Potty experiments: advice?

[mbm]

DD (23 months) has a really awful diaper rash, so I am letting her go bare butt around the house. We have had potties around for a few months, and she has shown interest, but this is the first time I've really encouraged her to use them.

First question: is it totally ridiculous to think she could potty learn now? Or at least take a big step along the journey?

Second question: Little Pantsless Wonder is fascinated with the fact that the potties come apart to form a stepstool (she learned this at day care). So when she wants to pee or poop, she goes over to the potty, takes it apart, and eliminates on the floor right next to it.

How do I get across the point that we need to *sit* on the potty, not disassemble it? I've performed several demos, and repeated "Poop/pee goes in the potty" a thousand times. And it's hard to swoop in and sit her on it mid-act if the thing is in pieces.

[Violet2]

What worked for us were books and DVDs to explain concepts and introduce vocabulary. Playing potty with dolls is good too.

And yes she could be potty learned at 23 months. It may take some time though.

We started dd at 18ish months b/c she had outgrown diapers and they were chafing her thighs until they bled. So we forced the issue as gently as we could and she did beautifully. But it took a good 8-10 months to be 100% trained.

I found this potty training information helpful. It pretty much encapsulates how we approached it.

V

[lifeguard]

We're pling with ds right now & have been for almost a month (he's 23 months now) & it's going really well - so it's definitely possible.

As for the disassembling thing - we've simply used a seat reducer on our regular toilet so we haven't really had any problems like that but it's taken almost this long for ds to actually say anything when he has to pee/poo. He's been loving going on the potty but it was mostly me getting him there at the right times. But I just kept repeatedly (thousands & thousands of times) 'remember to tell mommy when you need to pee' & now he is doing it. So repetition is a good thing.

Good luck!

[mbm]

Thanks for the advice! That website has a lot of good info. I might try to download a potty video tonight. Can anyone recommend one?

It appears that potty disassembly is a clear sign that she needs to go -- she did the same thing once more for DH.

And...as I was typing this post, she pooped on the rug right in front of DH. Any hints on getting poop off the carpet?

[JudiAU]

You were probably trained by 23m. It is well, well within arrange just unfashionable. =)

You might check out Diaper Free Before Age 3. Lots of practical advice. My advice: sit on potty at predictable times of the day and read stories.

Hope the rash clears up soon...

[redvlagrl]

We potty trained at 23 months (2 weeks ago) using the Lori Jensen 3 day system. Pees took 3 days, poos 9. We are pretty much perfect. No accidents, daycare fine, public toilts fine. Overnight fine too.

DD was not in any way an unusual 23 mth old. Had only passing interest in potty, never asked to use it etc.

I highly recommend it - v hard 3 dats but worth it.

nak

[mbm]

Today I stopped one potty disassembly but it was a false alarm. Thus far, potty 0, floor 10.

I tried to get her to sit on it to read some stories but she was very clear, "No, sit on floor!" I wonder if a cushier potty seat might be in order. Ours are pretty utilitarian. She did sit on it for a few minutes after one of her accidents, though.

My mother reminds me that I was old enough that she taught me to use the toilet and to read at the same time! Boy, it would be great if both those things got accomplished, wouldn't it?

[StoriesInTheSoil]

DS potty learned between 23 months and 24 months. He was in underwear full time 2 weeks after his 2nd birthday. Our path seems similar to yours in that he had a rash so we had him naked most of the time and had potties available. Any time he peed (potty or floor and we have hardwood floors so cleanup is not unbearable) we'd celebrate that he'd peed and remind him about peeing in the potty. Sometimes he'd just sit on the potty for a bit and hang out, read a book, play with some animals, whatever. If he peed it the potty, we told him how great it was and occasionally gave a very small treat (a sticker for his shirt or a chocolate chip or something.) Pretty soon he was just making it to the potty every time and excited about it on his own.

He started holding pee and staying dry a couple of weeks later and soon after decided to wear undies and that was that! I really don't take much credit for the whole thing though but I do think it's very doable if the kid has some interest in it at this age! Good luck!