Potty Training Already?

emmy236 · December 2013

So since our board was slow and I was on an extremely boring conference call, I meandered over to the AP board. Some women said they starting sitting their LOs on the potty once they were sitting up, so basically now. Babies can start giving cues when they have to go and I can definitely see that with R. Anyone have any potty training experience at all? My sister couldn't get my nephew potty trained until he was 4. I definitely don't want that.

PumpkinAndThePeanut · December 2013

My niece will be 1 in a couple of weeks. My SIL is having her sit on the potty and do a pee and a poop every morning (BIL swears she now knows to "hold" it until the next chance on the pot, but I think he's overestimating his daughter's cognitive abilities just a bit). They are extreme AP parents. I just have to roll my eyes a bit at them over this - I personally think they're starting too early and whether they start now or in a year, the kid won't be fully potty trained until she's old enough to understand it all. But hey, I'm no expert!

Oohgurl · December 2013

Yea there is no point to that. You may be able to catch it based on cues but they are nuts if they think that is potty training.

When LO can march his butt to the toilet and think and say he has to go potty, that is when we will start.

watuzzigal · December 2013

OK, so yah, since its been slow, l'll take one for the team. I'm about ready to start getting her used to the idea.

I am fully aware that sphincter control does not happen until walking. I also know that it won't be consistent until at least 2 if the child is ready. I will not be using any pssshhh sounds or freaking out about it every time she makes a face.

The Montessori teacher at my Mommy-Baby class is a big expert on toilet training, so I am going to start her very short book soon. She teaches 14-30 month-olds, and the majority of them use the toilet at school.

TradeMama · December 2013

I don't see the point of trying until a kid can actually go to the bathroom him/ herself... Walk to the bathroom, undress, sit on the potty, and go. My ex is a child psychiatrist and says too-early potty training causes problems later on.

My oldest son was hard to potty train... But by 2 1/2 he was fine. DS2 was easier and interested in the potty sooner. It's not like they will go to college in diapers, why not wait until they're ready?

emmy236 · December 2013

@whatuzzigal that is what I was kinda thinking. My mom said she always had a potty out just so I was used to seeing it. I know she takes R into the bathroom and flushes it. He's really interesting in anything moving now so I'm sure he thinks it's fascinating but will be another year before he can connect what it all means.

Cgoode517 · December 2013

PumpkinAndThePeanut said:

My niece will be 1 in a couple of weeks. My SIL is having her sit on the potty and do a pee and a poop every morning (BIL swears she now knows to "hold" it until the next chance on the pot, but I think he's overestimating his daughter's cognitive abilities just a bit). They are extreme AP parents. I just have to roll my eyes a bit at them over this - I personally think they're starting too early and whether they start now or in a year, the kid won't be fully potty trained until she's old enough to understand it all. But hey, I'm no expert!

I agree with you! I'd personally be worried if my 1 year old "held" it until they take her to use the bathroom. Their little bladders just can't hold too much and holding it can cause UTIs. I hope they're taking her to the bathroom very frequently.

1and1is3 · December 2013

We're doing the early potty training thing. Not to the extent that the hardcore infant potty trainers do though. We're just getting her used to it.

JoJo716 · December 2013

I haven't researched it but I think I remember reading somewhere that potty training too early can lead to all sorts of urological problems later.

FmrAFBrat · December 2013

Oohgurl said:

When LO can march his butt to the toilet and think and say he has to go potty, that is when we will start.

That is hilarious. Seriously my ODS turned 2 in October and there is no way he could communicate that. I'm aiming for this spring...from what I see in his 2 year old daycare class a lot of folks are lying about their LO being potty trained. There is just no way.

blush64 · December 2013

I don't think what they are doing at that age is potty training the way most of us think of potty training. I have heard of people doing elimination communication where they look for the baby's cues and go from there but I don't think that's the same.

