Typical age for girls to use potty?

[dexlor]

2.5 year old DD has absolutely no interest in using her potty seat. Picked it out herself, she did. We have tried the Elmo potty, Bjorn potty. The Bjorn potty she was peeing in when she was 18 months old. Now, no interest. She goes to daycare 3 days a week and no luck there either. Her friend who is 3 months younger is loving the potty. DD even talks about her friends using the potty. We've done the stuff we swore we never would. Stickers, candy. So far she's only gotten stickers for sitting on the potty...5...in 1 month. I've done the worst thing too-- say "big girls use the potty". Oh god, never thought I'd go there. We've bought her underwear that she picked out and when she was wearing them she could go 2 hours w/o peeing in them. She has no interest in naked time and wants us to change her diaper when she pees in it. I've considered hiding the diapers and telling her we need to get more at the store just so she can do naked time and perhaps she'll want to use the potty rather than pee on the floor. We have potty books too and she sees daddy and I using the potty. Just thinking of all the things we've tried as I write this. Sorry, not very sequential.

I know chances are she'll just surprise us and go on her own, no prompting from us...when she is ready. I guess I'm just really thrown by this because she wants to do so many things on her own. And she was using the potty at one time. What happened?

So first I would love to hear others tell me this is all normal and either help with tips or what I can do to just relax about it.

Thanks so much.

[Abraisme]

It's really normal. I tried to fight my son into potty training and it didn't work. I simply spent a year cleaning up way more messes than I should have. I would give her some more time and try again in a few months. She'll get it eventually.

[pbjmama]

normal. very normal.

[redvlagrl]

I think it is totally normal. Though if you really want to do it I can recommend the Lori jensen method of training in 3 days. it really works. PM me if you want more info (I am not affiliated with her in any way)

[corrieoseal]

Just want you to know that there is someone else right there with you. DD is almost 28 months. She went through a period of potty interest, but then it faded and now she is completely content in her diapers. (She also demands pants and will not tolerate naked time.) I too have been frustrated and said/done things I never ever thought I would do. (Offering m&m's if she'd poop or pee on the potty.) It's even more difficult because LOTS of the moms who had babies around the same time as DD in my birth group (on another board) have toddlers who are happily training and going dry. I have decided to put away the potties and the panties for now and am trying to stop commenting when we change her diaper and simply focus on her continuing to tell me when she has peed or pooped in her diaper. I know that my patience isn't where it needs to be for pottying to happen (pregnant with #2 and extreme morning sickness.) I am trying to get back to being the more laid-back and understanding mom that I usually am. I was caught off guard by how the potty learning process can break even a normally calm mom

I'm glad you posted because it's nice to know I'm not alone. Sometimes I feel like every toddler on MDC is dry before 2 except mine.

[dexlor]

Thanks everyone!

Corrieoseal, it does wonders hearing someone else going through the same thing esp. with our LOs near the same age. This morning I did hide her diapers and told her we had to buy more at the store. She looked befuddled because the little rascal has a great memory asking where the diapes went. But it worked, I mean at least she wore a pair of underwear for almost 3 hours dry. Then we were going out and I was like "oh look what I found . She sat on the potty twice and for quite a while each time but nothing. She asked me to read to her while on the potty...so hey, baby steps, right?

I made the mistake of checking facebook during DD's naptime and saw playgroup friends post that their DD's who are 3-5 months younger are almost diaper-free and one actually went 3 night dry! I might sound snarky when I say that I live in a university town so many of these moms could afford to stay at home longer than I could so maybe they just had more time to devote to potty training? Though many parents went back to work sooner than I did, I'm sure, and aced the potty training thing. Sigh. So, anyway, it was good that I got on this website ASAP for confirmation that DH and I aren't alone!~

[Evie P.]

I did a sort of EC thing with mine, so it was really early, but one thing that really pushed them over the hump at age 2 to be dipe-free was constant nudity whenever possible. I took up the rugs for the most part, and even if they peed on the floor or rug, would shout, "Yippee!! Pee pee!" (or poo). This makes it click fast. Also bring extra undies instead of extra dipes and just change the clothes, this also clicks it earlier.

