Potty Training - Miami,FL

Every child is different, I think it is expecting too much from a girl at that age. I have 3 children and my oldest was the most resistant, she just didn't have any interest in it. You can train a child to do lots of things from an early age but asking their bodies to do it is asking for frustration. That's just my 10c worth.

Good luck with what ever you decide
M. F

yes, 15 months is too young! they just don't have the ability, physically, to control their body functions at this age. Wait until she's 2 1/2 or 3. There are many good books on this topic, but there are signs of readiness that a toddler will show you. Look in "what to expect....the toddler years" or even some books geared to preschoolers and they will tell you all about it!

It seems like they will be babies forever but our kids do grow up so fast....when they hit school age you won't believe how the time just flies. Let them be little for as long as possible.....don't try to push them to grow up right away! They will, soon enough. Focus on enjoying the things a 1 to 2 year old can do very well! Play with her and read to her....enjoy the nap times while they last....and there is even a freedom in having them in diapers; you don't need to run around looking for a bathroom!!

I have 2 kids. All children are different. It does not hurt to try. If you and her both get frustrated put it aside and try when she is a little older. I would take advantage of the time you are at home with her, but dont let it consume you. You are looking for a job and the last days with her at home should be spent having a good time and enjoying her before you have to go back to work. If it doesnt work just try at a later time. Its ok! :)

Hi P.,

I have a little boy and he was nearly 3 by the time he was potty trained. I hear that girls are easier than boys (so my mom says) but you will just have to base it on her "want to" and see if she responds.

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The best thing is I don't have to sell, stock or deliver anything and there's no overhead or risk involved in getting to know the business. I truly work from HOME. After having taught school for 15 years and serving as a children's minister for three, this is just what I was looking for to supplement my family's income. I'm now looking to replace my teaching income and plan on replacing my husband's in the next year and a half so that he can be home with us as well.

Please visit my website if you'd like to learn more about working from home. This is a viable and legal possibility for you so that you can be home with your precious little girl much longer and still contribute financially to your family.

All the best!!
K. Woodlief
www.LovinLifeHome.com

Way too early for potty training. You will only frustrate yourself. Girls don't have the muscle control necessary to be potty trained until much closer to 24 months. You also should wait until she shows signs she's ready...like being interested in the potty, ect.

With my older son, I waited until the traditional 2.5 age to potty train him, and it was not so bad, only took a few months, and before age three was potty trained, but the hardest part was getting him to poop on the potty (it was quite a battle of wills). So, with baby number two (both boys) I decided to go a different route and get him pooping in the potty ASAP before he was old enough to know any different. I began potty training him at 15 months, despite others telling me it was too early. He just turned 2 last week and, surprise surprise, he is potty trained. I have not changed a poopy diaper in MONTHS, and it is wonderful!

This is what I did, and what I recommend at that age: Since bowel movements are often more predictable (or at least more noticeable) than urination, start with that. Start tracking the time each day when she normally has a bowel movement (if you already know that...even better)and after a few days, put her on the potty around the time she would normally poop. If she does nothing after five minutes, wash up and be done with it and try again tomorrow. If you are consistent with it, eventually she might just poop in the potty by "accident" and when she does, you should make a REALLY big deal about it...sing the potty song, dance, high five, tell her what a big girl she is, wave bye-bye to the poopy, etc. On the same token, WHENEVER you notice any telltale signs that she is about to have a bowel movement (the poopy face, suddenly becoming very quite, grunting, whatever) rush her to the potty RIGHT AWAY, likely there will not be any poop in her diaper yet if you catch it soon enough, but even if there is, have her finish on the potty, and then, same thing, LOTS of praise and excitement.

At that age, a BM rarely happens with out urination, so it is natural for it to follow suit. Once you have the poopy down, begin putting her on the potty for pee pee about every two to three hours. The key is you have to be consistent. Once you start, don't stop, even if it seems like she is not getting it. I noticed with my son, once we were consistent with potty every three hours, he knew when to expect it, and he was staying dry. He began right away telling me when he had to poop, but it took a few months before he was telling me when he had to pee. Also, putting her on the potty first thing in the morning is very important, even if she is already wet. When my son knew to expect the potty first thing in the a.m., he began staying dry at night (right around 18 months).

BTW, I never used the little potty chair, just a sturdy step stool and the big potty (I just did not want to clean poop out of that thing...grosses me out). But whichever you choose should be fine.

Also, doing it this way, I never had to use treats or bribes like I did with my older one, becasue he never knew any different...the verbal praise was its own reward at that age.

