect that: "Do you need to poo poo, sweetheart? Let's sit on the potty, and Mommy will read you a story." Put several books next to your potty, be prepared to sit on the floor a bunch, and have at it. Oftentimes while bearing down, they'll pee too. If you get anything, congratulate her.

When you start potty training in earnest, you'll need to take her every hour or so. If you don't want to start that yet, I'd think of this as great practice.

Good luck,
Heather

it's actually a lot easier to train a kid to poop in the potty than pee. Especially if your daughter is telling you when she has to go! My daughter pooped at about the same time every day, 5:30-6, so we just started sitting her on the potty at that time and it's been great. I'd much rather clean a peed in diaper than a poopy one. :-) Maybe you could go to the store and grab a padded kiddie potty seat and start putting her on it when she says she needs to poop?

It might also help if you start going in front of her so she knows you do it too.

i used julie fellom's "potty training in 3 days or less" technique when my son was 18m and it totally worked! good luck!

not too early- didn't read other replies but let me tell you my person experience. My youngest daughter (before the age of 1) told me "potty" before a bath one night. So I put her up there and she went. That was the beginning of a very short potty training season. She was completely trained by 14 months. I remember exactly because she has a december birthday and she got new big girl (you are done with pull ups and training panties) undies for valentines day!
Don't pressure her- talk to her about going poo poo in the potty and let her sit on it to get comfortable with it when she doesn't have to actually go. Clothes on or off is up to you. Then the next time she tells you "poo poo" ask if she wants to go on the potty and have her go sit down. Then make it a big deal when she goes.
Hope this helps :)

Hello D.,

I've potty trained quite a few kids in my 16 year career. Right around 18 months, especially for girls, kids start to realize something is happening, so parents think potty training is a good idea, but too often it results in set backs & frustrations.

Here is what to look for when starting potty training:
1. An awareness of needing to go potty
2. An interest in using the potty
3. An ability to stay dry hours on end
4. The ability to undress themselves

I suggest you start talking about potty training, read books and if you're Ok with it, allowing her to watch Mommy potty. Then starting in summer, (when clothing is easier on & off), see if she can and is ready for potty training. Really, it's all about her ability to control her muscles. If the control isn't there, she's not ready. I say this so you don't get frusterated.

I hope this helps. Girls to potty train earlier than boys, and an article I read recently by an urologist, says the "magic" age is 27 months.

R. Magby

I started with my daughter at 18 months, and she was done (including night) by 23. (90% of all kids trained by 18 months prior to the 1960s)...There is no such thing as "too young." You daughter sounds very ready, so get her to the potty! This is what I did:

Every morning, we spend 30 minutes playing with the potty, i.e. reading books, etc. I would end ever session by going to the bathroom myself. I would also put her poop in the toilet and have her flush it, telling her "pee and poop" go in the potty. They say that after 12-15 hits (pee in the potty), they understand "control." And it's true, once she started going pee in the potty daily, within a week it was 90% of the time. I then put her in trainers and put her on a schedule (teaching her potty etiquette, you go pee first thing in the morning, before you leave the house, etc). I kept her in cloth diapers for nap and bedtime, but she was dry at naps.

We had lots of little regressions but after each she made a giant leap forward. Three things I wish someone had told me:

1. praise works the best. So develop a potty dance and when she has a success, throw her in the air and dance around. Then call daddy, and gramdma, etc. If she starts to show resistance, grab some stickers, but only use them as a last resort, i.e. you are out to dinner, know she needs to go and she is in her trainers!

2. Be patient. Never show negative emotion. When she has an accident, just say "pee goes in the potty," and/or ask where pee goes.

3. Never ask her if she needs to go, instead, give options that always lead to the potty: do you want to go to the potty before or after snack, do you want to go on mommy's potty or on yours? do you want to go before mommy or after mommy? When my daughter showed lots of resistance, I would then ask," do you want to walk or do you want to be carried?" Then DISTRACT, DISTRACT, DISTRACT. The questions give them a sense of control, and then, if you start asking them about something else, all resistance barriers come down.

4. It takes them time to take themselves off to the potty. They are young and easily distracted. At 25 months, my daughter is finally always telling me when she needs to go. She has done it sporadically from the start, but it literally took 7 months to get to that place where she just takes herself all the time. I read that this is very, very common, especially when they are young. So, having a schedule is very important.

5. Once you decided to train, don't turn back. You having confidence in their ability is 50% of it. If you believe they are a big girl, they believe they are a big girl. So, once you go to trainers, do not put her back in diapers during a regression. Yes, it's a pain in the butt, but worth it in the long run.

Both my boys were out of diapers by 18mos. We used elimination communication. There is a window, and if you catch your child in that window its much easier than fighting with an older child. 12mos - 23mos is the window for most kids, so go for it. Get her some undies, take her to the potty. Expect some accidents, regarldess of how old the child is when you train, whether 1 or 4, there will be accidents, just go with it and be encouraging and patient.

i say go for it! even if she still pees in her diaper that is certainly less of mess to clean up! i can only hope my daughter is the same way :) good luck!

My son started using the potty to poop at around 18 months... it was on and off until around age 2, then nearly always pooped on the toilet until age 3, when he finally figured out the peeing part.

If you are ready to give it a try, then I say, go for it... but be prepared for it to be kind of a long process (some totally train early - but others do not).

My daughter is 16 months, and loves to sit on the potty, and has on occasion "told me" with a sign (the same tapping her bottom as your daughter) before she poops. Only once have we successfully pooped in the potty though.

Good luck!
J.

Go for it, it cant hurt!!!!!!!

It sounds like she's ready, Take advantage of it! The pee part will come later. But if she's trully interested make her feel comfortable and at ease on the potty and she should be willing to go for you.
18 is not to old. I know I was potty trained at that age!

Good for her. My daughter was only 12 months old when she realized she didn't like the feeling of being trapped with her own bodily wastes when she started to tell us she had to go potty. Potty training her was so much easier than her brothers. My niece was also very early in wanting to be potty trained. Maybe it's just a girl thing.

If she's telling you she has to go, then she's figuring it out. My mom always told me that my brother, sister and I were all trained by 18 months. I also babysit a 2 yr old and his 1 yr old brother. The 2 yr old had himself totally trained by the time he had reached 2. It's not too early to start and consider yourself totally blessed! Good luck! :)

D., I don't think Its too early at all. Your daughter is advanced in letting u know before it happens, I think you should let her decide to move ahead and go with it! She is telling you that she is ready! Good Luck!