Potty Training? 🚽

Question

In all transparency...
I’ve done zero research on this.
Our girl has been walking for several months now, and is also super intelligent (watching her figure things out), so we’d really like to attempt potty training with her. Any tips, advice, or resources you’d recommend?

Answer

I've been listening to a video course on this by Patience Elizabeth. It's actually very interesting! Part of it is based on your culture, but in general:
1) Physical: babies can't control the pelvic floor muscles until after they have learned to walk. This is because of how our muscles develop and strengthen.
2) Cognitive: this aspect gets skipped a lot! There is a neurological component to potty training, in that babies have to be able to feel and recognize the need to go to the bathroom, send the signal to their brain which sends a signal back to the muscles to hold it in until you're at a toilet. This typically is not ready until 18 months. On the flip side, this connection kind of loses its potency after 30 months (and avg potty training age in the US is between 30-36 months!). Once they hit 30 months, it becomes more about timing vs feeling.
3) Culture: learning the steps to go to the bathroom that are appropriate in your culture (eg washing hands after going to the bathroom)
Curiosity isn't a good signal, babies are curious about everything! But it is great to let them see what you do in the bathroom, watch the toilet flush (yes, even with your poop in there..), etc. Talk about the process (eg we eat food to give us nutrients, but what our body doesn't use comes out as pee and poop). It's also important to use the real, recognizable words for communication purposes, ie use poop and pee because a everyone will understand what your child means (vs tinkle or something)

Answer

My son also seems interested in a lot of what we do and seems very interested. He ends up taking his diaper off. I don’t have great advice but being a mom to two older boys, it’s just a feeling of knowing when it is time. My second son seemed like he wanted to try when he was almost two. So we put underwear on but he just wasn’t there yet. Finally he started going when he would follow us into the bathroom. I wouldn’t stress on it too much. She will do it when she is ready. You can introduce different potty things but I wouldn’t push too much on her.

Answer

Following! Penny isn’t walking yet, but I have a feeling she’s gonna be ready sooner rather than later. And I also have done zero research, which I weird for me😞So I would love to hear others advice or sources as well.

Answer

With my son, I waited til he was much older, about 2.5. Then it mainly clicked when he saw other friends at preschool use the potty. I also had to bribe him at home with lollipops 😂
I’m hoping it will be easier for Brooklyn! I’ve heard girls are a little easier to train. If she starts to get the concept of using the potty, I’ve heard keeping them diaper free and taking them to the potty every 30 min or so is effective.

Answer

My daughter potty trained at 1 she always took her diaper off so we put undies on and just put her on the potty every half hour and it clicked

Answer

I was a nursery nurse and got asked this a lot by parents - my nephew was potty trained around about 3 years and it happened with no stress.
Go by your child, I would say it’s still a little early but you know your child best! 
They show you signs I think... like telling you when they have pooed/ had a wee, they take their nappy off.... they have dry nights. It’s true also in the fact that girls find it ‘easier’ to pick it up!
Maybe get some child friendly books about the potty and have one around the house.

Answer

My 13 year old was potty trained in a weekend’s time at 18 months old. My boys  were definitely not potty trained that early or that quickly, but we lucked out with her, lol.
She showed definite signs of just being ready. She’d watch us all go into the bathroom, and she’d try to pull her pants off. She’d also try to take her diaper off. I set a little potty up in our living room (which was hardwood at the time) and I let her be diaper free for the weekend. I’m
Not a believer in pull ups because they are often just used like a diaper- at least for my kids. She kept sitting on the potty on her own until she just kind of figured it out. 🤷‍♀️ She was sleeping through the night in undies within like 3 days. 
I’d just slowly start giving her exposure to potty training items; potty, undies, potty books, etc. She’s smart & she’ll probably get it even faster than you’d think possible.

Answer

My daughter will be 1 on the 28th of this month and I take her to the potty in the morning and after every naps and i always say pee in the potty or poop in the potty when i hear her fart i take her to the potty and say poop in the potty and she will poop in the toilet and i clap and say yay! Good job baby and show her the poop and flush the toilet, and take her to the sink to wash her hands(her favorite part) then put a diaper on. I haven't changed a dirty diaper for 3 weeks now.

Answer

Thanks everyone! She’s showing signs of readiness, but we don’t want to push too hard. I we’re gonna buy the potty and undies today and try to work our way into it with her. If she’s not having it, we’ll pull back!

Potty Training? 🚽

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