Potty Training at 16 Months - Aurora,IL

If you are home with her for another month I'd go with underwear and see what happens. She sounds like she is doing this on her own. I'd take advantage. Ask her what she wants to do

I think there is a time when if you catch it right, potty training can be done much earlier. You've apparently caught it when she is noticing it, and is willing to do this with you..... another few months down the road, and she might have gotten into that "battle of wills" with you over this. (I think that is what happens so many times... we start potty training a bit too late, and they've reached that "NO" stage, when they are starting to assert their will, also.)

If you can keep it up, wonderful! Other countries potty train much earlier than we do.... give the big girl panties a try and see what happens! You used to be able to get the thickly padded "cotton training pants", I'm not sure if those are still available or not... they would feel more like panties, and absorb more in case of accidents.

Some kids are ready at a year old. Most aren't.

It isn't psychologically/mentally ready, it's the rewiring of the void reflex from the autonomic nervous system to the somatic nervous system. It never *entirely* rewires (in situations of extreme stress or fear adults lose control over their bladder and bowels as well), and it's iffy for a good 5-10 years after the initial rewire, but when it happens, it happens. As in, it takes a day or three. If it takes you longer than a long weekend, the rewiring isn't complete yet. Expect 5 or 6 "drip" accidents on day one (starting and stopping and racing to the potty), and then 1 or 2 accidents a day for the first couple days, and then 1 or 2 a week for a week or two, and then 1 or 2 a month for a few months, and then 1 or 2 a year. If you're taking her every 30 minutes (instead of just checking before leaving the house and bedtime), you've been trained, but she hasn't.

So give it a go. Keep it lighthearted and NOT "super exciting" (defeats the purpose) OR "scary" and see if she can go bare bum for a few days with no more than 1 or 2 accidents. If so, mama, you're golden. If she's having accidents all the time, just let her use it when she wants (as her system STARTS rewiring) and then go bare bum again over spring break (skip xmas, since stress -including excitement- yanks control away).

Parents can make it take LONGER (by adding stress) but there's nothing they can do to make it take less time for the system to rewire. I was potty trained at a year, my sister at 4, another sibling at 2.5, another at a year... same parents, different kids, different rewiring times needed. My sister who potty trained at 4 was on different milestones (she read earlier that ANYONE, and then moved on to voice). There are hundreds of milestones, and no one hits every one early or 'on time' (although some kids hit them all late due to developmental disorders.) Most kids do a range. Most 'on time' -it's a BIG range, after all-, with 'on time' being all over the spectrum, and then some early, and some late. It's all neural development and kids don't develop everything at once, but in 'leapfrog' fashion. Lilly pad to lillypad. So if she IS potty training right now, DO be prepared for another milestone to be a little late, or at the far end of the spectrum of normal.

You can try "Potty Scotty" padded underwear.
Whether or not you keep this up with your daughter.

Keep in mind, 'progress' can go in spurts and ebbs and flows.

I used Potty Scotty underwear with my son. Good quality and padded section built in. 100% cotton and totally washable.
Amazon, or E-bay has it.
Prices vary.
I got mine from E-bay.

Keep in mind, day-time and night-time dryness are 2 different timelines and processes. 2 different things all together.
Night time dryness, not being biologically attained, until even 7 years old, and this is normal. It is a biological based, thing.

My daughter was pretty well potty trained by 15 months. I never pushed and introduced her to it slowly and at her own pace. I started out letting her use the potty before a bath and then I introduced it every time I changed a diaper. She did pretty well and you can also see how she responds when you put her on the potty chair about every hour or so. Good luck and I think that she will do really well. Just don't expect more then she can give and make things a fun game for her!

Riley's given you some great advice.

Here's a wonderful, informative website you might find helpful. It gives a few variations on"readiness" checklists, plus tips on a variety of training strategies, the best ages to start them, and the advantages and disadvantages of each approach: http://www.parentingscience.com/toilet-training-readiness...

