nappies...

Honestly I think forcing the issue is going to do more harm than good. The phrase "an*l retentive" originally came from parents that were too strict regarding potty learning. Children can actually refuse to go to the bathroom if they are forced too hard. I've found that most children will let you know when they are ready. Under a year is too early, IMO, for a child to be potty learned unless they want to. My 4 year old sister literally woke up one morning shortly after turning 2 and told my mother that she wanted some big girl panties, and she never wore a diaper again with very little accidents. I don't even plan on mentioning potty learning until my son is at least 3 unless he shows interest before then.

i have a nephew about 2.5 years old now. before he didn't like the potty trainer we bought him when he was a little over 1 year old. until we bought him a potty trainer he could not resist... a car. he liked using it because he's likes toy cars a lot.

shortly afterwards, we were able to train him to use the toilet because he has actually seen his older brother use it. his older brother is older by 2.5 years. watever his older brother does, he follows.

kids, in my family's experience, get easily scared to be left alone in the toilet. especially if the toilet bowl they are using is not the kiddie size (like having their feet hanging when they sit on the seat). some of them even ask for us to remain and wait for them. some would ask for a short story. some would play on the toilet deodorizer or air freshener. some would bring their toy inside the toilet and play with it (just make sure it doesn't get dirtied or anything).

if your daughter doesn't have any other kid to share her experience with, try to be more playful and encouraging whenever she goes potty.:)

"Mommy, I did it! I went in the potty!"Are these the words you long to hear from your child? But how do you know when your child is ready, and what's the best way to teach your child to use the toilet (also known as the potty)?
What Kind of Potty Should We Use?
There are two basic potty options:a stand-alone, toddler-size potty chair with a bowl that can be emptied into the toilet
a toddler-size seat that can be placed on top of your toilet seat that will let your child feel more secure and not feel like he or she is falling in
Here are some Tips for Toilet Teaching
Even before your child may be ready to be taken to the potty, you can start to prepare your little one by teaching him or her about the process:Use words to express the act of using the toilet (for example,"pee," "poop," and "potty").
Ask your child to let you know when a diaper is wet or soiled.
Identify behaviors (i.e., say, "Are you going poop?") so that your child can associate the urge to pee or poop with going to the potty.
Get a potty chair your child can practice sitting on. At first, your child can sit on it with his or her clothes on. Then, he or she can sit on the chair with a diaper. And when ready, your child can go bare-bottomed.
If you've decided that your child is ready to start learning how to use the potty, here are some things you can try that may help:Set aside some time (say, a weekend) to devote to the potty-training process.
Don't make your child sit on the toilet against his or her will.
Show your child how you sit on the toilet and explain what you're doing (because your child learns by watching you). You can also have your child sit on the potty seat and watch while you - or one of his or her siblings - use the toilet.
Establish a routine. For example, you may want to begin toilet teaching by having your child sit on the potty after he or she wakes up with a dry diaper.
Try catching your child in the act. Children often give clear cues that they need to use the bathroom - their faces turn red, and they may grunt or squat. And many kids are regular as to the time of day they tend to have a bowel movement.
Have your child sit on the potty within 15 to 30 minutes after meals to take advantage of the body's natural tendency to have a bowel movement after eating (this is called the gastro-colic reflex).
Remove a bowel movement (poop) from your child's diaper, put it in the toilet, and tell your child that poop goes in the potty.
Make sure your child's wardrobe is adaptable to potty training. In other words, avoid overalls and shirts that snap in the crotch. Simple clothes are a must at this stage and children who are potty training need to be able to undress themselves.
Let your child have some time during the day without a diaper (if you want). If he or she urinates without wearing a diaper, your child may be more likely to feel what's happening and express discomfort. (But if you opt to keep your child's bottom bare for a little while, you'll probably need to keep the potty close by, protect your rugs and carpet, and be willing to clean up.)
Have "target practice" with your little boy. Show him how to stand so that he can aim his urine stream into the toilet. Some parents use things like cereal pieces as a sort of bull's-eye for their little guys to try aiming at.
Offer your child small rewards, such as stickers or time reading with Mommy, every time your child goes in the potty. To help keep track of your child's successes, you might want to keep a chart. Once your little one appears to be mastering the use of the toilet, you might want to let him or her pick out a few new pairs of big-kid underwear to wear whenever your child puts the pee or poop in the potty.
Make sure all of your child's caregivers - including babysitters, grandparents, and child-care workers - follow the same routine. Let them know how you're handling the issue and ask that they use the same approaches so your child won't become confused.
Above all, be sure to praise your child's attempts to use the toilet, even if nothing happens. And remember that accidents will happen. It's important not to punish potty-training children or show disappointment when they wet or soil themselves or the bed. Instead, tell your child that it was an accident and offer your support. Reassure your child that he or she is well on the way to using the potty like a big kid.

