Potty training starting tips

nikkim76 · December 2011

After Christmas I really want to start working on this. We have 2 potties that the girls play with and sit/play on here and there and one DD has peed on it twice. I do want to take a no pressure angle to it but at the same time make sure I am exposing them to it enough so they begin to understand. Do you have any early tips and/or what worked best for you and your LO's. I know one is more redy then the other for sure.

keg · December 2011

You can take what I say with a grain of salt since my DDs aren't potty trained yet, but we started with just sitting on the potties after dinner/before bath. That has been our routine for quite a while and they pee 99% of the time and poop quite frequently. Even the one who isn't a fan of using the potty at other times (yet is perfectly able to), generally uses it after dinner. We've then added when they get up in the morning and then throughout the day when we are home (they go to daycare during the week).

jalaiaa · December 2011

We weren't planning on potty training until next summer, but had the potty chair set up in the bathroom. A few times before baths we had them sit on it and they both peed on several occasions. So we put it in the living room and during "naked time" (we let them run around the house naked for a while between bath and bed) they both peed on it successfully a few nights in a row. So we scheduled a "potty training weekend" a couple weeks ago where they spent three days mostly naked at the house. They pretty much potty trained themselves. We have two potties in the living room and we make a huge deal about it when they use it. After day one we had no accidents when they were naked.

Getting them to go when they are clothed hasn't been as easy. They make it to the potty about 75% of the time, but have a lot more accidents. So we're still working on that. I have to say the initial bit with them naked was very stress-free, pressure free. I had no intention of PTing them this early, and didn't want to put pressure on them. But I have to say, you do feel a bit more pressure after stepping in poop and when trying to decide whether or not to diaper them when you go to the store.

finallyreilly · December 2011

We have had the potties around for about 5 months now and they have used it off and on. When we went for our 2 year checkup the pedi told me that if they seem ready, boot camp potty train them - which goes against everything I have read. Her theory is that the older they get the more stubborn they get so if they are showing interest, take full advantage of it. I am going to give it a try in January when I have a four day long weekend off of work. Hopefully at the end of the 4th day they will be trainied, at least for daytime anyway. I won't be disappointed if it doesn't work though. They just won't be ready.

D&HMom · December 2011

great post...and interesting responses. I have a question to add. Our nanny asked if she could start training in January. DS and DD will only be 20 months. Do you think that is too early? I just don't want to be one of those people that trains forever cuz we started to soon and when it would just take the 3 day weekend if we waited. She seems to think they are ready but I question if she is just ready to be done with diapers? How did you know they were 'ready?'

erinruns · December 2011

I got a potty when my girls were two. They sat on it for months without every doing anything in it. Finally I did a boot camp weekend where we spent the majority of it outside (easier clean up) with no pants on. They got a few successes there, so they finally knew what was up. From that point on daycare would put them on the potty each time they changed their diaper. In the evenings when we were home we would practice with undies on. It was all very low stress.

They started going more and more in the potty and less and less in their diapers. One day Caden woke up and asked to wear undies to school. She had a few accidents, but was undies only (except for naps and nighttime) from that point on. Delaney followed a few weeks later.

I have friends who started pt'ing at 18 months and were still working on it close to a year later. I think at that point you're more training yourself to take them to the bathroom frequently, than training them to listen to the cues from their body. 2.5 was when it all clicked for my two.

D&HMom · December 2011

Thanks! That seems like what i would be more comfortable doing.

Want a personalized experience?

Potty training starting tips

Re: Potty training starting tips

Choose Another Board

Search Boards