Potty Training

[The Little Seed]

This is a big step in your child's little world and we want to know what your secret was to getting it done. We all know well that our child isn't going to go off to college in diapers but at the same time some preschool won't allow children who are still in diapers. Let us know what you think.

[Michele Blue]

Since I have a 10 year old, potty training seems like a very long time ago! But I do have a few thoughts on this topic.

We went the very traditional route of the tiny toilet that sat in the bathroom on the floor. She went potty on her own and kept going potty on her own in the tiny toilet starting at age 18 months. She flat out refused to poop in a toilet... which as any parent who has changed a poopy diaper knows - that is the glorious day, when you no longer have to change a poopy diaper! I remember sitting her down right before her 3rd birthday and having a mom to toddler conversation about using the big girl potty to poop in. She calmly turned to me and said, "next week I turn three, mom. And when I'm three I'm a big girl. Then I'll poop in a big girl potty." and sure enough she did! Never underestimate the power of a toddler mindset!

My sister took a different route for her son. He was 2 1/2 and it was summer. She let him run around naked in the backyard all summer. If he needed to pee, they had a bucket next to a tree. If he needed to poop, same thing. She figured if he went pee/poop on his own self enough times, he would learn to not like it and use the "toilet" (AKA the bucket). It did work and he was fully trained at the end of that summer. Not something I would do, but hey - sometimes parents feel they need to go to extremes to potty train a toddler.

As for children needing to be fully trained by pre-school, I have to somewhat agree. It's an extra burdon to place on the preschool teachers who sometimes are dealing with a full class of 3-4 year olds. If they have to stop and change a childs diaper in front of the whole class at a changing station, it makes not only the child but the other kids in class feel strange.

My daughter is good friends with a girl who's little sister still was not fully trained when going into kindergarden last schhol year back home. This is an extreme case, but they pulled the older child out of class everytime the little sister needed her diaper changed. Uncomfotable for everyone for sure. The only reason she was not fully trained was because the two kids spent much of their childhood in foster homes and no one wanted to train her. It's not a normal issue that most teachers handle unless they are trained to work with handicap children. So I happen to believe if a child is of school age, and the staff is not equipt to regularly handle a non-potty trained child then your child should be trained before they start school. If the school is more daycare then school (all day with babies and younger toddlers) then it shouldn't be an issue if they are trained or not.

The most important thing is that the child is not uncomfortable being in the school setting while not being potty trained. Kids are easy to embarrass even at age 3. They can tell if they are the only child not potty trained. It might be important for you to start them in a preschool to gain some free time, or you feel they might not be ready for kindergarden without it... But they might not be ready emotionally to handle the setting if they are not trained. I think if they are not trained, be sure to pick a pre-school that is ok with that so that your child doesn't feel ashamed. Otherwise, the education might get overshadowed with some emotional issues. In the end, always keep the child in mind before you send them off to a school setting for the first time.

*peace*
Michele Blue

[Francy]

My 3 year old was potty trained at 18 months and my 15 month old is starting on the process. I have to say that this is not due so much to me as it is to her daycare. My kids go to a Family Day Care and our Day care provider is the BEST!!! She started the girls early (the 15 month -old is already sitting on a potty just to get used to it, not doing much in it yet though). However the most important piece is that when we decided with our 3 year old it was time to full-fledge potty train we stuck with it everywhere and I mean EVERYWHERE! We took one of those toilet toppers (the ones you put on regular toilets so that the child doesn't fall in) with us in our diaper bag wherever we went and had her going as often as possible. It did not matter where we were. We were lucky because the first thing she learned to do in the toilet was poop so we were only dealing with pee diapers.... i would say this was the key to getting it done so fast. Consistency and not letting her get used to feeling wet.

[Crystal]

I was told that they tell us when theyre ready, I am waiting for my toddler to let me know. So far she has gotten to the point that she wants her diaper changed asap when its poop...I have no clue what to do next. I have her sit in her potty but it is still just a game for her.

[Francy]

I definitely think it is important not to force your child or they might withdraw, but if poo is making her uncomfortable then help her and yourself (trust me, world without poo diapers is like heaven on earth!) and try and beat her to it. One thing our sitter always said was to give them about 20-30 mins after they eat. This is an ideal time to sit them to poo. It may take a while in the beginning and of course it feels like more of a game. Some people have even told me they have read to their kids on the potty. I didn't do that because I foresaw years of having to sit in the bathroom reading a story smelling stinky poo. But if you think that will keep your child distracted long enough to maybe go, you can give it a try.

Again, it really is about making life easier for you and your child. If it becomes like a job then something has to change but as long as it seems fun and you celebrate like CRAZY when they successfully do anything in the potty it will be nice for everyone. On the flip side, don't react if nothing happens. Just pulls panties back up and start over later.

