So, these last few days, we think Elena has been giving us some very strong signals that she is ready to be potty trained. It all culminated today in her waking up from her nap screaming her scream that means something is wrong and me going in to her room seeing her standing up with no diaper on and some of the poop from her diaper smeared around her crib. Anytime recently that she has not had pants on, we usually find her at some point with no diaper on. Lately, she just cannot seem to stand the feel of a dirty/full diaper.Other signals over the last few weeks: pulling at her diaper if it is full/dirty, waving and saying "bye-bye!" when we flush the toilet, tearing toilet paper off of the roll and putting it in the toilet, grabbing a wipe and trying to help clean herself during diaper changes, and waking up early from naps when she has a dirty diaper. These sound like some of the tell tale signs, right? Does it sound like she's ready? After reading a few potty training articles, though, I get confused and wonder if maybe she's still not quite old enough? I don't know that she totally would understand the concept yet if I ask her if she wants to "go potty" and things like that. Thoughts from those who have been there?
Now the big question: if she is ready, where do we start??
11 comments:
i have been thinking about potty training the last little while and have decided to wait a little longer with sophe because 1. i don't think i'm up for that until after the baby's here and we're all settled and 2. although she shows a lot of signs, i just feel like it will go smoother with a little more time. i know my doctor said that some 18 months olds are ready, but i think you gotta be careful to not do it TOO early. my doctor said the best way to start is to take it slow. have her go with you every time you go to the bathroom so she sees it's a regular thing. also, we've started letting sophie sit on the toilet. no success yet-- but she likes to do it and i think is starting to understand what it's all about. for what it's worth, a lady in my ward (who has six kids) told me that she thinks the ideal age to pottytrain is 2 years and 3 months.
good luck!
Every child is different! Jenny was so incredibly easy (and young) that I literally thought I should write a book about it. What was the discussion? People just needed me to tell them what to do. Christy wasn't quite so cooperative, and Eric completely blew all my theories. So no book. The thing I learned with Eric was not to push it or it can become a battleground. So I waited with Amy, and she was the easiest of all (literally 24 hrs.) I showed her the pretty undies and said, "if you do this, you can wear these." That's all it took.
So--my advise is to introduce, if you want, but go slow. Not wanting to wear a diaper is pretty typical. Keeping her clean may help her learn that being clean is good, so she may respond the way Amy did (but Amy was nearly 2 1/2 by the time I got around to it.) Besides showing interest, does she go long periods of time with a dry diaper? Does she ever wake up dry from a nap or nighttime? She's still pretty young, and it's easy to have potty training become emotionally charged. You might get a little potty chair and let her sit on it whenever she wants to. If she has success, of course you'll want to praise her lots and lots and eventually she'll catch on.
We did potty train Jenny a little before 2 (she's the only one we attempted with) but she regressed when Christy was born, and it took a little time to get her back on track.
Good luck!
I guess I probably agree with everyone else! Parker was so ready to potty train, and sometimes I wonder if he would have done it earlier, but I found that I had to get myself ready for it! He was really easy, but he was 3! I found that I couldn't really go back and forth potty training, just do potty training all day! It was harder to go public places for awhile, and I had to have a little potty. just in case I couldn't run fast enough to him, he could do it on his own! It is a huge relief when it's over! I have many friends that envy me for the ease of my potty training, but I think it is all about waiting, (although Caleb was about 2- but he had an older brother to watch.) Anyway, I guess this is something everyone has an opinion about, and really each kid is different, and I hear girls are easier, but I haven't gotten there yet! Let me know how it goes! Maren won't be too far behind, although I'll wait until after the new baby! Good luck!
