Am I Wasting My Time "Pottying" a Baby Who Can't Tell Me When She Has to Go?

[LilacMama]

Okay, mamas, I'm back with another potty-training question.

If you didn't read my other thread, the short version is that my 16 M.O. DD started peeing/pooping in her little potty yesterday morning. Since then, she's peed every single time I've put her on it and pooped in it twice. I've been trying hard to teach her the sign for "potty" so she can tell me if she has to go, but she hasn't caught on yet and so far things have only "worked" because I've been taking her in there every hour or so. Her diapers have NOT all been dry, in between potty trips either.

Sooo, am I wasting my time? Making life harder on myself? She seems to like using the potty, but I'm just not sure yet what I'm doing or if it's worthwhile right now.

I have ordered her some padded, cotton undies and I'm hoping that helps her figure things out. I just don't want to be wasting my time with something that she's just not ready for yet. She does HATE diaper changes, so I am hopeful about this but it seems silly. Today at the gym childcare I asked them if she could use their baby potty (since she hadn't gone for an hour or so) and they clearly thought I was nuts because of her age. But she DID pee in it.

Help?! I need advice? Should I just chill out and let her use it whenever, or should I keep putting her on it every hour to catch the pee as long as she seems happy about it? What am I doing?!

[sapphire_chan]

http://tribalbaby.org/ECprimetimes.html A good way to start is just to pick a couple of times where you'll try to get a pee in the potty. As that becomes a habit, you'll find that you're thinking "I wonder if she needs to use the potty", PUT HER ON THE POTTY THEN. ( sorry for yelling, but that's the source of 90% of my wet laps.)

Oh, and use the same language when you give her a chance to try the potty. Tell her she's using the potty, tell her she's peeing, tell her she peed in her diaper.

Another transition you might find happening, is that she might pee/poop into her diaper, but still need to pee/poop more. So especially if she tells you she's wet, ask her to sit on the potty before putting the fresh diaper on her.

[YayJennie]

I started putting my son on the potty when he was 9 months old. My attitude is it's good to get him used to it. He still can't tell me when he has to go (he's 13 months, but doesn't talk or sign at all), but I still put him on every morning and after nap. He'll poop and pee whenever I put him on, so I figure it's a good thing. And it's really not much hassle to me, seeing as I have to change his diaper anyway. So in my opinion, you're not wasting your time at all. Hopefully when they are old enough to tell us they have to go, it'll be a much easier transition since they're already used to their potties!

[prancie]

you are not crazy! use a cue sound and don't be shocked when she potty strikes. Mine started at 2 mos. He did potty strike sometime after a year old, and then suddenly potty trained himself at 20 months or so. At 27 months he is still going strong!

[spmamma]

I potty trained DD at 23 months. She couldn't tell me that she had to go for several months. During that time, I simply watched for her signs (wiggliness, dancing around, etc.) and took her when I thought she needed to go. No big deal.

[Phoenix~Mama]

I don't think it's a waste of time. I'm hoping it gets them used to the potty. I started putting DD on the potty as part of getting ready for bed routine last month and she has gone pee on the potty several times.

She HATES diaper changes as well, and I'm hoping it will all click for her when I boost up times to go on the potty. I'm hoping for it to be a gradual learning/transition type of thing.

[birthmommom]

you are totally NOT wasting your time. I potty train children all day at work and my own child and I just take them to the bathroom every hour and really celebrate when they go. After awhile they learn what it feels like when the have to go. There will be accidents so accept that as part of the process. I also agree with you using underwear, this will help her figure out what wet really feels like.
Just take her often and use words and signs when she goes so that she learns the words she needs. My son has been potty training since October and he turned 2 in Feb. We still have accidents once in awhile and my birthdaugter was way easy. She will get it, just give it time.

[akayerich]

I've been pottying since about 14 months. And so i definitely don't think it's crazy. After about 3 weeks, he started making our cue sound whenever he goes. So he's definitely catching on. I bet your little one will, too. Especially since she shows so much interest and seems to enjoy it.

[rightkindofme]

Depends on what you mean by wasting your time. We started doing EC at 4 months. We have had stretches where we get our rhythm down and we only have one or two misses in a day for weeks at a time. Other times she's not in the mood. She will be two in two weeks and she's still not fully potty trained but my attitude is: one less diaper for me to wash in a day is a win.