I think waiting until the baby is aware of what they are doing and able to do something about it seems easier for everyone. (able to feel the urge to go and get themselves to a potty/toilet) Starting potty training early doesn't mean the child will train early but it could mean you are training that baby for a long time. I have found waiting until the child is ready can make training quick and easy for most people.

One of my sons was trained before 2 years old and the other was 2 years old. It took a total of a couple days each and there were no pull-ups ever used. Some people use pull-ups which is perfectly fine, I just don't like to use them. If A is near the same age that will be great, if she is 2.5 or 3 or more that's ok too. Some kids are ready pretty young and some just aren't ready until they are older. I was lucky they were ready pretty early the first two times so I am hoping that continues but I am prepared to wait as long as necessary.

I believe I am an AP parent and I see nothing about being an AP that would make me want to use elimination communication but to each their own.

EDIT to add and clarify

emmy236 · December 2013

@blush64. Thank you! That was a great explanation of your experiences. I feel as a FTM that if I'm not doing everything than I'm not doing anything right. Everyone has told me that boys are so hard to potty train and that I need to be on top of this but I definitely don't think a ridged approach is right for us.

michelle04us · December 2013

With my older son(7) he was potty trained by 2. My 17mo is showing signs(going and hiding when he needs to poop, wanting to come into bathroom when we use it, and taking his pants off then his diaper off. I bought a potty chair about a month ago just so he could get used to it but haven't actually starting training yet. I figured in another couple months I will actually start.

It will be interesting to see what Alexander does when he starts walking and bubby is potty-training(as I'm sure it will take a couple months, or more, to do).

flyliceandcoffee · December 2013

so I remember there was a FFFC (I think it was an FFFC) about this a couple weeks back. It's a little strange to me to even think about potty training a 6-7 month old, but maybe that's because S poops in the middle of the night every.single.night so I have no idea what her "poop" face looks like...

drhibbard · December 2013

Maybe I'm underestimating my kid's ability but I don't think she'd get used to it even if I pointed at it and said "potty" 100 times a day.

Lolalipsy · December 2013

Nope, kudos to those that say they can but it seems like an awful lot of hard work.

jedimindtrick · December 2013

crazycoffeegirl said:
so I remember there was a FFFC (I think it was an FFFC) about this a couple weeks back. It's a little strange to me to even think about potty training a 6-7 month old, but maybe that's because S poops in the middle of the night every.single.night so I have no idea what her "poop" face looks like...

Same. I still think this is weird. And done for the parents' benefit, not for the child's. I just don't see how this makes things better for the kid in any way. From everyone I've talked to, kids give signals when they're mature enough fot potty training, like hiding when they poo. My kid took a huge dump in the middle of Thanksgiving dinner, so I don't think it's developmentally appropriate yet.

watuzzigal · December 2013

I don't think it's developmentally appropriate at this age to expect them to be able to actually be potty trained either. I do think it can become sight habitual--which is what I meant by "get used to it."

It works similarly to letting a baby play with spoons in preparation for eating or certain areas filling expectations (a high chair for family dinner/eating or a crib for sleeping). Children often first begin to learn through mimicking, so letting her see the toilet or how I pee in the bathroom is what I am aiming for (probably in about two months once things have settled from the holidays). I don't actually expect her to be able to tell me she needs to go.

A actually shows awareness of when she is about to pee. My H and I both recognize her sounds, and we wait a few minutes and go change her. If we wait too long, she is extremely fussy because she seems to hate to be wet. I don't think she is actually telling US anything; I think she just knows something is happening. Does she always do it? No. Do we care if she she always does it? No.

