Potty training tips
By cynddvs
@cynddvs (2948)
United States
July 6, 2007 8:24pm CST
I just started potty training my daughter this week. She will be 21 months old the 20th of this month. I know this may sound young for some people but I think she might be ready. So far she hasn't been resistant to it. The reason I've decided to start is because she won't keep her diaper on anymore. The second she pees or poops in it she wants to take it off. So this past weekend we went and bought her a pack of panties and started trying out potty training. So far she has done really well with it. What I have been doing so far is taking her about every 45 minutes to an hour and sitting her on the potty to see if she will do anything. I will normally sit there and read her a book and by time I'm done with the book she's done her business. The only thing I'm trying to work on now is getting her to tell me when she needs to go. Earlier tonight she came up to me and got a little whiny so I put her on the potty and a few seconds later she peed. I was so proud lol. Also I haven't quite figured out how I'm going to handle this while she's sleeping. This week I've been putting a diaper on her at bedtime. I'm trying to stay away from using pull ups. I don't want her to get used to those.
So does anyone have any good potty training advice for me? How should I go about encouraging her to let me know when she needs to go? And what should I do about bedtime?
6 people like this
8 responses
@all4ucnc (861)
• United States
7 Jul 07
my girl was 18 months when she started using the potty on her own, she just decided one day she was a big girl, and she stayed completely dry for a whole week, before deciding she didn't want to do it any more, then just after her 2nd birthday we started again, using pull ups only when she napped, and at bed time, or going on road trips.
I set a timer, and every 35 minutes, I would just tell her go in and go potty, and after a couple weeks she just started going in on her own. After being dry for a few weeks, I left her with dad while I ran to the store, and she had peed her pants by the time I came back.
I sent her to sit on the potty, while I mopped the floor, I then set up a small bucket with warm water and a wash rag,
I then had her clean the floor again (my mom thought this was harsh, but she's never had another accident.)
What works with one child doesn't work with the other, my son wasn't potty trained until he was about 3. We tried everything!, from rewards, to sticker charts, to placing the cheerios in the toilet for him to aim at. He just decided one day he was ready. So if she relaps after doing so well for so long, don't worry, it's normal. And as for the potty training at night, some kids sleep too hard to even wake up if they need to go potty, so just continue putting diaper on her at night. `
@wachit14 (3595)
• United States
7 Jul 07
Boys take longer so there is nothing unusual about that. My son was almost four when he was completely potty trained. I think he found it confusing to stand for one thing and sit for another and it got him frustrated. Thankfully, he figured it out in his own time, but I tried not to make an issue out of it because I thought it would just prolong it.
1 person likes this
@surveygrrl (1270)
• United States
8 Jul 07
When I potty trained my son, or should I say while he potty trained himself, I always put a diaper on at night.
I don't think any age is too early if they know what they are doing. I also don't beleive in the girls are easier than boys. My son was potty trained by the time he was 18 months old. He is just that headstrong.
My daughter has no interest what so ever.
I think it probably has more to do with being the first child. Sounds like you are doing a great job and she really wants to learn which makes a great combo!
I am really not sure what to do about potty training at night time for that young.
Good luck and WTG little girlie!
1 person likes this
@AmberNormandin (883)
• United States
8 Jul 07
My daughter is 2 and half and she is just now completely potty trained. She had a urinary infection caused by strep throat that set her back at 18 months. She was almost completely trained then. I started getting pull ups for her awhile back because she was trying to pull down her diaper. She learned to pull the pullups up and down. She also started hiding to poop and started taking off her diaper when it was wet/dirty (BIG sign!!!). I always put a pull up on her at night just in case. 9 times out of 10 she is dry in the mornings. Her doc said she will probably have night time accidents until she is about 4ish because they sleep so deep that they dont wake up when they feel the urge to go. But first thing i hear in the morning when she opens her eyes is "mommy, i need to go pee pee!!". She has been telling us she needs to go pee for awhile now, but just recently started telling us when she needs to poop BEFORE she does it. 21 months old isnt too young to potty train. If she's ready, go for it! good luck and dont forget to put something on her at night so she's not sleeping in pee!
1 person likes this
@cynddvs (2948)
• United States
8 Jul 07
That's great that your daughter is so good about telling you before she goes. I know I had a kidney problem as a kid so I used to get uninary tract infection all the time. So I could only imagine how hard that could have been on her while she was potty training. Thank goodness she got past that!
