Anyone interested introducing a potty to under 2yrs, no pressure just playing ?

[Babieseverywhere]

I did full time Elimination Communication (EC) with DD1 and she was dry and clean by 12 months. The early completion linked to the fact I had only one child to watch, love and parent.

I did part time EC with DS whom was capable of being dry and clean by 18 months and was whilst naked. But he couldn't see the point when clothed. He decided to be clean and dry in clothes at 2.11 yrs just before nursery ...phew

Now helping DC3, little DD2 currently 13 months old. Again we are part time ECing. Just offering the potty after changes, before baths and when she signs 'potty'.

To date she has just seemed to crack dirty nappies, getting the last four days of poo in a potty, signing and shouting when she does one. She hates sitting in poo. Hopefully another few weeks/months and she will be fully clean...lets see what happens.

Wee wise, we are a bit hit or miss. She likes to stand over the potty to wee (like her big brother use to) and sometimes she'll run to the potty and stand next to it, not sure how to get on sometimes I guess. So I dash over and pop her on.

I have decided to start giving her nappy free time Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday when the older children are at school and I can watch her careful and full time in nappies Thursday, Friday when her brother is home.

I give no rewards or punishment and if DD2 doesn't want to use the potty, I just pop a nappy on/under her. I just want her to be comfortable with knowing what the potty is for and how to use it, so when she decides to use it on her own, she'll already have the skills needed.

It doesn't matter to me if she is clean and dry from 18 months or 3years, whatever will be will be.

So anyone else want to join me for the long slow easy going road ?

You can avoid the stress, if not the dirty nappies by just waiting. Children are programmed to develop- there will come q time when they say "I don't want to wear nappies any more" and there they are- " trained".

That seems to me to be much more relaxed and less stressful than hovering over them and making potty training seem much more important than it actully is.

seeker This is a support thread for those who wish to introduce a potty before 3 years. Not a thread to discuss IF we should be doing what we are actively choosing to do.

If you want to start a new thread on "This may be a silly question, but why introduce a potty with under 3 year olds ? " I will happily post my reasons but please don't derail this support thread.

TeddyRuxpin Sound like things are going well. Bit unsure why you want her to sit more on a potty ? If she is dry naked, keep her naked and the potty to hand and she will go when she wants to go. Sorry if I missed your question ?

Ozziegirly What about starting with wee's, there are many more times to catch one and once he gets the idea, he'll sort poo out in his own time.

I would start by encouraging him to sit on the potty/toilet when he wakes up in morning and after naps. Maybe read a story to him. If/when he wees, show him what he has done and let him flush it away in the big toilet...my kids love that bit ;)

Oops. Sorry- didn't realise there were rules.

babies DD has never actually done anything in the potty. I thought if I could get her to sit a while after meals or whenever she might do something in it.
The advice to keep her naked makes sense, I may try leaving her without a nappy for a day and see how that goes.

Seeker, Not rules, just explaining what I was aiming for on this thread. i.e. Looking for support from like minded mums who are doing the same things as me.

I do not wish to defend my choices to someone who feels what I am doing is pointless. But if you want to chat about this on a different thread that would be great.

I like the idea of this, but was thinking I would have to wait until my dd (21mo, almost) was a bit more verbal. But perhaps not.

The problem is me. I agree it's important to be laid back and take it really slowly, but I find it hard! DD will sit on potty but only for a few seconds.

Fruit, DD only sits for a few seconds too. I just have to keep reminding myself that eventually she'll sit for longer and then wee.

And by the time she gets there, she'll be that used to sitting that we won't have to bribe her with chocolate buttons or jelly tots or whatever other crap some of the mums round here keep suggesting.

So easy to be impatient though! Now that we're at this point, I just want her to be out of nappies but she'll get there in her time.

I have a 24m DS who has learnt how NOT to play the potty game. He has been using one since 9 months, and we even had a week when he turned one where he was almost clean and dry - including at night. However he has progressively decided he prefers a nappy, even though he is totally aware of what is happening and tells me before, during and after the act. He has a bladder of pure steel - if we leave his nappy off he can easily go 2 hours before desperation drives him there. He isn't scared of the potty, once he has to go and has no alternative he uses it easily enough. I think he sees it more as a battle of wills (with me!) .
He goes to great lengths not to poo on a potty though - his control is amazing, to the extent I haven't managed a catch in several months. I always end up having to put a nappy on to go somewhere, and 5 minutes later Bingo. The other day he was trying to put a nappy on himself (wish I'd had the video camera) - he got a dispy out, opened it out and lay down on top of it, contorting to try and get it in the right place (I relented - he obviously wanted it badly enough)
We've got him some new smurf pants which I'm hoping might do the trick. He's had a go at wearing them, but we haven't had a quiet day where we can safely have a proper go.

He's making more of a meal of it than his older sister for sure!

Thanks babieseverywhere that's a good tip.

Yesterday afternoon when he woke from his nap, I gave it a try - took nappy off and showed him the potty and said "you could do a wee in here" and sat him on it. He sat for about 2 seconds and then stood up and did a wee. So at least the association is there!

I'm going to take it pretty easy as I don't want to confuse him, but I personally think it's really nice for a child to be able to not have to sit in their own poo and wee, even if they don't particularly care....