All that being said...keep in mind that all kids are different, and I would not expect that this would work for everyone, so keep an open mind and it may take trial and error to find what works best for your daughter.

I just want to add that I NEVER forced my son...he actually enjoyed pooping in the potty and after just a few days was telling me when he had to go, and was completely able to control it, so it is possible at that age, and it can't hurt to try. When I started I did not expect him to be potty trained any time soon, I just wnated to get him used to pooping on the potty, and to my surprise he pick up on it on his own very well.

Hi P.,

I am by no means an expert and I only have 1 little girl and she is almost 2, BUT, my daugter started showing interest (following us into the bathroom, saying "pee pee", etc.) at around 16 months or so. My pediatrician said that 18 months is about the earliest you can even think about potty training, and I did some reading which corroborated this - apparently, the vast majority of children don't even have the muscular control to hold it or control when they go to the bathroom until at least 18 months. My daughter did "go pee pee on the potty" twice at about 19 months, then wasn't interested at all for months (though she loves to diaper her dolls, tells you when she poops or pees, wants her diaper changed, follows me into the bathroom, comments on what I do there and likes to hand me toilet paper and flush), and just in the last week started showing interest again, when we bought her a potty ring to go on the "big girl potty" - because she's not interested in her stand-alone potty.
So, sorry to be long-winded, but you probably want to ask your child's doctor, though I imagine s/he'll say what all the books say, which is that if she's not showing interest, or becoming aware of when she pees or poops in her diaper, or able to stay dry sometimes, she's not ready, and pushing her will likely make the process take longer.
Hope this is helpful!
S.

Hey P.... 15 months is on the young side, but there's no rule on what age kids will potty train. Some start at this age, some wait until they're around 4 years old!! I'm the local author of the book, Stress-Free Potty Training, available on Amazon and at Barnes & Nobles, etc... - and in our book we talk a lot about passive potty training techniques you can start with any age child. Role model what you do, talk, talk, talk about what happens in the bathroom, and allow her to become interested without you pushing her into it. For real active potty training, kids need to be physically, emotionally and cognitively ready. You can read more about those readiness signs in the book. But the next step is to figure out what approach you're going to take. Every child is different in terms of what works. What we did in our book was outline five of the most common personalities in kids, and then give parents advice specifically designed for their type of child. For instance, a strong-willed child will train verrrry differently than a sensitive child, and again differently than a goal-oriented child. Feel free to check out our website for more info... good luck and let us know how it goes!

S. Au
Co-author, Stress-Free Potty Training (AMACOM, June 2008)
www.stressfreepottytraining.com

I would say it's too early to start any real training. But you could have the potty there for her to see just for now. I tried potty training my oldest son at 18 months and it backfired and made things worse. I stopped and tried again at 2. I started at 2 with my other three after him as well. Until then, I just had it around and told them what it was for and they could sit on it if they wanted. Then at 2, it's just a matter of asking them if they want to go and having them sit on it for a little while. I did it first thing in the morning, right after meals, and before bed. Right at first, she's not likely to do anything but sit there for a few minutes then get up. But at some point, she will go and then you can encourage her to keep trying and congratulate her when she does, but don't make a big deal when she has an accident. There isn't much else you can do, just be patient. I even did things like give them a sippy and read a book to them while they sat there if they were willing. My oldest was potty trained by 2 1/2, my second and third by 3 and my youngest son a few months after he turned 2.

Girls are said to be easier to potty train. Just sit her on the toilet as soon as she wakes up. She'll probably pee without much encouraging. Then sit her again like every hour or so. Watch how often she pees. Don't rush it or scold. You'll get the hang of it soon.---I think I started mine around 18 months. Good luck

Hi,
I have a three yr. old girl I started potty training in order to get into a preschool that required her to be potty trained at 2 1/2. I began with books, DVD's and finally everytime I went I made sure she was with me and she wanted to mimick me. We made it just in time. My friend however, has a little bo the same age and had a very hard time with it. She had him seen by a Pediatric Urologist and he informed her that parents should not try to potty train too early because their not fully developed and when they try to hold the potty it causes urinary infections. Give it time and when they are ready they will follow. Hope it helps!

yes it is not easy, you have to wait for signs of her wanting to use the potty. one way could be to seat her at the potty at a time you know it would happen. it should be like a game, no stres, no anxiety or being pushy. sometime it help for her to see you use the potty while you seat her on her potty. my kids would come to the bathroom when i was there and I did not make a fuss, just natural and I did not have any problems. my first was cared for a lady who had other children and she got the idea soon. that helped. the main thing is to make it an easy gentle process. hope it helps