@wachit14 (3595)
• United States
7 Jul 07
Actually, you are doing great and it sounds like you don't need any tips at all.
She is still very young so she may take a while before she is able to have enough control to either hold it in or to be able to let you know when she is ready to go to the bathroom, but so far it sounds like she is doing great. You also read the signs of readiness very acurately.
Don't worry about the night time now. You can keep a diaper on her until she has enough control to stay dry the whole night. You will be able to tell this by the condition of her diaper when she awakes. If it's still wet, then she still needs the diaper. When it's dry, then you can just put her in a pair of undies and her pajamas. By removing the diaper too soon, though at night, she will begin to wet her bed and that can set off a whole chain of events that may hold her back from being completely trained. Other than that, you are both doing great!
@beautyqueen26 (16030)
• United States
7 Jul 07
Lots of positive encouragement, that was our trick when we potty trained our daughter. Even if she messes up and accidentally goes where she shouldn't don't feel too bad. It may take a while, but after a bit, she won't want to go to the bathroom anywhere else! Next step is to graduate to the big person potty. My daughter hated her tiny potty and always insisted on using the big toilet. It was kind of awkward because we had to lift her onto it everytime, until she got tall enough to do so herself. But, it worked for us. We're still struggling with nighttime potty training, though. Onwards and upwards!
1 person likes this
@cynddvs (2948)
• United States
8 Jul 07
At least you didn't have to worry about cleaning out the little potty lol. So far it hasn't been too terrible. But there have been a couple of times the smell has gotten to me. I don't know how it's so different from changing a dirty diaper but it is. Good luck with your nighttime potty training!
@shemah (840)
• Malaysia
7 Jul 07
Hey there..
I really think you're doing a good job already. My son started potty training around the same age as well.. and it didn't take him long to get the hang of it. During the day, it's pretty easy to monitor them and bring them for potty.. Try every 2 hours instead of every 45 minutes.. when I extended the period of bringing him to the potty, it really encouraged him to tell me.
Also, if she's not ready to tell, just look out for abnormal tell tale signs that looks like she needs to go. My son usually starts running around non-stop on tippy toes. That's how i knew. Or when he wanted to do the number 2, he'd run behind the couch or chair.
When it came to bedtime, like you, i put diapers on him, but then he woke up with a dry diaper. So if you sleep later than she does, before you go to bed, wake her up for potty. Do this before SHE sleeps and before YOU sleep. For precautions, put a water resistant mat on the bed so you won't have to deal with wet sheets.
Well, other than that, you're doing a great job.. Hang in there, because before you know it, she'll be a big girl in need of pretty panties. :) All the best..
1 person likes this
@cynddvs (2948)
• United States
8 Jul 07
Thank you for the great advice. I think she is a little young to understand to tell me when she needs to go. But so far I've been pretty good about reading the signs. I can especially tell when she is getting ready to poo. That one is pretty obvious lol.
@jennysp8 (855)
• United States
7 Jul 07
Hello there! While at first I thought your daughter is too young to be potty trained - all of the signs she is giving you means that she really is ready and I am glad that you are doing so well at this. Every child is different and you must have lucked out with one that wants to potty train. I think that you are on the right path with everything. As for nighttime: stop giving her a drink at least an hour and a half before she goes to bed and the choice of diapers vs. panties at night is really up to you. It's a personal choice. I personally picked regular underwear for my kids to wear at night. I bought the plastic mattress cover so that accidents wouldn't ruin the bed. And then, just to make sure that there would not be accidents, I would wake them up in the middle of the night for a "potty run". This kept them from wetting the bed mostly and they only had a few accidents. The most important thing is if a accident happens - to not let her see your dissapoointment or frustration. I wish you all the luck!!!
@cynddvs (2948)
• United States
8 Jul 07
I completely agree with you on not letting her see me get disappointed or angry when she has an accident. I try not to make a big deal about it and just clean it as quickly as possible. But when she does use the potty I make a really big deal about it and tell her how good she is doing. Thank you for the great advice.
@sharonercastillo (888)
• Philippines
7 Jul 07
i haven't got any tips for you, but i just would like ti post that, your discussion give idea, my daughter is turning 19months old, and last month i started to potty train her, i only put diaper on her at bedtime, so far, no luck, but the good thing is, whenever she leak on the floor, she clean her own mess, without me telling her
1 person likes this
