Potty Training. Whats Step 1???

readiness depends on each child. My 2 year old girl isn't ready yet. Look for information on the ready signs and ask the Day Care what they suggest.

Is 1 year 4 months to young to start potty training? Depends on child. My first child was potty trained (except night time accidents) by the time she was 10 months old. My second child at 15 months shows no interest in the potty.

If the child shows signs of readiness (wants to go with you to the potty, tries to imitate you by sitting on a little potty and trying to get tissue "when she's done", can walk, knows when she has to go - feel of her pants before she pee/poops, can tell you she has to potty, hides when she pottys -, is capable of pulling pants up and down)

Then... Step 1 show her the potty, let her sit on it with clothes on and pretend

take her to the potty every time you go. Take her to the potty about every 2 hours (about how often a child goes naturally) and let her try to pee in potty.

Get pull ups- easier for her to get on and off herself and help with accidents (especially if she picks them out). Tell her how they work.

Something we did too was to give rewards every she actually used the potty. We gave 5 M&Ms. 1 for telling me she had to potty, 1 for using the potty, 1 for using tissue, 1 for washing her hands afterwards, and 1 just because. For nighttime training she was 18 months when she got that down but we used stickers instead. With rewards use anything that your child likes whether it be a candy, a toy, stickers, etc

Good Luck!

~A.

I have just started introducing the potty to my third baby, who is about to turn 13 months old. My pediatrician actually suggested introducing the potty at around 9 months, with no pressure on the training issue.

With our children, we started out by letting them sit on the potty with their diaper on in the livingroom. That way, they got a feel for the seat before we put them on it to try to potty. After about a week, we moved the potty into the bathroom. I'd make sure to bring the baby into the bathroom with me while I went potty, and the baby could sit on the potty still wearing a diaper.

About a week after that, I started taking the baby into the bathroom after meals and before bath. I'd sit the baby on the potty without a diaper for a few minutes, paying attention for signals such as not wanting to sit at that time, or signs that he was ready to go.

Once there was some success, and the baby got used to the potty, I started having the baby go in and sit without a diaper whenever I went. I gradually added trips from that point on.

If your baby doesn't seem too interested in the potty, take a break for a few days before trying again. The most important thing to keep in mind is that your baby has to be ready to learn.

Hey N.. I'm M., My son is 13 months and we are potty training him now. what I did frist was bring him into the bathroom with me and told him what mommys doing, then I would put him on his potty and told him his turn to go potty. then I took his diaper/pull-up off and sat him down. I'd do this every hour. I've only been doing this for about 2 weeks now and he walks into the bathroom all by himself and sits down on his potty. keep me updated on if this works!

I used special toys only for potty time and began sitting my daughter on it at 1 yr. she waSn't fully trained until 2. It takes time. when she did go I gave her mega praise and lots of hugs and kisses. She just started going #2 about her 2nd birthday. she was going every #1 in her own potty at this point but asked for a diaper to do the other. one day I just said "we are all out of diapers" and she said ok and went in her potty. I never put another diaper on her, even at night. I believe that diapers at night encourge kids to not wake up to potty therefore leading to bed wetting. She has wet it twice, but I was prepared with a puppy pad underneath, and I still keep one there for just in case! She does get up once a night about 3 am to potty and get another milk. If I could cut out nighttime drinks she may would sleep through the night. Just let her go at her own pace, don't push too much. show praise not punishment and she'll get it! The daycare makes it hard, but try your best at home, maybe do diaperless when at home. most kids hate to have wet pants and will quickly go to the potty after a few accidents. Good luck!

My daughter is 19, almost 20 months, and she still isn't potty trained. When she turned 14 months i decided i'd start working with her too because i didn't want to have one of those kids that was 3 or 4 and not potty trained. She did really good. I bought a little potty, i'd bring her to it every hour or so and put her on it, just to get her used to it. She would go on it sometimes, but of course she was still too young to really realize that she had to go. So for awhile it went like that then she lost interest. She wouldn't want to sit on it or anything so i kinda just let it go. I'm currently starting up with her again. She is learning to communicate better and she can say "pee pee" and "poo poo" and "potty". A couple times she's even told me she had to go and when i took her she went! So..i know it'll be a process, but i've heard they will do it when they are ready, so...GOOD LUCK! :) to both of us. lol

You definately shouldnt push her...my ped. told me that pushing a child to go potty can cause them to be bed wetters. He also told me that every child eventually learns to go to the potty so not to stress to much. What got my child to go was buying him real underware and letting him have a few accidents and letting him feel that peeing on yourself is very uncomfortable AND buying him a potty seat that he liked to go over ours plus my uncle made him a step stool. After that he took to the potty like he was a pro. But truthfully, every child is different and u have to find what is right for you and her. GL

What your Mom said is great! Also, take her to the store and let her pick out big girl panties. She'll love it.