I fully believe in early training, and imo you are right on target if not a bit late, lol. I do home daycare and have trained LOTS of kids, more then the Duggars, lol, so I agree you are on target. Don't give up!! At this stage I just have them sit often at set times, like when they wake, before you go somewhere, after you return from somewhere, after lunch, after nap and before dinner and before bed.

Since I often run into people saying you have to wait till the child is ready I have researched this. I have found that lots of people ignore signs of readiness that happen between 14 and 18 months old thinking no child could possibly be ready that young. So the window is missed and the child gets in the habit of using their diaper and being lazy.

In potty training you must remember that sleep dryness is different then awake dryness. There is a chemical that makes your body not pee or poop while you are sleeping. Some children do not get this chemical in their body until they are as old as 8 years old. So do not push sleeping dryness or expect it. Use a pull up/diaper until they are dry for a while.

I did some research and found that "stool toileting refusal" has been linked to late training (Taubman 1997). "Of the 19 participating children who trained by 24 months, none refused to poop in the toilet. Only 4 of the 90 kids who finished training between 24 and 30 months were “refusers.” The vast majority of refusers (101) came from the remaining 373 kids who finished training after 30 months."

found here:
http://faircompanies.com/blogs/view/whocides-when-to-pott...
One of the moms lured into the training philosophy of "don't force it... when he's ready it will happen practically overnight" had emailed the group that she's now dealing with a "strong-minded 3-year-old who really seems to enjoy resisting the process". She sent along a link to an article as well as her advice: "Start now, don't wait, even if he doesn't prefect the process until he's three or more. Set the groundwork as early as possible."
I clicked on the link as quickly as I could and found the Mommy Files blogger Amy Graff explaining how she had potty trained her 2-year-old son in 3 days. Using advice from potty training guru and ex-nurse Julie Fellom, she explained, "Children are typically ready between 15 to 27 months. This is a great age because toddlers are compliant but ready for some independence. If you wait longer, you'll be dealing with a temperamental, strong-minded 2-year-old who will likely resist the process."

It was a book recommendation from one of the moms that finally clued me in to the disposable-diaper industry's role in convincing American parents to wait and wait and wait (in their disposables) until their kid was good and ready. Linda Sonna, author of "Early Start Potty Training" explains that the "child-oriented approach" to training began in 1961 when Procter & Gamble started test-marketing the first disposable diaper. "The company began looking for a pediatrician to promote them", she explains in her book, "it signed up T. Berry Brazelton, who began extolling the merits of the company's product and recommending that parents not begin potty training before children are physically, mentally, and emotionally ready."
Even child-raising guru Dr. Benjamin Spock fell into line with the Pampers-pitching Brazelton. "Spock used to say younger was better, 14 months was considered late for training," Sonna discovered while researching for her book. "In 1961 everything changed and Spock began quoting Brazelton. That was the year Brazelton signed up with Procter & Gamble. He came out saying it was cruel to train babies too early."
With the power of P&G advertising budgets behind him, Hazelton's advice began to change the nation's ideas about when a child was ready for the toilet. For one Pamper's ad, he extolled what has now become a common concept among mothers: "Don't rush your toddler into toilet training or let anyone else tell you it's time! It's got to be his choice!"

Early Potty Training Key to Success
John K. Rosemond

What's it going to take for American parents to realize that just as it's far easier to house train a 4-month-old puppy than a one-year-old dog, it's far easier to toilet train a 20-month-old child than a 3-year-old?

Fifty-four years ago, according to a study conducted at the time by Harvard University, nearly 90 percent of America's children had been successfully trained before they reached their second birthdays. Today, courtesy of several decades of toilet-babble issuing primarily from pediatrician/author T. Berry Brazelton, parents wrongly think training a child under age two is psychologically harmful, if not impossible.