I'm just going to work on association, and as I said above, in a non-obsessive way.

coffeeandbooks · December 2013

Yep, ^ this is my plan too. Just a familiarization/mimic technique....no angst...just slowly getting them used to the idea that this is what goes on in the bathroom.

illogicaltuvok · December 2013

Hmm... We are in the process with our almost 3yr old. We got the peeing down, if only she wouldn't freak out on pooping. Don't plan on pushing it on our 2nd one. However monkey see monkey do so I am (secretly) hoping she may be out of diapers by 1 1/2 to 2 yrs. Again wishful thinking here. Also following the day care's lead in this.
If anyone has any advise on getting my 1st to poop in the toilet that be awesome. TIA

LaxMOM44 · December 2013

Alright call me hippy dippy but when C makes her poo face I say poo and tell her that she is pooing. I doubt she will understand how to go on her own for several years but I want her to associate the word poo with what is
Happening in her bum so that when we decide to potty train she understands what I am asking of her. But what the hell do I know about anything,I have literally read absolutely nothing about this.

flyliceandcoffee · December 2013

@LaxMOM44 - I actually like this idea even if it is a bit hippy-ish. DH will love it since I call him a hippy all the time

Question though, how do you distinguish her poo face from her fart face? Or do you just say poo every time she farts too?

jedimindtrick · December 2013

I always talk about him pooping too when I see him pushing one out. I never thought about that helping later on, but you're prob right. It can't hurt.

LaxMOM44 · December 2013

crazycoffeegirl said:
@LaxMOM44 - I actually like this idea even if it is a bit hippy-ish. DH will love it since I call him a hippy all the time Question though, how do you distinguish her poo face from her fart face? Or do you just say poo every time she farts too?

Oh there is a very specific face. She makes no face at all when she farts because she farts All.The.Time. She does it like it's breathing.

But poos? There is a very particular ritual to poos. She stops everything she is doing and makes this face:

RoxZ32 · December 2013

I obviously don't want my LO being 3 or 4 and not potty trained but I don't want it to happen at 12 or 18 months either. Sure diapers are expensive but seriously, once they are potty trained you have to drop what your are doing no matter where you are to find a bathroom immediately and hope they don't pee themselves on the way. Call me lazy but I'll take the convenience of a diaper for 18 months!

coffeeandbooks · December 2013

2010Bride2be said:

DS grunts like a grown man when he's pooping.

What I don't get is why people are in such a rush to have their babies/kids grow up. They're babies, leave them in diapers for now. Your child will let you know when they are ready for the potty...or at least let them start walking first. Damn.

I am not so much in a rush to potty train LO ..it's more like getting a head start to avoid having LO not trained at 3 or 4. My newphew is 3.5 and isn't trained and it's definitely been a cautionary tale for me. I just want to start slowly get my LO used to the idea of the potty before he is a year old so that it isn't an issue much later. It's kind of like how food is fun the first year. No biggy if they don't eat it, but it is good to get them used to it.

flyliceandcoffee · December 2013

LaxMOM44 said:

@LaxMOM44 - I actually like this idea even if it is a bit hippy-ish. DH will love it since I call him a hippy all the time Question though, how do you distinguish her poo face from her fart face? Or do you just say poo every time she farts too?
Oh there is a very specific face. She makes no face at all when she farts because she farts All.The.Time. She does it like it's breathing. But poos? There is a very particular ritual to poos. She stops everything she is doing and makes this face:

First of all, her poo face is way too cute for her own good. And I'm jealous. S stops everything she's doing concentrates and then farts. The only way I can distinguish farts from actual poops is if the smell lingers...we're gonna suck at potty training

watuzzigal · December 2013

OK but seriously...

Edit: My link wouldn't work, so ONJ had to sub in.

Schell2013 · December 2013

I could see getting them used to sitting on one just like getting them used to anything else that's been new. But expecting them and "training" before a year seems unrealistic IMO. I also agree that a diaper has benefits too. Peeing their pants is not a fun thing either.

LaxMOM44 · December 2013

I freaking hate the term eliminate or elimination. It sounds like the poo is getting disqualified from some kind of bowel dodge ball game.

LaxMOM44 · December 2013

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