P. - I actually started PT my daughter at 12 months. I started with sitting her first thing in the morning, since she naturally had to pipi a lot. Of course, we made a big deal about it...woohoo'd and clapped, etc. She loved it, so every hour or so I would take her to the potty...sometimes she did, sometimes she didn't, sometimes she wanted nothing to do with it. She is now 17 months old and doing great. She tells me when she needs to pipi or caca and we take her to the potty. She still uses a diaper b/c she doesn't always want to use the potty. Now she's even interested in the toilet, so we bought her a seat for the toilet and she picks if she wants the potty or toilet. I don't fight her on the subject, I let her make the decisions, but she is very interested in it!! When we're out and about she also tells me when she has to go(sometimes) so I bought a portable potty that she can sit in or if we're close to home I ask her to hold it...AND 9 out of 10 times she holds it till we get home! So, just be patient and make it a very positive experience and she will take to it very well. The US is the only country that starts to PT their kids so late - before the disposable diaper became so popular, US kids were PT'd younger. GOOD LUCK and have fun!!
Jessica

P.,

NO, it's not too early to potty train! I have three children. My first two daugthers were potty trained by their second birthday and little boy is 2 1/2 and he's potty trained day and night already! You are a stay at home mom, so this really works to your advantage in that you will have the "time" to spend consistently with your daughter. I did not bother with "mini toilets." I bought one of those inserts that sit on top of the toilet and sat there with my children. Make it fun...bring some books, some toys and if at all possible, try to make her sit there for 5 minutes. You may want to start out a daily routine like putting her on the toilet first thing in the morning and on the toilet again just before getting into the tub for a bath. If she does anything at all, great! Reward her with lots of praise (clapping, cheering, "GREAT JOB!" "Mommy's so proud of you!"...I think you get the picture). This also what I did: I put them on the toilet every half hour during the initial training. You could also stretch it to every hour, but personally, I started with every half hour just so that my children got used to sitting on the toilet. Gerber makes this gummy treats that come in a box but have individual packages inside. I gave ONE treat (not one bag) every time my baby did something in the toilet. They are healthy treats made with fruit juice. Soon enough the child associates treat with doing something on the toilet. You can also give her one just so she knows what to look forward to. You could say, "You will get one of these treats every time you pee or poop in the toilet." This is something else I also did, which further explains why I had them visit the toilet every half hour: I let them run around naked ~~ no diaper, no underpants. Yes, you may have an accident or a few. It does go with the territory of training but being consistent, persistent and patient is key. Potty training takes time...enjoy this enjoyable experience! Good luck!!

Yes. 15 months is too early to start potty training.
The time to start is when your daughter starts to show an interest in the big potty. She may show signs by taking her diaper off often or by saying words such as "Me too", "Potty", etc... For girls it is usually later, around 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 years old. Although there are many moms who chose to force it on their kids and this is more adequately called Mommy trained than it is Potty trained. Developmentally, you should let the child indicate an interest in using the potty first.
All four of mine began using the potty at different ages. It was according to their desire and their level of maturity. If you start too early, you can hinder their development in this area.
Just let her show signs of readiness and then, it will go smoothly and quickly.

Take Care,
T.
Mom of 4

All I can say is that potty training takes LOTS of patience and your baby needs to be very interested in it.

Those are the two most important things before begining.

We started with my son around 2 years old and he wasn't complete until 3. My daughter caught on about 2 years old.

Good luck!

i think that it depends on the child. my brother was potty trained by the time he was a yr old. my sisters and i were all potty trained by the time we were 2. in other countries most children start potty training when they learn to walk. the usa is the only one who says to start at 2.

If she is walking, she can sit on the potty. She may have difficulty getting her pants off, though. It's all a matter of "training". I used the reward system, utilizing stickers on a poster board, sometimes an m&m. Praise when she makes strides and refuse to scold when she doesn't. That's where your training comes in...
Blessings

Hi P.,

I began potty training about the same time...I started by just introducing her to it...like you, I had it in the bathroom...she would just sit on it and get use to it...then when I was ready, I did the one day potty training party.....I bought the book for $10 at Walmart, they have it in the baby section....I was not sure it worked until the next day...maybe you could check in to it...basically she was trained in a day!! (It was a long day) Just to give a little insight...the day starts off training a doll, then after nap time you start training the child.....

We started to poddy train my son when he was ready, about 18 months or so. He is now 29 months old (2.5 yrs). What made us notice that he was ready was the fact that everytime my husband and myself went to the restroom, he would follow and imitate what we did on his small poddy.