It is pretty young, but it can't hurt to do all that your mom says. Mine would go on their potty once in a while for months before it got "serious"... at least when she's REALLY ready it will be familiar and she'll know how to do it.

I truly think that the age of potty training depends on the child. My oldest child was potty trained at three (despite constant begging and pleading from my husband and myself) and my little one turned two in Oct. and she is trying to go now. They will let you know when they are ready. Ask yourself...
Does she mind being wet/stinky?
Does she stay dry most of the day/night?
Does she show interest in panties?
Is she capable of going potty on her own (pulling her pants down, being able to climb on the potty)
I've learned that potty training is the most FRUSTERATING thing with Toddlerhood. They simply WON'T do it until they are ready. There are plenty of good resources you can get too, like the book "Once upon a Potty" or the potty movie with Bear & The Big Blue House. Good luck!!

Hi N., I don't know what other moms experiences are but I personally with two kids think that is to young. The doctors say that 18 mths is a reasonable time to start if they are showing signs and they should be able to tell you they have to go pee pee or some similar word for going. Verbal communication about the process are important. Hope this helps, To be honest with you don't push her to go it will back fire and you may be waiting allot longer than two...Good luck A. busymomsworkathome.com

I am giving a free mini-workshop for parents called Potty 101 in Kennesaw this Thursday March 1 at 5:00 at Foundations for the Future at 1500 Stanley Road. I am a licensed professional counselor specializing in children's counseling and specifically in working with children ages 2-5 and their parents. I will be presenting the myriad of issues around pottying and how parents can best work with their children rather than struggling with this stage of development. Join us if you can. You can email me if you would like more information. - L. W

try not to make too much of big deal about it. I would sit on the "big" potty while you get her to sit on "her" potty, take a magazine for yourself and a book for her. It's pretty much like monkey see monkey do! Good luck!

Your little one is not too young. Your mom is right about her watching you, put a little potty in the bathroom by yours and in the morning and after naps remove the diaper and both of you sit and go. Your daycare should be willing to do the same thing. It is important that you make it fun. We sing the potty song and read books. I have a 14 month old daughter (Chesney) that is just starting to potty train b/c of my lack of energy and going back to work. At this age our little ones are have just found a little bit of independence and are able to run away from us when they don't want to do what we want them to. I can honestly say it is so much more difficult than with my oldest daughter (Ansley). b/c of my expierence on both sides of the fence, I am a firm believer in potty training as early as they can sit up on thier own. We started my oldest at around 6 mos and she was completely potty trained at 15 mos old. (I credit the succcess to the fact that she was easier to entertain and she wasn't as independent at 6 mos as my younger child is now) Don't worry it will happen. Just be consistant, make it fun, and always remind your little on to go on the potty not in her diaper. We used to always make gross faces and IN A FUNNY VOICE say "eww gross you went potty in your diaper yuk! Your supposed to go pee-pee in the potty. Yuk!" We never used pull ups b/c our doctor told us that the child can't understand the difference between them and a diaper (I still cant). In fact our doctor told us to let her run around the house in big girl panties or nothing at all so that she would feel when she had an accident. Most kids hate the wet feeling. Yes, there will be a few accidents to clean up but if you pay close attention and continously remind her to go on the potty she will! You will see that she will start to pee and run to the potty, don't get angry she is learning and she will have it down in no time.

Potty Song: BABY'S NAME goes pee on the big pot cause she/he's so big. BABY'S NAME doesn't pee in his/her pants no more cause she's so big!

Hi N., I have 2 boys so this is very different. We finally potty trained my 2 year old now and we started when he was 18 months in hopes that it would not take long before the second one came along. He will be 3 in April and just a few months ago, he finally stopped going at night. It took us about a year from the time we started introducing him to the potty. I would just hate for you to get disappointed when she decides she does not want to go in potty anymore. We started at bath time going to the potty and made a habit out of it that he went before he got in the tub and then jsut gradually in the next few weeks add another time that she will easily remember to go and then take her with you like your mom said so she can see what she is supposed to do. Then take her everytime you go and sit her on there and just wait until she either goes or gets restless. Dont force it!!

Hello N. when i started to potty train my daughter she was also in daycare but she was a year and a half. i just took in the bathroom with me and let her watch how i did it. and then every morning when she frist woke up i took her to the bath room and she went. i did that for about a month and then i start taking her to the bath room like every hr. the people at the daycare new i was trying to potty train her the help me as much as they could the daycare she went to didn't have a bath room in the one yr. old room so it was kind of hard. they ended up moving her up to the 2yr. old room early cause she was being potty trained. and that helped alot. she was potty trained before the age of 2 even know i still put a pull up on her at bed time. took a little long for that. but she was about 2 or 2 1/2 when she findly stop wearing pull ups at night. i hope this helps good luck.