So, they wait. And they wait. And they wait. They're waiting, they tell me, for their children to show some of Brazelton's "readiness signs," which he snatched out of the thinnest of air to make it appear that his "child-centered" (a euphemism for upside-down) recommendations were based on solid science.

As a consequence of this waiting for the Godot of potties, children become ever more accustomed to and oblivious of letting go in their diapers. When their parents finally make the attempt to entice them to use the potty, all manner of resistance develops, including a problem that was rare fifty-plus years ago but is ubiquitous today: refusing to use the toilet for bowel movements.

Several weeks ago, a mother asked me for advice concerning her 4-year-old who was "absolutely refusing to poop in the potty." The child's resistance had been ongoing for some time and was associated with late training. Mom was obviously ready to pack it in and run away from home, so I went into my top-secret phone booth, changed into my Parentman costume, and gave Mom a set of instructions that have proved helpful to lots of other parents in the same fix:

Stop talking to your son about using the potty. Don't even ask "Do you want to try and poop in the potty today?" or other equally counterproductive questions.

Get rid of the diapers, pull-ups, and all associated things and resolve to never use them again.

Every day, right after your son eats a high fiber breakfast, gate him in the bathroom, naked from the waist down, and tell him his doctor said he has to stay there until he poops in the potty.

Don't stay in the bathroom with him. Don't offer incentives, or even encouragements. After putting him in the bathroom, make yourself scarce. Simply tell your son to call you when he poops or if he needs help.

Respond "coolly" to success, as if it's no big deal. Say no more than "That's good, you can come out now." Do not give a reward or even lots of praise.

Gate him in the bathroom every day until he's having regular bowel movements in the potty.

A week later, Mom wrote, "We have success." When she introduced the plan, the little guy cried and generally acted like he was being traumatized, but Mom stayed the course.

"You will poop in the potty," she told him, and he did; and he has been ever since.

Lesson: The mistake of late training is correctable, and my experience is that, as in this case, the correction usually takes less than a couple of weeks. But the wear and tear in the meantime!

Copyright 2009, John K. Rosemond

Family psychologist John Rosemond answers parents' questions on his website at www.rosemond.com.

*About the Author: Rosemond has written nine best-selling parenting books and is one of America's busiest and most popular speakers, known for his sound advice, humor and easy, relaxed, engaging style. In the past few years, John has appeared on numerous national television programs including 20/20, Good Morning America, The View, Bill Maher's Politically Incorrect, Public Eye, The Today Show, CNN, and CBS Later Today.

Click here to visit Rosemond's Web site, www.rosemond.com.

Toilet Training Success Stories
John K. Rosemond

I've said many, many times that letting a child older than 30 months soil and wet herself several times a day is an insult to the child's intelligence. Actually, I absolutely know, and historical evidence confirms, that it is easier to train a child at 20 months than it is to wait much past the child's second birthday. (Ask yourself: Is it easier to house-train a 6-month-old puppy or a one-year-old dog?) As the age at which toilet-training begins has increased (by nearly a year in the last 50 years), so have toilet-training problems. In the mid-1950s, researchers at Harvard determined that nearly 90 percent of 24-month-olds in the USA had been successfully trained. That so many of today's 3-year-olds are still in diapers and "pull-ups" can only mean that today's kids aren't half as smart as kids were in my generation (and our parents never claimed we were gifted!). I am cheered, however, to learn that there are still intelligent children in the world, as evidenced by the following story:

The mother of a 27-month-old reads a magazine article about "readiness signs" and noting that her son displays none of them, decides to toilet train him. Yes, you read that right. She correctly ascertained that the writer of said article was simply engaging in "parenting correctness." Mom promptly announced to her son that they had no more diapers; therefore, he would have to use a potty from then on. They went out together and bought a potty and big-boy underwear.

