did i screw up the potty learning?

[hildare]

help!  i know dd is really super young, she is just about 16 mos.  she's been physically advanced in most other areas, an early walker, etc. 

lately she's been whispering "potty...potty" and showing us the potty, pointing at it, etc. 

then, the other day when i sat down, she ripped off her diaper and cover.  so she knows that pottying is something you do pants-free.  and she wanted to, i thought, and sitting her on the regular one seemed uncomfortable, so we bought a ring.  we are also going to order a good little one off the interwebs but it will take a while to receive it.

but... now, she is VERY interested in the potty.  VERY interested in taking off pants.  but doesn't seem to understand what to do now.  i showed her poop in her diaper, she says pooop poop, and she watches me put it in the potty and flush.  the problem is that she wants to get on the potty with some frequency, but only sits there a second and wants down.  how do i proceed?  i don't want her to get tired of it or annoy us so much with the constant request that we quit sitting her there.  Is this normally how it goes?  I thought i was responding to her requests and what she was wanting to try but now i'm second guessing everything!  ARGH!!!

[beebalmmama]

Don't worry about it mama! With ds 1 we got a potty around 16-18 months and just had it around the house. He wasn't showing as much interest in it as your dd. But I figured it wouldn't hurt to have it available and become a common object in the house. I would just follow her lead and sit her on it if she wants (obvioulsy within reason of your sanity if she seems to be playing at it after a while). She may or may not lose interest and if she does lose interest I wouldn't push it at this age. She may just be more interested in copying your actions which they like to do at this age.

I would just continue doing what your doing, showing her where the poop goes, letting her sit on the big potty, get her a little potty etc.

[tzs]

i'm right where you are but it sounds like you're doing everything very very right. 

i gotta admit, it does get annoying to keep on sitting them there with no results but knowing the awareness is there and there are days that i'm not so good about it but like pp said, i think it's just good to get them used to it before they hit the age where they won't want to sit on it. so i'm trying to be relaxed. 

if you want the time on the potty to increase you could keep a few books there and read (those boring "name that object" books keep us there for a while since dd is way into labeling things right now.) we could sit forever like that so i try to limit it to five minutes. dd also has her annoying bleepy toy telephone that she can play with on the potty. 

i read something somewhere that helps me keep perspective...just about keeping a relaxed attitude like you would for first solids or walking or any other developmental step...that there should be nothing sop inherently stressful about the potty (just that we've as a society put so much stress on it.)

[oregonianmama]

I am in the same boat. My son is 16 months old as well and is very interested in the potty, understands what to do with it, but just can't quite coordinate his efforts :) You might find that you have an easier time with her sitting on the potty longer when you get a floor potty. I have heard it is hard to relax and actually go potty on the larger ones as your muscles cannot relax properly when your legs are dangling. I'm sure you could imagine. Good luck and accept that it will be a long potty learning road ;)

[waiting2bemommy]

I also agree with getting a small potty for the floor. That way she can go whenever she wants. One of those times, something is bound to come out! Also, put her on the potty as soon as she wakes up in the morning because she's way more likely to actually pee at that time. Then, maybe she will start to get the concept that going potty means more than just sitting and looking adorable :)

[JudiAU]

I'd get a really small floor potty. The small Bjorn is perfect at this age. Has a great position for young children. I'd just start putting her on the potty at the same times each day and get her used to it. Praise when she pees. In the begining we do wake up, bath time and try her and change her diaper extra frequently. Dry diaper - sit on the potty. We started at around 16m and at 18m she is dry most days. We'll wait a month or two and switch to either training pants or less awesome cloth diapers. Diaper Free Before 3 is great.

[dancingflower]

I second the suggestion for having books by the potty, also the baby bjorn lil potty. The potty is very comfortable (I mean, it looks like it ) the design is all round and so simple. It's very easy to clean.

We practice EC veeeery part time, which means here, we are only after poos. DS is 12mo. Lately I catch DS when I notice he's already doing his forcefull breathing and run to the potty. But there were the times when we used to offer on a schedule, books or toys were really helpful then. He would take his time and they made it a fun and relaxing experience, not always he would actually go but he loved to hang out. If she thinks it's fun and some sort of play to sit there. Let it be this way. I can't think it could do any harm to humor her pretend play. But I also think it would be great that you catch an optimum time so she can experience what it is all about. If you notice she just started pooping, you can try to transfer her. If she already finds it fun to sit there, even better. To transfer, bring her close, open the diaper with her standing (potty right behind) open and bring down the diaper carefully as you are getting ready to sit her. This works here but If the transition scares her, please disregard my advice. It would then be too forceful.

The advice about having the feet touching the floor and allowing for more relaxed muscles. Oh that's another precious one.

One of these days, it will happen in the potty (but I only really put my bet on the floor potty) then it will ring a big bell for her.

Thabata & Inácio (born 2/10)