Help!! Crash course on potty training?

SunAndRain · May 2014

DD is 22 months and is home with me because she has fever. She also has had horrid diaper rash so I've been letting her run around outside without a diaper for the last few days for a hour or two. She has both peed and pooped on the ground twice (would it be overly optimistic of me to think consider this signs of early progress?).

I'm thinking...if I have her home the rest of the week and through the weekend, this would give me five solid days from today-Sunday to potty train. I was planning to let daycare take the lead but maybe this is an opportunity too good to pass up. She isn't feeling too terrible, her diaper rash is resolving, and she is generally in a good mood despite her fever (which may be resolving but who knows).

Assuming she is feeling well enough, would it be a good time to potty train her? ...where do I begin??? Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

SunAndRain · May 2014

LibraryChica said:

I really wouldn't try when she's sick. Sure, expose her to the potty, let her sit and talk about it, but I wouldn't try any of the bootcamp-type methods in that situation. I think it is asking for extra stress. I would wait until a long weekend where everyone was healthy and in a good mood.

I totally get it and agree, but what has me considering this is that she IS in a good mood. She is playing like normal. Maybe I'll just encourage more potty use. It has been 4 months since we introduced the potty so she knows what it is and what it is and I talk about it constantly for but we are not consistent with putting her on it.

jf198400 · May 2014

Personally I would wait, even if she "seems" good, she's probably still not 100% feeling better. Even months after being PTed dd would regress while sick.

emberlee3 · May 2014

Mostly because I am lazy, I have been doing the Montessori method with DD. It is really potty learning, not training. The potty is in our bathroom. We change her diaper in the bathroom and ask her if she wants to go potty. She watches DS and me go potty. We have done this for months.

Tonight, she pooped on the potty before her bath. I guess I will take her seriously now when she tells me she needs to go potty. But I don't mind going at her pace with it.

Katelobster · May 2014

I wouldn't potty train on a whim. I did the 3 day method at 22months and while it was successful and I'd definitely recommend it, you're definitely not done in 3 days. I followed all of the 'rules' for one of the popular 3 day methods (author's name is Lara Jenson) including no pull-ups during the day, ever, after the initial 3 days. The first two weeks were pretty stressful as DD peed constantly and although she could get herself to the potty on time on her own, she (despite being very verbal) couldn't/wouldn't tell me she had to go when we were out of the house for weeks. She also didn't figure out she could make herself empty her bladder for the first 10 days or so, so I couldn't even tell her to go pee before we left. She doesn't go to daycare, so I didn't even have that to deal with. I didn't feel confident about leaving the house for more than an hour for a month, and even then she still had accidents in new situations, even situations like spending a few hours at grandma's house for the first time since PTing.

If you don't know already, I would also find out what DC expects of her. Some require kids to be able to articulate they need to go and pull down their own pants, etc... things my DD definitely still can't do and we're 2.5 months into it.

JMO but I'd think about all you have coming up this summer and if you're ready to make this commitment and not go back to diapers because you have too much going on to deal with a PT kiddo. Good luck.

emberlee3 · May 2014

Ditto @Katelobster‌ . Traveling with a newly potty trained toddler is super stressful.

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