Toilet training ... - Page 2

[AvalonDaughter]

Great thread! Nice to hear all the range of responses. Sounds like the child will know when

[Dodo]

Well, we're late ECers or, depending on how you look at it, early trainers. 16 mo dd certainly isn't toilet independent (I hold her over the sink or the potty, I take off her clothing, I wipe), but she would definitely rather not wet herself if she can help it.

[Katana]

I don't quite fit in to any of the categories.

My ds, at 2.5 decided he wanted to go pee in the potty. So, I let him. He never had an accident and was dry through the night with both from that age on. But during the day, he would not do the other in anything but a diaper.

Right before his third birthday, he decided, just like that, to start going both in the potty. I never pushed, but for six months it was frustrating to me. I couldn't understand how he could do one but not the other.

It was his control, I realize that now. And I'm glad I didn't push him. My mom wanted me to read some book called "Potty Training in a Day," and I just laughed. Like that would ever really work.

Dd, who is an angel child, is being so easy. At 2, she wanted to start trying. We sit her on the toilet and she pretends to go, and then she gets off. I can tell, any day, she's just going to start going for real. But she can decide when to do it. Of course, she's seen ds and four other kids that I watch during the day all learn to go, so in a way, she should know what to do.

It really is fascinating, each child is so different.

[applejuice]

All four of mine wanted to use it before age 2. I always have an open door policy at my home about the bathroom, and so they were always with me. They began to be curious about using the potty since I use it, so they did!

My youngest ds wanted to be like his Poppy and two older brothers, so he could not wait to use it. He was not even tall enough to use it wen he first tried.

[oncewerewise]

Two and a half months before my daughter turned 4, I initiated parent-led potty training. It wasn't really of any concern to her. It's now a little over 3 months later and we have no accidents and she is asking to not wear a pull-up at night (we still use these for nap time and bed time). On the other hand, my youngest will be 2 in September and I'm hoping to have her trained before then because she already loves to sit on the potty and hates having a wet diaper. I won't push though if she's not ready. But, I personally felt that 4 was old enough to be out of diapers. (For me, not necessarily for her, my doctor said first-born children, especially girls sometimes aren't ready until 4.5 - 5.)

Peace.

[alexa07]

Wow. Here is where my "sort of AP, sort of not" personality comes in. We only used disposables, which keep a child very comfortable (at least ours were in the expensive brand we used). We did however feel that it was important that they decide on their own when they were ready to use the potty. I guess because of the disposables, I never found diapers to be any issue at all. They were very easy on us, easier really than kids who used the potty at an early age because we didn't have to worry about them "holding it" until we could find a restroom when we went out. So.... neither DD was interested until they were about 3 1/2. And then one day, both announced that they were going to use the potty, did so completely by themselves (did not want any help) and never had an accident.

[Tanibani]

He turned 3 last week. I've had him in Disposable Pull-Ups for 3 months, trying to encourage him to go.

He'd go sometimes, but learned "hey, these are just diapers I can pee in!!!" and stopped peeing on the potty. Very frustrating for me (having the expectation that he should go.)

Last week, my babysitter was with him the whole day. She's been telling me that it's my fault. I have to be "more on top of it", i.e., following him, encouraging him after he drinks something and asking him 15 minutes later if he wants to go.

I was gone a whole day and she had him in UNDERWEAR. He was going to the pee the whole day. I continued it for 2 days and it worked! He now announces he has to pee and we go to the bathroom. He had 1 carpet/pee accident (he didn't like it) and another accident (too busy playing with friends he forgot to pee) and those help.

I can't believe it... but it simply the switch to UNDERWEAR that did it. He's been very eager to wear them. I was reluctant because I didn't think it would last long.

POOPING
He pooped once in the potty, but always goes to hide and poop in his diaper (now underwear)... he runs upstairs to his room, hides behind the curtains, or in the living room, hides behind the couch. People instinctively need privacy to relax their sphincter muscles.

