potty learning readiness signs

[Evelynmia'smom]

Hi all....my lo is still very young (16 months) but lately she has been showing some signs that she is ready for potty learning. She will say "pees" when she is going to the bathroom and when she sees me use the toilet. A couple of weeks ago we were getting ready for her bath and were having naked time...she signaled to the toilet and when I put her on, she pooped in it. Anyway, I was so not even thinking of doing pl until she was closer to two, but if she is showing signs now i'm wondering if i should take her lead and go with it or not. I would be curious to see if others had lo's that started showing signs this early and what the next best step would be...thanks!

[DeerMother]

Yes, take her lead! I wish we had been more proactive at that age!

I think the "official" readiness signs are dry during naps and night, interest and ability to communicate the need. However, I've found that a lot of the current literature is based on the assumption that you will be using sposie diapers, and I think it is different if dc is in cloth. They can just tell they're wet, kwim?

Get a stand alone potty and take it to the different rooms you're in. You can dress her in her diaper and legwarmers for easy removal. My dc liked the ring that goes on the toilet from about 18-20 months but won't use it now. We also didn't really focus on complete learning but encouraged them to use it when they felt like it and always offered when we were already in the bathroom.

Finally, have an open door policy when you're using toilet so she can see how fun it is.

[slgt]

DD was very interested in the potty from about 17 mos. until about 20 mos., and she's just starting to be willing to sit on it again at 23 mos. I think that toddlers go through a period of awareness of pooping/peeing, and learn to associate it with the potty - in our case, she quickly was fascinated that mama and dadda also poop & pee on the potty.

Once she had it figured out, she wanted nothing to do with the potty and moved onto other things. We ade a go of PL at the time, but are following her lead - which is "not ready yet!" I think an exploratory period around the earlier age is very common - it sticks with some kids, and not with others.

[momofadella]

I could have written this exact thread! My dd started doing the identical things your dd is doing when she was 16 months (now 17). I got her a potty and introduced it to her. She sits on it a couple times a day, but has yet to use it. She's peed on the floor two times while sitting just 5 inches from the potty (so close!) LOL! But, I figure I'm starting early and just introducing her to the concept. She does announce that she's peeing right when she's peeing...she just can't tell me before she does it yet.

[momofadella]

This might sound silly...but, could someone please tell me what PL means or direct me to where I could find more info? Sorry to intrude on your thread :-) thanks!

[Evelynmia'smom]

Hi...thanks for your replies....I don't think she's ready....she doesn't want to sit on the little potty OR the big potty...I think I'll still keep the little one hanging around when she does naked time and see what she does.

momofadella....pl means potty learning...some use it in lieu of potty training

[AustinMom]

I am a firm believer that potty training should happen as early as possible. My son in 17 mo and fully trained, we started in Oct, I wish we would have started sooner. If she knows that poop and pee go in the potty, your job is pretty much done!!!

I'd get a little potty and put it in her area that she is most at during the day, ie, living room, play room, etc, and go diaperless for a day or so, and get to sit on potty at usual potty times (after nap, after sleep, after no potty, but lots of fluids).

I plan on our next starting at 9 mo. As soon as he/she is able to sit up on the potty by themselves, and you feel they can understand what you say when you talk. It does sometimes take them a little while to understand where potty goes, but it seems you are already past that!

My son was a little uncomfortable sitting on the potty at first, as it was very new to him, we read his favorite book when he sat on it, and he would get raisins when he sat on it (his favorite snack). I left the raisins by the potty for him to correlate the two. Soon, he sat on it fine, then we slowly moved to frosted mini wheats as "potty treats" when he went on the potty.

I'd say start potty training/learning now. That's just me, I am glad we did it "early". Back in the 70's, over 95% of kids were FULLY potty trained at 18 mo age. It wasn't until disposable diapers came out that that age became later and later. I feel if you start too late, the baby/toddler is used to the feeling on pottying in their diaper and some kids when they have to go potty, will ask for a diaper to go. If you think about it, those kids have already been "trained" to go potty, and it just happens that they are trained to go in a diaper/pullup, and the thought of changing that lifestyle for them, is weird.

By no means do I think the parents in the thread are like this, but I feel some parents "give up to easily". Yes, it can be hard for the baby to learn to potty, and when they realize they have to stop playing to get up and go pee/poop, they may not want to bother, but I'd rather deal with a 1 Year old and just pick them up and put them on the potty when I see they are about to/started going, than deal with a 30+lb 3-4 year old, and not be able to do that. I have never really understood "following their lead". I'm not saying potty train at birth and on, but I feel a 9 mo old is very much so able to understand language, and understand requests. I feel, and this may be snooty, that as parents, it's our job to teach them lifestyles, and PT/PL is one of those. If you feel they can't 'tell' you when they need to go, use sign language, there is a whole program designed for babies this age. We were already doing signs, and when we started PL, we were going to buy the program if we felt we couldn't do it on our own.

In that, I hear of parents who use diapers till 4 yrs and some times over, and I think of all the time, money (yes, I used disposable, shame on me), cleaning (baby poop is a MILLION times easier to clean off floor than off diaper and baby bottom) and bacteria. Since we used disposable, I tallied up that if we would have waited till age 4 to be as far along as we are now, we would use an additional 7560 diapers. If you use cloth, think of all the effort and time, and money (if you use a cleaning service) you will save!!!! That's A LOT of diaper changes you are not going to have to do.

Yes, it can get frustrating, and no, you can't be in arm length 24-7, start with just a couple hrs in the morning diaperless, and go till you feel you need a "break" or till nap time. The next day, if you are frustrated, put on a diaper. No need for "discipline" just tell baby when they go in diaper, or have an accident, that potty goes in the potty, not in diaper/floor, etc.