Potty learning at 16 months, is she ready??

[Bebe's Mom]

DD is 16 months. She has not been EC'd at all. We use disposable diapers (long story). She seems to be aware when she poops, whenever she poops she makes a pshew sound which I am guessing she got from me.   

She also makes this sound when you say the words "diaper" or "poop" or when someone farts .This has me thinking that she is at least ready to be introduced to the potty. I plan to borrow one and put it in the bathroom, and put her on it whenever I change her diaper or when I am using the toilet, just to get her used to the idea.  I don't want to force her into it or anything, but I would like to get her used to the idea gradually. Of course, I would love to have her out of diapers by the time she is two, but I feel like that may be pushing it a bit. What do you think? Is there any one else out there who trained their LO at this age, I would love to hear your ideas and methods..TIA!

[texmati]

Why not give it a low pressure try?

DH puts DS on the potty before a shower, or when DH is using the potty. He says it's much easier than cleaning a poopy diaper because the poop gets everywhere. DS also hates getting a diaper change, so this is just less stress on everybody. We started around 7-8 mos when it became really obvious when DS was doing a poop.

[Marissamom]

se started the potty at 12 months. just low pressure I put her on when I used the bathroom (and did diaper changes at the same time ususally). she's 20 months tomorrow, and usually uses the potty a few times a day. she was in disposables until 9 months, when we switched to part-time cloth, part-time disposables. and I do think the part-time cloth has made her more aware of when she pees. 

[JudiAU]

Sure. We introduced it last month to DS at 16m and she pees in it regularly. Probably earlier than I was planning but our Nanny is Brazilian and she expressed interest. (Our 3.5 started at 2 and still likes to hang out on the potty a lot so she hears the words.)

We do cloth so she is probably a little more aware of it but it was only AFTER we introduced the potty that she started coming for a diaper change when she poops. Oh, and consider reading Diaper Free Before 3. Great book. Very helpful.

[sapphire_chan]

Around 18 months (which 16 months is) a lot of kids go through a stage where they're interested in potty things. Some of them can learn to use the potty at that time, which is great. Others just learn what a potty is for and become more comfortable with a potty so when they're ready to learn later on they don't go through some of the difficulties encountered by kids who didn't have that earlier introduction, which is great.

I daresay some people end up just saving on a couple of messy diapers a day until the point when their LO is ready to fully learn to use the potty. It's amazing how awesome it is to have even one less diaper to deal with.

[texmati]

This is so true! Each time DH 'saves' a messy diaper he's so happy he tells me about it!

Originally Posted by sapphire_chan 
It's amazing how awesome it is to have even one less diaper to deal with.

[ElliesMomma]

nm

Edited by ElliesMomma - 5/28/11 at 11:39pm

[Bebe's Mom]

Thanks for your replies! I am excited about starting now. One of the things I have been concerned about is DD removing her diaper...She hasn't done it yet, but she tries to take it off whenever she doesn't have clothes on..Last summer she went around in a diaper most of the time because it was so hot...I am thinking if I can start with no pressure now, and then get to the point where we can go naked in the summer and start going naked  when the warm weather starts, then we will hopefully be somewhat trained by her 2nd birthday..I  agree that even one less diaper a day is a wonderful thing.

[Bebe's Mom]

I got the potty yesterday. I put it in the bathroom, and when it was bath time, I took DD's diaper off and set her on the potty. I left the room to get her a clean diaper, and when I came back, there was pee in the potty!! I was thrilled!! I can't believe she did it the first time. I praised her, and then cleaned the potty. She took the dirty diaper I had just taken off her and stuffed it in the potty, and said "phew", which is her word for pee/poop. I praised her again...She also picked up the word potty the first time I said it to her!! I am thinking this may not be hard at all. Yay!!

[ElliesMomma]

congrats! hope it's not just beginner's luck. 

good luck!

Edited by ElliesMomma - 5/28/11 at 11:37pm