A friend of ours (same age) pees in the potty, but tells her mother that she wants a diaper to poop. Fine by me.

I'm not going to pressure him too much to poop in the potty. I want to avoid the holding in. We're half-way there. I'm happy.

BTW, I have a friend with a 4 yr old boy and a 15 month old girl. The dd has been asking to "pee" and she sits in the potty! 5 out of 7 mornings, she'll actually pee in it. I guess seeing other people do it (and actually having a potty she can sit on) is a great motivator.

[fishy]

i voted 'b4 2' b/c aidan initiated peeing in the toilet around 18mnths .

he was fulltime in underpants by 25mnths.

all i did as far as encouragement was told him i didnt want him to pee on the floor. (the child was usually naked bc he hates clothes, lol) i told him he could pee outside or in the tiolet or have a diaper. he never chose a diaper.

b4 i knew it, he was running to the toilet and peeing next to it b/c he couldnt reach the toilet. it was then that we made a step stool a permanent fixture next to the toilet.

[laralou]

Ds was in daycare and was toilet trained before 2. He got a bad teacher when he was 2 and before I figured it out and pulled him, he regressed a little, but as soon as I got her fired he was back to no accidents.

With the girls I am ec'ing so I vote child-led before two (if that was an option). I thought it was crazy before I started, but now I think it is super smart.

[Liz]

My ds will be 3 in May. I got him a potty about a year ago. He will pee in it reliably IF he doesn't have a diaper on. He pood in it once about a month ago. I think we just lucked out and he had to poo during bare bum time. He seemed pretty surprised and he usually hides when he has to poo (but he always lets me know by calling "Go away, Mum!" from his hiding place). I bought him some Bob the Builder underwear last month and I was all set to go for it. I normally do not buy anything linked to a TV show but I figured this was one time I'd use it for my own gains. Anyway, he loves them but says, "Underwears are for big boys, Mummy, I a little boy." (he didn't get this from us) So I didn't push it any further. I asked the other day if he wanted to wear them and he said, "Not quite!" Now that it's getting warmer (although it's snowing right now! EEK!) we'll do more bare bum time and hopefully he'll come around to the underwear. We're taking swimming lessons with a boy who is 6 months older and toilet trained so I'm thinking there might be some positive peer pressure there since I think he considers Andrew a little boy, too.

[callmemama]

child-led at 3

Our little guy started talking about they potty when he was 16 months old! I finally got him one when he was about 20 months. He poo'd in it TWICE before he turned two, then not again until he was 3 years and 2 months old!!! And he's done it ever since. He pee'd in it when he wanted to off and on until he was 3 years and 3 months when he decided he was ready and never looked back! Amazing. He did overhear a conversation where my neighbor was detailing the "potty training" ages and antics of all her kids and grandkids, which I think influenced him to "be ready". And we did talk about it but never forced it.

[ShannonCC]

I couldn't vote because I've done it completely differently with my two kids. My dd potty trained starting at 2.5 or so. I guess you'd say child led. My well meaning mom : bought dd undies w/o asking me. From that day she insisted on wearing the *#*^# undies and we had a river of pee on the floor for months.

With my ds we were fortunate enough to discover elimination communication so we've been doing that since 6 months.

[Elismama]

My ds, at 2.5 decided he wanted to go pee in the potty. So, I let him. He never had an accident and was dry through the night with both from that age on. But during the day, he would not do the other in anything but a diaper.

This sums us up exactly. Eli expressed an interest so he started using the potty. I only put him in a diaper when we left the house and he would ask, "Momma, am I wearing a diaper?" So, I figured it was time we stopped wearing diapers at all.

But he still asks for one when he wants to have a bm, and I am totally okay with that. He figured the pee thing out in a week, I'm sure the bm thing will follow whenever he is ready.

I do think cloth diapers help- he feels that he is wet/dirty instantly. And he just reached a point when that sensation was unpleasant.

-jeanie

by the way, he expressed an interest at other ages too, but it never lasted until now.