Potty Training - Plymouth,MA

My goodness, if she is into it, go for it! Wait till you have a boy reveling in having poopy pants till he is 3 and 1/2!

my son is 23 months, and he started showing interest several months ago...what we did was put a potty in the bathroom and offer him to use it. we were/are very laid back about it, and he is pretty much potty training himself!
at 18 mths i wouldn't push too hard, but i would respond since she is showing interest!
good luck
L.

Go for it! My daughter was 18 months old when she first expressed interest. We bought her a little potty and told her what it was for and gave her more bare bottom time. She got stickers when she did it and we put her in training pants. Yes, there were some accidents, but the whole process didn't take too long and we really didn't try very hard.
I hope the same for you!

Hi L....I am also from Falmouth !! I think your little girl is giving you all the signs to potty train her. Girls are generally pretty quick at the training as we do " like to accomplish things early ". I would suggest you leave the potty chair right next to the toilet as it's an easier transition, I find, than placing it in other parts of the house to accomidate her. Careful about the nights in the beginning as they usually wet as usual. My girls have done what I did and that is make sure they go just before bed and nothing to drink about two hours before they go to bed. I know that's a hard one but it does work and they get use to it pretty quick ( especially @ her age ).
Blessings to you dear, P.

My 18 month old goes on his potty during the day. He started going on it on his about a month ago my older son was very stubborn and didn't potty train until he was starting preschool. If your daughter is showing these signs that she's ready to learn give it a shot. Just don't push the issure. There are days my son will go but there are days he has no interest in the potty they are still young and loose interest in things easily so if she doesn't want to go one day just try again the next. I don't really like pull ups they are just like diapers only more costly and the kids can't feel that they are wet. I would consider checking out cloth training pants. They have a water proof outershell so you don't have to worry about accidents soaking through but the kids have an easier time feeling that they are wet. good luck.

I started my daughter at 18 months when she was interested. Then she lost the interest. just keep incourageing her. If she decides she no long wants to don get frustrated she will regress back to not going. God luck

My daughter potty trained herself about this time too. She didn't like the feel of the wet/soiled diapers. I didn't overly encourage it (thought - wow she's too young!), but did set out the potty and when she'd tell me she needed to go I'd steer her in the potty's direction. She was extremely excited about wearing real underwear like her sister instead of diapers. She wasn't trained at night until she was like 3 (which is totatlly normal - their bladders aren't big enough to hold it all night until at least then. . .our pediatrician said they could even be 6 or 7 and it still wouldn't be a concern).

How wonderful, she wants to be just like mommy and be a big girl. Encourage her with her behavior and teach her to wipe herself correctly. She will eventually figure out the difference between peeing and pooping. When my children get sick and have diarehea they still tell me they are pooping out water, it is a kid thing their brains are still developing and this is their way of letting us know what is going on in the bathroom department. Good luck with your little one. L.

Sounds to me like she's ready. Count your blessings. My first took me FOREVER to potty train (at least for #2!), but my second son was an absolute dream at 2 1/2. So if you are ready to deal with accidents (because there will be some in the beginning), and remembering to put her on there consistently at the beginning, then I would say "go for it".

Good luck!!

H. Z. (SAHM to 5, almost 4 and 14 1/2 month old boys)

Yes! It's never too early to start potty-training. Encourage her but don't make a big deal out of it, you want her to understand that this is normal. Show her when you go to the bathroom too, that helps. Good luck!

We are in a similar situation. I asked the pedi and he said that they don't usually encourage trying to potty train until the age of 2, but if she is showing signs of readiness, one certainly can try. We have decided to hold off because we know that she will be undergoing surgery on her left hand that will put her in a full arm cast for about 6-8 weeks post-surgery. Given this, the pedi recommended that we wait. But, if it weren't for that surgery, I would definitely have started trying with her before 15 months, myself. So, my advice is to give it a try. If it doesn't work out, stop what you're doing for a while and try again in a few months.

L.,
I would say that your little girl is showing signs of interest of becoming potty trained. Don't get too excited though, because even though she's interested doesn't mean that she'll be trained any sooner. I would, however, encourage her interest. My advise would be to take her to the store to pick out a potty of her own. I would also buy her a book called "once upon a potty" (there is a girl version and a boy version). My son was interested very young but still wasn't pee trained until 2-1/2 and poo trained until 3. The good news is that most people say that girls are easier. (Let me know since my girl is 13 mos...)

Oh... and just remember there are times of regression in potty training. You think they've got it and something happens in their life and they take a step back.

ABSOLUTELY! This is what everyone waits for, and most people don't get!

Personally, I have always skipped the seperate potty on the floor, and just used potty seats that fit on the toilet. Let her do the whole thing! Be warned though - let HER flush when she is ready to, they are strangely posessive of their poop, and watching it disappear into the unknown is hard.

Congrats!!

Absolutely!!! She knows when to go and lets you know? She's ready. I really loved the book "Diaper Free Baby" by Christine Gross-Loh, but there are other books out there that talk about early communications and potty practices, like "Infant Potty Training" (by ? Boucke).