[CrunchyChristianMama]

We started DD with potty training at 22 months old. Now, at 24 months, I would say she's fully trained. We have a few accidents a week, but they are usually intentional...that's another thread (literally). We used the Lori Jensen method and were very happy with it.

[MamaRuga]

I'm having the same issue. It is hard when so many other children the same age or younger are out of diapers. DD (2 3/4 yo) is happy to go bare bum. All summer she would use the potty almost 100% of the time when she didn't have her diaper on. But when I tried to move to the next level of putting pants on, she really resists. I tried asking/reminding her every hour to go, but that turned into a real conflict. And she started to regress and not use the potty when naked, so I decided to just back off entirely.

I keep reminding myself that she will eventually use the potty... she may be 8 years old, but she will eventually she will figure out that diapers are not forever!

I did decide to switch back to cloth so she feels wetter. And there are times, out of the blue, that she will go and use the potty completely on her own. And a few times she has even told me that she needs to go when we are out and about (for some reason it has been when we are at a gas station and she suddenly has a fit to go potty inside where the bathrooms are usually really gross, but hey at least she went!) So I think that there will be progress at some point. It will have to be her choice to get excited about it, I just can't force it. But it is hard feeling like it is out of my control.

[ssh]

Different kids are ready at different ages. I bought a potty for each of my two DDs and then told them what it was for and mentioned they didn't have to wear diapers if they used the potty. My older DD1 started using the potty a couple of weeks before turning 2. My younger DD took it apart and put it back together a few times and then used it closed as a step stool. She started using the toilet, with a padded ring on it, at 3.5. She just wasn't ready until then. Neither child had many accidents, probably because they were ready. So I'd back off, your DD will use the potty or toilet when she's ready.

[mcoreen]

I think it all depends on the child, but here's a few things you could try.

Forget about the potty for a week or so, have it available but don't mention it or offer it. Then reintroduce it.

Has she ever peed/pooped on it?
I think it is better if they have a success you can make a big deal out of. First thing on waking or when filling the bath tub are good times to try peeing and increase the chance of success. If/when she does go on it clap/cheer/sing/dance/give a reward, whatever you think she'll respond positively too.

Try having her sit on the potty while you're peeing on the toilet. My DS likes to do this. If you're sure she's got to go, give her something to play with/read/watch while she's on the potty so she doesn't give up too soon.

Don't worry about accidents or how long it takes. That will only make it unenjoyable for both of you. If you're relaxed it will be no big deal to potty train her even if it takes a year. If you need to put it off for your (& her) sanity no big deal. She'll eventually figure it out.

I added fun stickers to DS's potty to make it more appealing to him. Plus an open door policy to the bathroom let's them know that everybody goes - I even get cheers for going in the toilet. LOL

[butterflies]

I had always heard that girls were much easier-- but my ds was clearly ready for the potty at just 24 months while my dd was still hit-and-miss at 2.5. In my experience, it all depends on personality and the individual child.

Of course with ds I was also much more relaxed about the whole process. He really led the whole thing but staying dry through naps and then taking off his own pullup to pee afterwards. After that, I realized it was probably time to buy him some underwear and attach the potty seat.

[pantrygirl]

My daughter is 27 months old and she isn't interested in the potty at this time.
Just like yours, she was very interested at 18 months and even peed in the potty several times.
Then she turned 2 and just lost interest.
She's interested in watching me sit in the big potty but she wants nothing to do with the potty, big or small.
She's recently asked to sit in the potty in the middle of her bath. I think this came from me saying we don't pee or poop in the bathtub.
She's peed once on the potty during one of these middle of bath potty breaks but that's about it.
I'm not stressing it though. From this board and from some friends, I realize that it's one of those things that's going to click and I just have to be patient.
Plus, I figure I'll have enough to worry about when she's ready to go potty outside. I've heard enough stories of having to find a potty asap for a underpants wearing child. I'll just bank my worries for that time.