Category: Parent Talk
Hi all...
Well, my son is now 17mths..
I was wondering how early can i start to potty train him?
Do you have any tips or tricks when potty training you lil one?
I know all kids learn at their own paste & are different. This is my only child & im kinda nervous because ive never had to teach a sibling or niece/nephew how to potty train. And i know it can take awhile so jus wondering if there ways of encouraging him to go or at least practice a few time...thanks!
My Daughter is 31 months old and we started really working on training yesterday. I bought her potty chair when she was about a year and a half, so that she could get used to it. She doesn't always do well with new things. As the article below says, all kids are different. If your son is showing the signs below, then I'd say go for it. If not, then wait a while. You can get movies such as elmo's potty time. You can get books that focus on using the potty. You can start doing these things now to prepare even if he isn't showing the others signs necessary. One thing I learned is don't push it. If he isn't ready, it's ok. There's no magic age and if you wait until he is ready, it'll be easier.
Google is definitely your friend on lots of potty training information. And babycenter.com is an awesome resource as well.
Ask any questions you'd like and remeber have fun with it and try not to stress. This can be one of te hardest parts of raising a toddler, if you let it be.
Pipi
potty training readiness checklist taken from babycenter.com
babycenter.com
It probably seems like just yesterday that you changed your toddler's first diaper, and now you're wondering if it's time to start potty training. There's no magic age at which children are ready to start learning how to use the potty, but some develop the necessary physical and cognitive skills between 18 and 24 months of age. Many parents don't start potty training until their children are 2 1/2 to 3 years old, when daytime bladder control has become more reliable. And some children aren't interested in potty training until they're closer to 3, or even 4.
Use the checklist below to measure your toddler's progress toward readiness, and keep in mind that starting before your child is truly ready doesn't mean you'll finish sooner — it's more likely that the process will just end up taking longer.
You don't have to wait until you've checked off every item to start training. Just look for a general trend toward independence and an understanding of what it means to go to the bathroom like a grown-up.
Physical signs
Is coordinated enough to walk, and even run, steadily.
Urinates a fair amount at one time.
Has regular, well-formed bowel movements at relatively predictable times.
Has "dry" periods of at least three or four hours, which shows that his bladder muscles are developed enough to hold urine.
Behavioral signs
Can sit down quietly in one position for two to five minutes.
Can pull his pants up and down.
Dislikes the feeling of wearing a wet or dirty diaper.
Shows interest in others' bathroom habits (wants to watch you go to the bathroom or wear underwear).
Gives a physical or verbal sign when he's having a bowel movement such as grunting, squatting, or telling you.
Demonstrates a desire for independence.
Takes pride in his accomplishments.
Isn't resistant to learning to use the toilet.
Is in a generally cooperative stage, not a negative or contrary one.
Cognitive signs
Can follow simple instructions, such as "go get the toy."
Understands the value of putting things where they belong.
Has words for urine and stool.
Understands the physical signals that mean he has to go and can tell you before it happens or even hold it until he has time to get to the potty.
I second the article. Don't rush it. If the kid is ready, potty training can take days. If the kid is not ready you have an endless supply of messes and accidnets to clean up, and your kid is no worse for wear. Granted diapers are not exactly cheap, but I'd ere on the side of older kids (around 3) to do this. Why create the unnecessary head aches and spills and such, when your kid is not even necessarily ready.
Good luck, but just remember to take it and easy andlet the kid do things at his/her own pace. That is definitely advice from someone with 2 kids who is a lot more relaxed with the younger one.
Thank yall.. & thanks for that article.. I will keep up with that list & def won't push him..
Each child is different. They should be at least crawling if not ambulatory. This trick was kind of difficult with me because I had a misdiagnosed injury and couldn't run after my daughter, pick her up, and run her to a potty, but one strategy is let 'em toddle around without a diaper, then when he show signs of having to go, run him to a little potty.
A woman I met from Belarus told me in that nation they make sure the child is sitting up without assistance and mobile, then let 'em crawl without a diaper and sit 'em on a potty until it clicks mentally that this is where they eliminate, and they generally got potty trained by a year of age, but lack of supply of stuff like diapers is one of the catalysts for early training, and this lady lives here and has one child who was four and in diapers (Downs syndrome).
Mimi got trained, maybe a bit late, but still trained before entering a preschool program (most of 'em require kids to be toilet trained). He needs a clue that the child's potty is the place to eliminate. I would also reccommend a small, portable "potty seat" with handles to take in a tote bag with you when you take him to places like the mall. The more practice, the more he sees this is where to eliminate, the sooner he'll get it. Be patient, too, and good luck!