If she is showing interest in potty (telling you when she needs to go before she actually does it, the same with pooping by all means do the potty training. But if she has accidents don't be upset just keep on going. Praise her when she goes and when she doesn't just say maybe next time. It is not to early to try

Oh my, arent you fortunate !!! I have seven children, five sons and two daughters.
My eldest daughter was like yours, she completely toilet trained herself by eighteen months...she did not like being wet or nasty.
At the other end was a stubborn boy who was nearly four before he was trained. NOT because he didnt know, but because it was something he could control and he was contrary and stubborn.
SO get her a potty already..we had porcelain pots with handles and the little ones loved them.
Get her some pull up diapers ..arent they wonderful? We had to take off rubber panties, unpin cloth diapers ect ect
Now they have all sorts of awesome potty training thingys.
I would check the wiping bit and make sure she is totally clean, their skin is so fragile and it only takes the teensiest bit of poo to cause rashes and sores. But I would not discourage her either.
Of course you should potty train her when she is that ready.
You will be the envy of every Mum you meet LOL
God bless
Grandmother Lowell

I have 3 girls. I have a 19 month old that expresses no desire to go on the potty. I believe that when they are uncomfortable with a soiled diaper than they are ready for you to start introducing them to the potty. Maybe you could just read some books to her about the potty and show her the pottys at the store. See how excited she gets. If she wants to let her. If she doesn't, don't push her.

Absolutely!! She is showing signs of readyness to get trained. Congratulations! Get a few books on training from friends or at the library so you know what to do and see how it goes. Just remember that she is young and may loose interest or get freaked out. Try not to get frustrated.

Both my kiss were fully trained by 2 for daytime and stayed dry at night by 2.5.

Remember to save up the money you would have spent on diapers for a few months and get a spa treatment or go out to special dinner w/ your husband as a potty training celebration.

There is no harm in trying to potty train with a relaxed and fun attitude. The usual signs of readiness are there and she is able to communicate them and seems eager to help. If you don't have a children's potty story book, get one- she'll enjoy it. My first son trained early and was out of diapers (even at night) by 2 years old. In contrast, my youngest son was potty trained for pee by 2 1/2, but inisisted on a putting on a diaper for poop until he was fully 3 years old. Every child is different. Just relax and enjoy your daughter at each and every stage. Good luck!

You are so lucky! Yes you should definitely potty train her. My sister started potty training my niece when she was just over a year old and it was going great but then she didn't keep it up. And the my niece started to get frequent rashes and itchiness from having poop or pee in the diaper. The next time they could potty train her was when she was 2 and 1/2. The earlier the better. In India parents start to potty train as early as 8 or 9 months old.

I say put on the undies and go for it!!! just as below teach her front to back to wipe. And praise her everytime she pees/poops in the potty. Be aware she may have an accident hete and there make those simply "lets get you cleaned up" SHe is young but willing that is GREAT!!!

Hi Linday,
My oldest was 17 months when we started training her and she did really well. However, she wasn't fully trained (sleeping in big girl panties through the night) until she was two. If your daughter shows signs of readiness, by all means encourage it. Be consistent and don't stress yourself or your baby out over the potty training thing, but it's absolutely wonderful that she's interested. Make it fun for her and before you know it, the days of diapers and pull-ups will be over (for this baby at least ;-)). Congratulations and good luck.

If she is telling you she is ready. Don't push her, just incourage her. If I knew then what I know now, my daughter would have been trained already. Get a routine, stay consistent, but most of all, if she resists the potty hold off for a few days, or weeks and try again.
Had I stayed consistent my daughter would have been potty trained at about the same time, but because I didn't stay consistent she is now 2 1/2 and now finally going on her own.

My son was starting to tell me when he pooped as well. He also loves to be in the bathroom when I have to go & points to the toilet & says pee-pee, poo-poo & likes to flush for me. I thought maybe he may be ready but I knew he wasn't & why rush. But I think if you feel she is ready then give it a shot! If it doesn't work this time around try again in a few months. But at 18 months there really is no rush. Don't get discouraged to if she does it a few times & then gives up. I hear that happens a lot. But I say give it a whirl!

L.,

There is a time around 18 months that if you catch the baby just right you can potty train. Your daughter sounds like a perfect candidate. I would definately try but don't push or make a big deal if she has accidents or after you start decides she doesn't want to anymore. If you miss this opportunity (no biggie) but the best thing to do is wait til she is over 2.

Good luck,
L.

Honestly, I see no point in not allowing her to wipe herself. She's curious and wants to do things on her own. That's great. I would just get her onto the potty everytime you know she's peeing. When she tells you she pooped show her that it belongs in the potty. If she tells you before she goes...get her to the potty! These things are her way of telling you she's curious and getting ready. I wouldn't "Push" her but just get her interested and let her take in on herself. If she takes off great, if not then I would have her sit there as long as possible hopefully until she pee's making a big deal of it when she does pee on the potty. After going through a backwards step with my daughter, I used M&M's and she loved getting the reward.
Hope all goes well.

Hi...I'm a mom of 3. 6,4,1. I would definitely go ahead with the training. If she's showing signs of readiness, why not? My older 2 weren't potty trained until 3 1/2 years. Think of all of those diapers you woun't have to change!!! Go for it!