Early potty training

PhillyGal34

Ds is almost 16 months and we didn't plan on potty training yet but he's started to say poop when he goes in his diaper. I was told that this is a pretty big part of potty training so maybe we should start thinking about it.

Has anyone started this early? Where do I even start? I don't want to ask my friends on fb (so Please keep this hush on there) because I know everyone will say negative things. My brother and I were both potty trained at 18 months so I know I'm not too crazy. But I'm realistic too. I know this may not work or may take a long time.

Thanks!!

JenD1018

J started notifying us about 18 months (he's almost 22 months now).  But I knew I didn't want to tackle PT yet (we'll wait until after # arrives) so the only things we've done since this summer are to put his potty in the bathroom and I always take him with me when I have to go and say "mommy has to go potty" and he sits on his while I sit there.

mzovoce

I have no advice, potty learning is so difficult for me, but not for John so I had him take the lead.
If you do it I applaud you and will lend my ear for anything you may need.

larrysdarling

My daughter was a pretty early and very easy potty trainer. She started showing signs of being ready at about 18 months. She would go into her diaper bag, grab her wipes and her pad, set them up on the floor, lay down on them with legs in the air and scream 'diaper'!

I figured that would be a good time to get a little potty. I bought one and kept it in the bathroom. However, I did not make her even sit on it for quite a a while. She would go over to it on her own and sit on it. Sometimes she would even sit on it and go to the bathroom in her diaper while she was sitting on the potty.

After she started doing that I would ask her if she wanted to try and go to the bathroom on the potty. If she said yes I would take off her diaper and set her on the toilet and many times she would just pee in it. The poop followed on it's own shortly after.

After we did that for about five or six months, she was basically in diapers during the day but they were dry And she was using the toilet for every time she had to go to the bathroom during the day. I had a long Christmas break from school, so I figured I would use that time to just try and come off of the diapers.

One day about two weeks after her second birthday I just stopped putting daytime diapers on her altogether. I just reiterated with her that she needed to let me know when she had to go to the bathroom. When they are that young they still cannot take down their own pants and everything like that.

We continue to use diapers at naptime and nighttime for a long time after that. I pulled the naptime diapers over the early summer And then I pulled the night time diapers about a month ago. She turns 3 in january.She has not had any accidents.

I am by no means an expert, but I think the important thing is to let your child lead you. I was terrified of her feeling like I was forcing her to do this so I let her basically make the decisions on her own. If they feel like you are making them do it and they are not ready, it can take them longer and can lead to behaviors such as holding their urine and their stool.

Recognizing that they have to go to the bathroom is a big first step. But they also have to have the physiological capability of holding their
bladder and bowels as well. Age is def a factor in this. 16 months seems quite early but you can always get a potty and let him play with it. If I remember correctly, your son was also born early so if he is still age adjusted that is going to play a factor in it as well.

I think it can also help for children to see their same-sex parent modeling the behavior. Not every parent is comfortable with this but I think since the day she was born I have not going to the bathroom by myself!

Okay, I totally wrote a book there and didn't mean to do it. That is just what works for us. Hope this is helpful.

letranger

I just trained milo. But he started around that age telling us he pooped. But then he stopped as he realized it = diaper change so shrug.

PhillyGal34

letranger said:

I just trained milo. But he started around that age telling us he pooped. But then he stopped as he realized it = diaper change so shrug.

I think that may happen here.  he HATES getting his diaper changed so I'm not sure he will avoid it when he realizes when it means. 

Thanks for all your advice. I think we are going to get a potty and let him do what he will for a bit. I don't want to force it on him before he is ready!