Just thought I'd give an update on the potty training.
the past 2 days I have been leaving DD naked from the waist down after her afternoon nap.
The first day she stayed dry for 2.5 hours and I kept reminding her that if she needed to pee to use the potty. I noticed her beginning to get uncomfortable and holding herself so I reminded her to sit on the potty, which she did (first time she's sat properly!) and she did a few dribbles but then got up and got so upset I ended up putting a nappy on her and she wet it straight away.
Later the same evening she began to do a poo and her dad quickly sat her on the potty and she did it in the potty. Again, she was really upset and crying at having used the potty. Her cheeks were scarlet-can a 20 month old be embarrassed? We have never scolded her ever for having accidents so I can't understand her distress in using the potty (she is the same if she has an accident on the floor).
Day 2: DD stayed dry 4 hours before getting a nappy on for bed and wetting it immediately.

Teddy, She is just getting use to doing something new. We train our children to use nappies and it is very different using potties, it takes time to get them use to it. Well done catching a wee in the potty.

I have been really lazy recently and not given DD2 much nappy free time. That said today she started straining and went to potty and sign toilet. DH took her nappy off and after standing and sitting a couple of times, she did a massive poo. Yeah DD2. Two days worth, all in the potty :)

Then this afternoon twice she left the living room, gone upstairs to the big toilet and pointed in it. Of course I had been following her and pop her on her toilet seat, both times she did a wee and shouted 'more' pointing at the toilet roll. She loves throwing endless amounts of paper in the toilet ;)

So one child led poo in a potty and two child led wees in the toilet, not bad for an 14 months old little one :)

nice thread :) i have been putting DD2 on the loo before bathtimes (which she likes, because her sister does exactly the same before bathtime) though she yet to do anything, nice to have the idea down.

i had done a bit of ec with her (as she is very reliable - big wet nappy after every meal!) earlier on.. she really likes copying and i think she'll get it this way sooner or later...tbh i think if i put in the time she'd get it really fast.

teddy i think the crying at wee in the potty is because she needs assuring its right. prior to this point she will have always weed in a nappy - so now she is doing something new and brave and needs lots of praise. that's why she held on for the nappy the next day - she thinks nappy is 'right'.

EdlessAllenPoe, They do love copying their older siblings, don't they ?

Which is why my DD2 often tries/does stand over her potty to wee like her big brother. I am constantly trying to encourage her to actually sit.

Oh well still wee in potty either way, plus weeing standing up is a valuable skill ! ;)

DD1 can wee standing up!

i think she learnt to wee standing up as a preference whilst in nappies, and it was quite hard to distract her out it..(remembers reading WHERE IS THE PINKY PONK GOING? to persuade her to sit long enough..)

DD2 can't stand yet, so that has to come first :)

hello - am joining in as am excited about an early potty training thread! oh how my life has changed!

DD is dry at just under 18 months! Well almost. just down to one set of wet pants a day - I think she just does it to test that it's still uncomfortable!

she has been clean from 8 months (we sat her on potty from 5 months at changes) but using disposables meant she really couldn't care less about wee. Then we put her in training pants at about 16months as i felt she was ready to try and stay dry - it was only a couple of weeks before she seemed to be getting into holding her wee. bit hit and miss at first, but we were glad to see the back of nappy mountain!

I fully expected it to take 5 or 6 months of slow transitioning into pants, so am pleasantly surprised at how fun and relatively painless it's been. oh, and also, I was surprised at how much I really didn't mind being weeed on as much as i thought i would!

I'd been toying with the idea of buying DS 15 mo a potty. He generally has a poo right after his bath in the evening. I had thought it was a bit early but this thread has given me hope! The only thing is he always squats down to poo, is there a potty that could accommodate this or does he need to learn to sit?

We've finally got round to making a go of it! We've been doing bare bum at home, which has resulted in 4 wet patches in various rooms. She sits on the potty, then gets up and walks into another room, then come back with the tell-tale wet feet. Then I have to go and find the rest

She will get the hang of it, I'm absolutely sure. But in the meantime, any tips for getting her to stay on the potty? Edless, I think she's learnt to wee standing too, in private (I'd be impressed if I wasn't trying to get her on the potty ).

hey Stetsons - i read somewhere someone writing that they just let their daughter stand on the loo seat and wee! maybe if you find a potty small enough (just a bowl?!) she will stand over it and wee! haha.

This evening DD2 asked for her nappy off, then sat on the petty prompted and did a poo and wee. Guessing she is going to take after her big sister than her lazy brother :)

Potty not petty

Babies, that's great news!

Ven, I need to find a little bowl clearly Still no joy on the potty, but plenty of wet patches dotted around!

I'd love to hear more about EC, any advice on where to look?

Ok, been leaving DDs nappy off every afternoon for almost 2 weeks now and despite the first day's success of catching a poo and 2 dribbles in the potty, I have been unable to 'catch' any more!
DD is holding on for hours until she is uncomfortable and starts dribbling, at which point she tells me she is doing it (by pointing) but still won't do it on the potty -she runs all over the house dribbling as she goes-and I end up relenting and putting a nappy on her as if she wets herself she gets very distressed.
Would it be wrong to let her wet herself and hope that might encourage her to do it in the potty?

I can't help feeling I am doing this all wrong despite the fact she obviously has good bladder control (can hold on for 2-3 hours).
She knows if she needs to pee/poo she should sit on the potty, she just doesn't do it!
I'm not keen to go down the pants full-time route just now until she has willingly used the potty at least once!