Another potty question

[laughymama]

Okay so I know DS is still young and it really isn't something we're worried about but I did buy him a potty seat that fits onto the big toilet. Figured he could check it out, get used to it. We showed him how it goes into the toilet and talk a lot about going potty. He sees us going to the bathroom and will often point and say, "Potty!" then grab some toilet paper for us.

He will happily run to the bathroom to sit on the potty if we suggest the idea. Once there, he pees and talks about it while it's happening, then loves to get down and flush.

We haven't really been taking him regularly because I figured he was still fairly young but I didn't expect him to catch on this quick. He knows exactly what to do once he's on the potty.

We do light praising and talk about it while it's happening and he seems happy and excited. He acts pretty proud once he gets to flush.


Sooo uhh...now what?

I sound totally clueless and that's because I am! Everyone I know who has children did this much later when the child was closer to 3 so their verbal skills were much more complex.

DS does use several words but I'm not really sure if he could "tell" us when he needs to potty or how to even go about teaching him that.

I'm having another in August and I have to say..it would pretty nice to have an almost potty learned or completely potty learned toddler so I don't have two in diapers. I'm not really stressing over it but I guess I'm wondering since he's so receptive to it right now...what do we do?

Should I just take him to sit on the potty every hour? Would it be easiest to just let him run around naked while doing this? It seems like such a hassle to have to wrestle pants and a diaper off of him each time...and I was thinking being naked would reinforce his understanding of when he needs to go and what's happening with his body.

Am I totally off track? Sorry for the ignorance, I just really have no idea how to go about this.

[onyxravnos]

dont push it of course but asking if he needs to use the potty every hour or so is a good idea as he can prob say yes or no and/or shake and nod his head.

him telling you he needs to go without prpmpting will come later although introducing the potty sign may help... (google it for the sign)

[Neera]

I started training dd thru instinct and only through watching a few dvds aimed at kids and a couple at parents. I think I shud have done some reading, which I am doing now. (We have been at it for q. a while now.) Dd still doesn't do her # 2 in the potty. I also made the mistake of not borrowing books for her aimed at encouraging them to use the potty. Recently, we borrowed Where's my poop? and it seemed like it was an instant hit. We haven't had a poop yet but, we had a pee in the toilet in minutes of reading it.

[sapphire_chan]

What you're doing is fine and it sounds like he's already getting the connection between the potty and eliminating. It'll probably be a bit before he can tell he needs to go, but that's normal with older kids.

The fact that you use the word potty as you put him on to pee will gradually (and faster than you think) teach him to say potty when he has to go. If you're doing signing at all, the ASL for "toilet" is to shake a T.

He may also start doing the following when he has to pee or poop:
looking towards the bathroom
grabbing his crotch
standing next to the toilet to use his diaper
removing his clothing
going to get a toy to play with on the toilet

Which brings up other stuff you can do, like have a toy to play with while you guys wait for big poops to be finished, and singing potty songs, and reading books.

[Friday13th]

I don't know what your house layout is like but we had good luck setting up a little potty in the living room/main play area and letting DS run around naked. He got the hang of taking himself to the potty before he got the whole "telling someone" when he had to go.

[Thalia]

What helped me was getting in the habit of taking DD with me to the potty every time *I* had to go. Somehow that made it easier for both of us. It didn't feel like an interruption to me, because I was already going, and it was more fun for her if mama was going, too. I'd sit on the big potty, and she'd sit on the little potty, and we'd read a potty book together or just chat.

[Hannahkatiebell]

Originally Posted by Friday13th

I don't know what your house layout is like but we had good luck setting up a little potty in the living room/main play area and letting DS run around naked. He got the hang of taking himself to the potty before he got the whole "telling someone" when he had to go.

We are having luck with this, too!