She writes, "I didn't hover, nor did I ask or remind him to use the potty. I was training him, not me. I was prepared for plenty of accidents, and figured each one would be a lesson in cause and effect. When he wet, I said something like 'Gosh! That looks uncomfortable. Let's get you changed.' I didn't force him to clean up by himself, or scold him. I just responded matter-of-factly. He got stickers to put on the potty and some mild praise each time he was successful, but not a party."

Three days later, the child was accident-free. His mother thought she'd been lucky, but has since had the same experience with two subsequent children, none of whom have, she admits, "gifted and talented bladders."

Her third child, a girl, insisted upon using the potty at 18 months. Mom was a bit skeptical, but had another accident-free child within three days. Several weeks later, the parents decided to have her use the big toilet. Since she couldn't get up on her own, Mom or Dad had to help. Eighteen months later, the child was still demanding assistance, and the parents were still helping. Enough is enough, they decided. Mom demonstrated how to attach the potty seat to the big toilet and mount it using a stepstool. Mom then told the child that there would be no more help, even if she became hysterical. Mom also informed her daughter that if she wet herself she would clean the mess up on her own. The little girl recently told her teacher, who had offered to help her go potty, "My mommy says I have to do it all by myself, and I ab-so-lute-ly can!"

There is no mystery to this success story. First, the mother began training before her kids got so used to messing themselves that it was no big deal. Second, she conveyed clear expectations and equally clear instructions. Third, she responded to mistakes with a calm, matter-of-fact attitude. Most importantly, however, she approached toilet-training with no apprehension, as if it was the most natural thing in the world -- which, in fact, it is.

Copyright 2008, John K. Rosemond

It sounds like you are doing great! I would just keep with the no pressure, and let her do what she is ready to do, which sounds like she is doing awesome! Praise is sometimes the best thing for kids to start wanting to do things for themselves! :)

I was told that they are totally ready for underwear if they are dry in the morning and you can lead them to the potty and they pee in it then. Otherwise you might be washing a lot of clothes and carseat covers for a while. My 2 year old said she was ready, but it was hit or miss every day for about 2 weeks. I then decided that she was not ready for underwear (nor I for all the cleaning), put her back in diapers, but did ask her if she wanted to use the potty before we left to go anywhere and before bed, etc. Six months later she trained in no time. At that time it was also summer, so she could wear a dress with nothing underneath while she was in the house. I also made sure the potty was in whichever room she was in, right next to her. A friend of mine had both her girls in underwear at the same time since they trained together, and the younger one was exactly 16 months, so it is definitely possible.

Go for it! Too many moms (in this country anyway) wait too long and it ends up becoming a battle later on. My three kids were trained between 18 and 24 months. Back then (in the 1990's LOL!) they still sold training underwear and rubber pants. I'm not sure if they still sell them at Target, etc. (the dreaded pull ups have taken over!) but I'm sure you could find some online.
Follow her cues, praise her and be consistent. If she doesn't ask, just take her every one to two hours. I never had to wake mine up at night, they were always dry, so I can't give you any advice there.
Accidents will happen of course, but I think she sounds ready to go!

my girl was trained in 3 days at 2 years and 4 months old. my boy was trained in 3 days at 2 years and 10 months old.

If the child is really ready potty training is super duper easy..

If they are not ready.. then you will be taking the child to the potty every 30 mintues for months..

I would just do what you are doing.. put her on the potty before bath, and one or two othe times..practice but no pressure.. but when you are really ready to train her.. buy cotton panties.. and put her in panties.. it should take 3 days and if she is ready she will be trained. I have a friend that trained an 18 month old. but mom ran the kid to the potty every hour for a year. Maybe if she would have waited till the child was 2 1/2 training would have taken 3 days.