His poddy has the removable lid so we can attach it to the big toilet and he would go and we would clap and be happy, positive encouragement is always good for them at any age, especially when its a big deal. Now when I go to the restroom, he will follow me in and sit on his poddy and act like he is doing what mommy does, except his diaper and shorts are still on. He understands the concept but would rather be lazy about it.

I believe that the child has to recognize the poddy and what it is used for before poddy training can be learned. The pull up diapers has a video that came with it and its an instructional video on teach toddlers how to poddy train.

He did good for a minute but since has reverted back to the diapers. Now he is taking his diapers off and running around the house naked. Last night I had to tape his diaper to his butt, wrap duck tape around the diaper just to keep it on him. The doctor told us today to let him do it and try to poddy train again since that is a sign of ready to poddy train. I will try but do not want to keep cleaning up after his urine and stoll mess.

What should I do about keeping my sons diaper on his butt?

It is funny how much I can remember doing this with all of my children. I have five and 4 grand children. The best way to start is to bring her to the bathroom with you everytime you go and sit her on the pot and just talk to her to pass the time wait a few extra minutes after you are done for her to relax. Just talking about it everytime in a lighthearted non-pressuring way is the best. She will come up with her own questions. Have fun! Eventually she will let go and then we always did the "potty dance". What ever goofy way we felt like singing and dancing. After mastering the peeing, I would introduce the butter mints. I put a jar of those big butter mints on the back of the toilet and used it as a reward for pooping in the pot. I know some feel food or candy is not a good bribe but it worked for me, and so today I only have fond memories of potty training. Good luck, enjoy and remember.

A friend of mine had both of her children potty trained by 18 months. I saw go for it!!

My daughter showed an interest as early as one year because of an older friend she watched go potty on a little baby toilet. So if she has little friends she looks up to who are doing it, expose her to that and it may pique some interest for her. I think it is important for her to show an interest first.
Because our daughter was so little I got the Little Potty from Baby bjorn. they have a larger elaborate one and a smaller very portable simple one. Get the simple one because it is very low down. Plus it puts their legs in a squatting position which helps with elimination. Once she is interested, have her go diaperless a lot during the day at home. Have lots of rags available for accidents. If accidents happen, don't make a big deal about it. going diaperless will help her become aware of what is happeneing with her body. Cause and affect. If/when she wants to sit on the potty encourage it. Have her try to pee before getting in the bath. Read to her on the potty sometimes if she wants to try going. Make a big sighing noise or a big "ahhhh" with her when she sits on the potty to try to give her body a signal to relax and let go.
My daughter potty trained by about 18 months or so. Remember though, that she was interested.

She's probably not ready if she doesn't pay attention to it. I waited until my daughter asked to wear underwear one day (after almost a year of peeing on the potty occasionally), and then she was trained in about 5 days (except for during the night). She was almost 3, but I'm so glad I waited because it was SO easy since she wanted to do it.

Another thing to think about is that children tend to regress during big life changes. It may not be the right time anyway if you're about to go back to work.

Good luck to you!!

My oldest, who is now 10, was potty trained by her first birthday. My son, who is about to turn three in a couple weeks, has been fully potty trained for about 6 months now and my youngest, who is almost 18 months, I haven't even started on her because she isn't interested!! UGH! so yes it is do-able but don't lose motivation if it doesn't happen soon. It will happen when it happens. Good Luck and enjoy her!
S.

HI P.;

Does she show any signs that she wants to be potty trained?

Does she tell you she has to go?

Does she tell you that she went in her diaper?

You can go to Pampers or Huggies website too. They have wonderful literature.

I started my son very young and you will have set backs. You can't push them. For some reason, now he doesn't want to go # 2 on the potty right now.

I thought that I was almost done and then as I said, they sometimes have set backs.

I try not to push him but sometimes I think he does certain things for attention.

It's so funny, I thought it was too quiet as he likes to watch TV in our bedroom, and he had gone in the bathroom and went potty all on his own. He climbs up on the commode and goes all by himself.

I think that sometimes they like the attention of being a baby. He's 2 1/2 and still in diapers. I used to put pull ups on hims but that got too expensive. He knows to throw the diaper in the trash and go potty. Hopefully, by three.

I will say this: I met a woman at a party and she said with both of her children she waited to the day that they both turned three. She got them prepared prior to turning three by stating when you're three you will wear underwear, you're a big boy or girl and no more diapers. She said from their birthdays on, she never had a problem. She said that sometimes you will have accidents but they were trained.