I bought a potty for my 6-month-old DS

[NSmomtobe]

What do I do now?

I feel crazy because everything I have read and everyone I have talked to has said not to try potty training until they are 2 years old. But I know (from here) that it can be done earlier.

I'd really like to catch the poops because we are starting solids and I would rather not deal with cleaning solid poops out of my cloth diapers.

I have put him on the potty at random times and have managed to catch 3 pees so far: the first was after he had pooped (I sat him down on the potty in case he wasn't done), the second was after a nap, and the third was when he was gassy and I thought he might be trying to go. I tried to make sounds for pee and poop, but mostly he thinks they are funny. I haven't given him a sign to give me because I don't know what that would be, but I don't think he gets it yet anyway...

[Adasmommy]

If you can, do naked time (maybe out on the lawn?) and watch closely. When he pees or poops, you can make the sign you choose, so he starts to connect the sign with the action. You also can observe his patterns/timing, and any body language that happens consistently before he goes.

I'd take him whenever he wakes up, if he seems to go then. Especially first thing in the morning.

[T-man's Mama]

As PP said, be sure to offer first thing in morning and right after naps. Those are usually prime times for peeing, if not pooing.

I think I just started by offering all the time. If nothing happened after 15-20 seconds, or he gave me clear signals that he wasn't interested, I'd stop offering. But when he actually went, I'd be sure to make a cueing sound ('psss') so he came to associate the sound with the action. Pretty soon, I could hold him over the potty, and give the cueing sound, and he'd THEN start to pee. It's about building the association.

Oh, and be adventurous -- sometimes my boy would refuse to pee in the potty, but would happily go outdoors in the grass, or in the sink, etc.

You should check out what has been written on ECing. "Infant Potty Training" (Boucke) and "Diaper Free" (Bauer) are both good ones. Good luck!

[ledzepplon]

I think 6 mos. is a perfect age for a little potty. With my ds's, we started around that age and just caught when we could. Both were in underwear full time around 18-19 mos.

[theboysmama]

I absolutely agree that you should not POTTY TRAIN before the child is ready BUT ec IS NOT POTTY TRAINING. You are merely giving your child someplace else to pee if he chooses to. A potty is a great thing right now and will give him a chance to go somewhere besides his diaper if he wants to. Start by offering before and after sleep, before and/or after putting into something (like high chair, car seat, etc), if it has been a while, or if he has really obvious signs like grunting, red face, etc.
Don't stress about it, have fun, and remember the goal is to give him another choice for elimination NOT for potty training.

[NSmomtobe]

Originally Posted by theboysmama

I absolutely agree that you should not POTTY TRAIN before the child is ready BUT ec IS NOT POTTY TRAINING. You are merely giving your child someplace else to pee if he chooses to.

Thanks for this explanation. This should help me explain it to others, if necessary.

Thanks for the tips, everyone! I think I may have already screwed up the cueing (by using the sounds when he was not going in order to encourage him to go), but I'll try again to only do them when he goes.

Part of the reason I waited until 6 months is so he can sit on his own. I thought about doing it earlier but couldn't get the hang of holding him over things.

[emmaegbert]

Originally Posted by NSmomtobe

Thanks for this explanation. This should help me explain it to others, if necessary.

Thanks for the tips, everyone! I think I may have already screwed up the cueing (by using the sounds when he was not going in order to encourage him to go), but I'll try again to only do them when he goes.

Part of the reason I waited until 6 months is so he can sit on his own. I thought about doing it earlier but couldn't get the hang of holding him over things.

Don't worry about "screwing up". My baby never seemed to respond much to cues or signals anyway, at about 13 1/2 m she started signing "potty" and saying a funny version of "poopoo" and she knows what the potty is for (not that she always uses it )

Sitting up makes it easier to do- esp if you are pretty sure a poop is coming, if you can get baby to hang out a little (play, sing, read a book, give a favorite toy) that is good... my girl definitely "waits" to poop on the potty, and associates sitting there with eliminating, so at least twice a day I try to get her interested in a little more extended session sitting there- which usually does the trick.

whereas pee, she'll still seem to go wherever if she has to. Potty if I've put her there, or if she has happened to see it and think to sit there, or the floor (fun! splashies!) or her diapers if she has those on.

Most babies seem to pee first thing upon waking, morning and from naps. That is a good place to start with and then if there are regular poop times. Even if thats all you do for now, its that many fewer diapers, and your little one is definitely learning what the potty is for!

[hrsmom]

I agree, you didn't screw up the signals. That's OK! All great advice in this thread! Every catch is awesome, and it will fall into place soon enough!

I just would tell people that when I thought she needed to go, I just offered her another option besides her diaper. I don't really talk about it anymore, because she's 27 months old and no one cares if she's wearing diapers or not or where she goes potty at that age!

Enjoy!