Potty training at 8 mo?

BrideBuddies

Anyone tried this?

A FB friend of mine says her pediatrician recommended that she start trying to get her son used to the potty chair beginning at 8 mo.  Apparently that's how they do it in Europe and by 18 mo, most kids are nearly trained.

Seems kind of early to me, but I'm game if it works.

Ilumine

I live in Germany and have NEVER EVER heard of any of my friends start potty training at 8 months.  So I say CROCK.

HOWEVER, there is nothing wrong with acclimating toddlers at a young age - giving names to the various components/actions (poop, pee, potty, whipping, washing hands) as early as possible. 

At 12 mo, my daughter would acknowledge that she was "pooping" when we would catch her in a pooping moment.  And since I have to bring her to the bathroom with me (she is climbing on furniture now) I run through the motions with her. 

But as much as I think my daughter is a genius (don;t we all) even I know that at 15 months, she is far from ready to potty train.

hopanka

I am European and it's true they like to potty train their kids early. My SIL and all my friends "from there" have had their kids completely trained by 14 months. It's a cultural thing...we were just talking about it on another board with another mom who is from Eastern Europe and how early her family and friends train their children. I also talked to a nanny from Colombia and she said in her country they do it even earlier, because diapers are so expensive. She said all kids learn with no problem over there - I guess they have to.

When I took my son back home one summer (he had just turned 2), I was almost looked at as a lazy mom with a big kid in diapers. I hurried up and potty trained him within a month just from all that peer pressure. When I returned back to the States, I got "reprimanded" by a Mommy-and-Me nurse that I pushed him too early and that he should have never been potty-trained at 2 years old because boys should wait at least until they're 3. LOL - you can never win! In the end, I'm glad we got it done and over with. I didn't envy any of those mothers of 3.5 year olds, still lugging a diaper bag around.

Peppernut

I haven't given it a lot of thought.  I think we're just going to explain as we go, no pressure, and give her positive reinforcement when she experiments with the potty.  If that doesn't work out, well, we'll figure it out.

YaraC

hopanka:

When I returned back to the States, I got "reprimanded" by a Mommy-and-Me nurse that I pushed him too early and that he should have never been potty-trained at 2 years old because boys should wait at least until they're 3. LOL - you can never win! In the end, I'm glad we got it done and over with. I didn't envy any of those mothers of 3.5 year olds, still lugging a diaper bag around.

That's crazy. Why wait till 3 when he clearly had the ability at 2. What would be the benefit of waiting until 3?

I don't plan to pressure or try to force the issue but I certainly plan to offer plenty of encouragement and opportunties to get it done by 2.

fauxshelley

I had a client one time tell me that she had both of her daughters potty trained at 8 months old.    I said, "Do you mean 18 months old?" and she reiterated 8 months old.  Honestly, I thought she was lying, or confused.  How can an 8 month old be potty trained when they can't even walk or communicate that they have to go to the bathroom?

carladillon

I think what is really happening is that they parent is learing their LO's potty habits and catching them before they go in their diaper. 

I worked in daycare years and years ago and had the 2 year olds, so I potty trained several kids.  One thing I know for sure is not to push it or make it a stressful situation or it will backfire on you big time.

Moiselle

I have heard of early PT, but 8 months...isnt that too early?

Daisiesinmygarden

That sounds more like Elimination Communication (EC) to me.  A LO would barely be walking (if they were at all) and they couldn't take their diaper/training pants off, but you could certainly watch them closely and put them on the potty chair when they seem to need it or on a schedule. I certainly wouldn't at 8 months, but I do see how it could be done - it's the why I have trouble with.

My FIL's neighbor claims she had hers trained at 6 weeks. She described it to me and she was describing EC. Which isn't really the same thing as potty training. But she is about 70, so I didn't argue the point with her. 

 

Daisiesinmygarden

Oh, and DS#2 was PT by 18 months, but he saw his big brother learn a few months before - monkey see, monkey do. He also had out of this world verbal skills and was able to tell me he wanted to use the big boy potty and could communicate very well with me while he learned. That really helped.

SeaGal09

 Baby C is potty trained and can change the toilet paper when it is out.....LOL 

fauxshelley

SeaGal09:

 Baby C is potty trained and can change the toilet paper when it is out.....LOL 

LMAO!  Can she teach Jack?  It should be really easy since he has learned to read full sentences. 

Daisiesinmygarden

SeaGal09:

 Baby C...... can change the toilet paper when it is out.....LOL 

Actually my 18 and almost 17 year old DSs could use a lesson in this. Please send her to my house ASAP to teach them!

busybea

carladillon:

One thing I know for sure is not to push it or make it a stressful situation or it will backfire on you big time.

I agree with Carla, I have a GF who's daughter simply will not go on the potty, she was pushed very hard at an early age and reprimanded when she didn't go and now she won't go on the potty at all.  Sadly, the only place she will go is at g-ma's while taking a bath when she is relaxed.

ShannonLK

YaraC:

hopanka:

When I returned back to the States, I got "reprimanded" by a Mommy-and-Me nurse that I pushed him too early and that he should have never been potty-trained at 2 years old because boys should wait at least until they're 3. LOL - you can never win! In the end, I'm glad we got it done and over with. I didn't envy any of those mothers of 3.5 year olds, still lugging a diaper bag around.

That's crazy. Why wait till 3 when he clearly had the ability at 2. What would be the benefit of waiting until 3?

I don't plan to pressure or try to force the issue but I certainly plan to offer plenty of encouragement and opportunties to get it done by 2.

Both of my older boys were potty trained by the time they were 2.  I would never thinking of that as early!  I'm hoping for the same thing for Logan!