Good for you, I wish I'd taken the hints when my little guy was telling me! He's now 27 months and it's taking longer to train him because he is so set in his ways. And I don't think you're pushing your daughter, I think you're helping her : )

Don't ask her, take her to the potty at regular intervals, say every 20 to 30 minutes. Continue your praise, and don't go to regular panties yet, but the thicker training pants with plastic pants over them. That way she will feel the wetness when she has an accident and it will reinforce her going to the potty on her own. I also agree about the Pull-ups, they feel like diapers to a child and they have no incentive not to go in them as they do with cloth next to their skin.

Many children are "ready" at this age, it's just that our society says they're not, physically or emotionally. But like the experts are always saying, "All children develop at different times that are normal," and your daughter's an early potty trainer ; )

my son started showing signs of potty training readiness at the same exact time and we did the same exact thing. since i'm a SAHM, one way, i eased him into doing potty rather than going in his diaper is if we are home, i would not put him in diaper. i would put him in regular underwear instead.

i would then tell him, remember if u have to go peepee or poo poo, be sure to let me know and we will go together. he had a handful of accidents and every time that happened, i didnt yell or get angry and just reminded him to tell me if he has to go next time. i also made sure to ask him if he needed to do potty every half hour or so, just as a gentle reminder, as kids sometimes tend to get super caught up with what they are doing.

when we went out, i put him in pull ups (not sure why you are opposed to it?). again, sometimes he would go in the pull-ups but a lot of the times he would ask before he needed to go or he would nod yes if i asked him if he needed to go.

by the time he was 18 months, he was fully potty trained and has never looked back.

I would follow her lead at this age :) Praise her, but I agree that she's too young for panties.

Keep doing what you are doing. Having worked in a daycare I know we helped it along also.

Hi Justlois1,

The next step would be to get onto a schedule and put her on the potty those same times everyday, starting with the times that she has usually been asking to go.

The only thing is that it may be a waste of time, even if you get her on an excellent schedule...all may be lost at daycare unless they are able to keep her on your potty schedule.

My daughter did the same thing at about 14 months, she was almost fully trained and then we moved, and her schedule was totally thrown off. She is now almost 3 and a half, and is just now starting to show interest again. It is different for every child, but from all of the research I have done, the one common thing in all advice is to keep consistent and persistent with the schedule.

Good luck, and I will be reading responses to your question to see if I can get any advice for my daughter as well,
L.

I think so long as you are not pushing her and she is receptive to it..go for it! A lot of children do things at their own speed and if you can slowly start training her now then you should. 16 months is pretty young but looking at other site like SkinnyScoop (which has polls) there are other women who trained their children at about 18 months. Here is a helpful potty training guide that you should definitely check out from SS:

http://www.skinnyscoop.com/list/eden/tips-for-potty-train...

Hi,

Our daughter showed signs of being ready/curious about 18 months and we tried to do potty training and it didn't go well. At this point, I would suggest that you continue to follow your daughter's lead and offer lots of praise when she does tell you and gets there is time.

Good for you!! Don't let her age hold you back...everyone is different & in other parts of the world kids are fully potty trained at this age. This sounds similar to my son. When he started showing interest I let him run around without a diaper at home..just pants or underwear. It could get messy so keep the rags and cleaning products handy & be prepared to do lots of laundry. I tried to take him to the potty every 30 minutes or so. We made a huge deal everytime he went in the potty..lots of applause, high fives and dancing! It took him about a month later to start pooping in the potty..the act of sitting to do it was very unnatural for him. He eventually went in & did it on his own. Put some of her favorite books in the bathroom so you can read them together while she's on the potty. You will become very intune with her body gestures & you will just know when she has to "go". We're six months later now & finally being able to leave the house without a diaper and he still wears a diaper when he sleeps.

Look up information about Elimination Communication. There's an excellent book entitled "Diaper Free: the gentle wisdom of natural infant hygiene" (yes, it's a dorky title)

My baby girl pooped in the potty for the first time when she was three days old. We finished up potty training when she was fifteen months old.

Your biggest problem will be with the childcare. They are usually not set up for taking a child so young to the potty.

Have fun!