Hey sweetie,
I agree with Liz, you were really pretty easy and young but when Samantha was born you regressed. Samantha was a the easiest by far. She was about 2 1/2, and like Amy it took about 24 hours, no accidents. She was just ready. All of you did the whole removing your diaper thing. Dad would use gray tape to secure your diapers so you couldn't get them off, but somehow you always did. Try a potty chair, but don't force the issue it is much smoother and much less stressful on all of you if you let Elena take the lead. If she wants to sit on the potty let her. If she goes, praise her, if not just wait awhile. Remember everything she sees and does is new and fasinating to her. She is starting to put events, situations and processes together. She's learning... take it at her pace and try not to rush her. You'll be much happier.
One more piece of advise... do not listen to others who say "well my baby did this at this age and that at that age" I think sometimes moms try to one up one another by their baby doing "things" earliest.
You know Elena better than anyone, she is not like anyone but Elena, She's going to march to her own beat. A beat that only you will be able to understand. It might be fast, it might be slower ,just remember it's hers and enjoy it. Your sweet girl is perfect just the way Heavenly Father sent her down here to you.
I love you all and good luck!
call if you need me.
Your Mom
oh potty training... each child is soo different! here is what I learned with my 2 kids:
I tried to get Chase potty trained before I had Sydnee (they are 2 yrs and 11 days apart) he was pretty much done but same thing, he regressed when she was born. So I decided to wait a couple months. When I decided to try again I decided to make a potty chart for him. He got to put a sticker on each time he went pee and got a quarter to put in a bubble gum machine which was filled with his favorite M&Ms. When he went poop (which was our struggle with him, he kept doing it in his underware... pee he was great) he got a "poop in the potty prize" (which were little things I let him pick out at the store before hand; hot wheels cars/trucks, coloring books, shovels, bubbles, that were on display in the bathroom to motivate him to go #2!) So I was just consistant and it took about a week. I was just ready for him to be done, I didn't like changing 2 kids diapers!
As for Sydnee, She was just over 2 and same thing, it took about 24 hrs. She was easy. She also like the pretty panties :) I hear girls are easier, and also first will be harder because it doesn't have any siblings to watch.
I was lucky that both my kids were day and night trained. I hear the night training can be a nightmare!
I also didn't get a little potty. I worried about them freaking out when they'd have to go anywhere other then home and their potty wasn't there. So I put a stool up to the toilet and a little seat that goes in the big seat (know what I'm talking about?) And that worked for them. Plus its easier to flush then have to clean the potty out! But if you're curious to see how she'll do, just get one, or the seat, and just let her go on her own. Like your Mom said, each child is soo different, and she may be ready... just watch her actions. Just remind yourself to do whatever is easier for you! And remember shes not going to be 16 and not potty trained, eventually it'll happen!! :) good luck!
i would start potty training now! i single-handedly potty trained daphne, my friend's daughter that i took care of. daphne showed signs of being ready at 17 months, but her mom wasn't emotionally ready! we waited until she turned two, and literally the day of her birthday decided she did NOT want to be a big girl anymore, she wanted to be a little baby. so... three months of training ensued. start before she gets the two year old sassiness!
oh, and potty charts with stickers work wonders.
oops... poor seth, it's alyssa!
I say put it off. It is easy as pie when they are good and ready. Nothing like the stress of potty training too early to ruin everything.
And I agree about not getting a baby potty. Too hard to make the switch. Just train on the toilet. Anyway...as exciting as a potty trained baby can be, when they aren't all the way ready it can be sooooooo hard and sooooooo stressful.
We used a little potty chair with all of ours and had no trouble transitioning. In fact, our kids were quite anxious to use the big potty--and I remember the frustration of cleaning up after them . . . little girls would go between the seat and the bowl (which would then trickle down the side of the toilet and pool around the bottom) and little boys would miss entirely!
See, Briana, there's really no hurry :)
P.S. If diaper removal becomes a problem, I recommend overalls, coveralls that snap in the back, oneies and sleepers that do up in the back :)
Figure it out and let me know for Jo:) I'm not sure how I feel about everyone reading about how I learned to go potty. My name was mentioned with the word potty like 6 times. Ha ha. Now the world knows. I am potty trained! Seriously though, figure it out. Because I have no clue but would be okay with only changing one kid in the near future!
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