I was so lucky with my older daughter, she did everything I told her. I realize now with a 6 month old, it has nothing to do with my parenting method, they have minds of their own!

I flat out told her, before she was a year old, that we did not have any more diapers. I did but I was running low and I wanted to start potty training her. I told her she had to use this, I put her on the potty and she would not get up from it. She fell asleep on it and if I tried to take her off, she grabbed the handles on the side and would not let go!

Have you tried using those thick absorbent panties with a plastic one over it? It might be a mess to have to wash but it will cut cost and be closer to a beginning.

There are a couple of Solutions to this, Buy her a Potty that has has figures on them or you can now get Pottys that are shaped in Figures like Winnie the pooh, the other Solution is which I used with my Daughter, buy one of them Baby Seats that you can get for the Toilet. Then you sit on the Toilet first, then put the Seat on her for her and lift her up on it, sit with her till she has done. You can also turn the Potty into a game for her so that she wants to sit on. Those are the things I did.

well for a start, dont pressue her to do it. but you can just do it as she wants to, but my mum told all of us, when trying to train them, if its a girl, put them in a dress and undies and when they wee especially when outside they hate that feeling. if your daughter scared of the potty, try her on the actual big toliet, need to hold her, or you could get a little seat that fits in the big seat. and they just feel like normal than sitting on this little bowl thing on the ground, if u know what i mean, she needs to feel comfy and know she has all the support from you.

This is something that I am dealing with as well!!! But you do have to be careful not to preasure your daughter to use the potty or she will continue to be scared and rejet it..and will not train until much later. My son is 2 years 6 months and WILL NOT even sit on the potty. I cant get him to even sit on the little potty, nor the seat I bought for the big toilet. I dont want to force him..but he needs to start trying as he will be 3 in Aug. My daughter was one month over 2 years old when she trained no problem. She wanted this babrie farm..and I told her that if she went on the potty for a week and got rid of all her diapers (this was thro a casual conversation as I didn't think she would actually do it)that I would buy her this farm. Needless to say, she must have wanted it bad enough. We threw her diapers out, she went on the potty and never had an accident. She did wonderful!!! Each child is different and I think that they will let you know when they are ready. Keep introducing the potty to your daughter but if she gets upset about it..dont force it. This could cause more damage then we know!

My son isn´t old enough to be potty-trained yet, but I have cared for enough children to have some ideas to share.

Are you trying to train her on the regular toilet? That might be a bit big and scary for her, try buying a special potty seat that is just her size. Let her help pick it out and she will be more likely to use it.

Keep a small box of toys and books near the potty and only let her play with them while she is using it.

A sticker chart can work well, too. Put in columns for the days and let her add a sticker to the column every time she uses the potty. After five stickers she gets a treat or a new toy.

Try playing music or running water while she is on the toilet to help her relax. I read one tip that said to let the child play with a bowl of warm water and they will automatically have to pee!

Let her in the bathroom when you have to use the toilet. She might get over her fear if she sees that nothing happens to you.

Hope these help. The other thing is that she just might not be ready for toilet training.

I used to sit my children on their potty and put a tray with little treats in front of them. They would be so busy eating the treats that they would forget they sitting on the potty. Whenever they used it, I would give them another treat, so they looked forward to getting their treats. I waited until summertime to try to get them out of nappies as they could run around the garden and it wouldn't matter if they had an accident.

try using the toilet bowl instead... buy a kids toilet seat... and let the little one do the flushing... kids seem to like pressing buttons... so let your little one push the flush button... let her get used to the toilet bowl... on top of that, use pull-up pants... it's those diapers that is worn like underpants in case there are any accidents when she doesn't tell you she needs to go to the toilet...