How do you start the potty training process?
Our daughter is 16 months and we think she is ready to be introduced to the potty. we bought one and have let her get use to the idea of sitting on something. We are wondering… how do we get the message across. This is obviously our 1st baby (7 months with #2) and we are trying to figure out how to start! Do we put her on it every time we go? Before bath time? Any kind of suggestions?
February 24th, 2011 at 1:25 pm
16 months is too young for most babies. She needs to be aware of needing to go and be able to vocalize the need in order to get to the potty in time. Most kids aren’t ready until they are between 2 and 3 years. Google “signs of readiness for potty training”
February 24th, 2011 at 2:21 pm
kids are people too. as different as you can imagine – and then some. put her on after feeding, or an hour after feeding – whatever. and never forget – she will train you as much as you train her – it’s a hit-and-miss experimental delight. always praise her when she “succeeds”.
(#2 will be easier, I promise)
February 24th, 2011 at 3:11 pm
Well, ask her if she needs to go to the potty or to do peepee. Let her know to tell mommy and daddy when she has to go. And you guys will take her. Tell her shes wearing big girl panties and put them over her diaper, that way she feels big. Also tell her that when she tells you guys she has to go to the potty. She’ll get a potty party. We did that with my sister, and she learned very quickly only because she wanted that potty party; it was small my cousin aunt and me, we watched a movie amd a little cake, etc. Encourage her to use the potty. And get her used to it. So I think before bath time, maybe before night time, things like that, so she’ll start understanding. Every child learns at a different pace. So 16 months is fine. If you think shes ready, give it a try.
Hope this helps Good Luck
February 24th, 2011 at 3:39 pm
I would wait a couple of months.
A couple of months before I properly started potty training, I bought a couple of potties for my two toddlers. I put them on it before going in the bath. I told them that if they needed to pee, they could sit on it. But they never really did it.
When I wanted to properly potty train them I took my 2 and 3 year olds to the store to choose ‘big boy and big girl panties’.
Then I gave them loads to drink to practise peeing. I put them on the potty every 45 minutes. And 15 minutes after meals/ drinks. I started last week and it is still hard. But my 3 year old son is slowly getting the hang of it. My daughter still needs a bit more time though!
I would buy a potty now but wait a couple of months to start properly. I know it will be hard being heavily pregnant, but it’s better than forcing your child too early. I am currently 9 months pregnant and it actually helps as also need to pee every 45 minutes haha!
February 24th, 2011 at 3:56 pm
When we started with my daughter, we bought told her she was going to be able to learn to sit on the “big girl potty” like an older person does. We found it nice that she should be involved to go and pick out the toilet and something like that. So we took her and she got to choose her own princess potty, which she absolutely loved! When we first started, we didn’t push it. Every 30 or so minutes, we would ask if she has to use the potty, if she did, we would put her on the potty. If she did anything, great! If not, we didn’t make a fuss about it. When she started getting better, we made a little sticker chart for her. Every time she actually tried to go & went, we would give her a sticker. After she got a few stickers, we would reward her with something(even if it was just a snack) it really helped to get her into doing it. When she got further along, we even let her choose her pull ups, so she got to choose ones she would like. It made her feel proud that she was finally able to do it. So for the first few weeks, don’t force it. Just ask her every half hour or so if she has to go & just try and see if she will go on the potty. Best of Luck =]