Hope this helps.

PS- i don't know how old your toddler is but my 15 month old has been sitting on the potty for about 2-3 months with no intentions of doing anything more than just her getting used to the idea of the potty. Even if this is the stage where your toddler is currently, it is a good idea to just let her get used to the idea of a potty and she will soon be looking for it to go on her own. GOOD LUCK :)

clkeyzer said:

I was told that they tell us when theyre ready, I am waiting for my toddler to let me know. So far she has gotten to the point that she wants her diaper changed asap when its poop...I have no clue what to do next. I have her sit in her potty but it is still just a game for her.

[Tiffany Bare]

My oldest daughter was potty trained at around 16 months, she did it herself which was nice since I also had a new born. She decided one day to take her diaper off and pretend she was big girl and the rest is history. My son on the other hand was not as easy. He would pee in the toliet but not poop. It wasn't until right before kindergarden he finally decided to use the potty all the way. My third, was almost 3 when she potty trained. We had been trying since she was two and she clearly had no intention of it til she was ready. My mother in law was having a fit. She told me she should be potty trained now, and I told her when she is ready she will be, I never forced my kids to potty trained. Each child learns at their own levels because each child is unique. I understand why some preschools and daycares want the child potty trained but I think in the day and age with live in with two income homes the time needed to potty train is interrupted by outside factors. I am sure some parents would agree to pay a little extra so thier child can come into their own on their own time.

[Crystal]

good to know. thank you!

Francy said:

I definitely think it is important not to force your child or they might withdraw, but if poo is making her uncomfortable then help her and yourself (trust me, world without poo diapers is like heaven on earth!) and try and beat her to it. One thing our sitter always said was to give them about 20-30 mins after they eat. This is an ideal time to sit them to poo. It may take a while in the beginning and of course it feels like more of a game. Some people have even told me they have read to their kids on the potty. I didn't do that because I foresaw years of having to sit in the bathroom reading a story smelling stinky poo. But if you think that will keep your child distracted long enough to maybe go, you can give it a try.

Again, it really is about making life easier for you and your child. If it becomes like a job then something has to change but as long as it seems fun and you celebrate like CRAZY when they successfully do anything in the potty it will be nice for everyone. On the flip side, don't react if nothing happens. Just pulls panties back up and start over later.

Hope this helps.

PS- i don't know how old your toddler is but my 15 month old has been sitting on the potty for about 2-3 months with no intentions of doing anything more than just her getting used to the idea of the potty. Even if this is the stage where your toddler is currently, it is a good idea to just let her get used to the idea of a potty and she will soon be looking for it to go on her own. GOOD LUCK :)

clkeyzer said:

I was told that they tell us when theyre ready, I am waiting for my toddler to let me know. So far she has gotten to the point that she wants her diaper changed asap when its poop...I have no clue what to do next. I have her sit in her potty but it is still just a game for her.

[Jennifer McKelvey]

Consistency on the parents part is key! My daughter was easy to potty train. She just figured it out in a couple of days. With my son, who is 3, we are using the "Peter Potty Urinal" and it is wonderful for little boys! A lot of time, we just let him run around the house without any pull up or pants on. He is more aware of when he has to go.

[Nicki]

We did the marble game, everytime you go you get a marble in a very small jar my girls decorated with stickers. Once we filled it up they picked something they wanted stuffed animal/book etc. I do not like the idea of assoc, food treats with potty training.

Nicki
www.hellomoc.com
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[Sheery william]

Toilet training, or potty training, is the process of training a young child to use the toilet for urination and defecation, though training may start with a smaller toilet bowl-shaped device. In Western countries it is usually started and completed between the ages of 12 months and four years with boys typically being at the higher end of the age spectrum. Cultural factors play a large part in what age is deemed appropriate, with the age being generally later in America. Most advise that toilet training is a mutual task, requiring cooperation, agreement and understanding between child and the caregiver, and the best potty training techniques emphasize consistency and positive reinforcement over punishment - making it fun for the child. There are articles suggesting that it is easier to toilet train a child when he/she is at least 18 months old.
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[Melanie]

We are just starting the process, though our daughter has been sitting on the regular toilet with a potty ring for a year now. We use antsy pants cloth pull ups (Cloth diapers prior). At this point we have a sound/gesture (pee - ssssssss with finger ro the lip that she added and keeps her hands away from the toilet - and for poop she makes a grunting noise and squeezed her hands into fists). We just put a music box in her bathroom that she only gets to listen to while going potty. Hoping that helps. We do not use food treats but high fives and books just for the bathroom (including one called "everyone poops"). We do not watch tv, so wondering what the next step is to make her aware of when she has to go.....