Okay, so this girl is throwing me for a loop. Again.
All week she’s been trying to take off her diaper whenever it’s dirty (and unfortunately, one “successful” attempt in her crib last week ended with poo all over the crib, her hands, her face… but I digress).
Yesterday she came to me in a dry diaper, trying to pull it off and saying “potty! potty!” (honestly, I don’t even really remember teaching her that word. Maybe Oliver did?)
This morning she started following me around with a pack of wipes and pointing to her diaper saying “poopy”. I didn’t even take her seriously because, again, I’ve never had this “talk” with her. Evidently someone has though because I checked, on the outside chance that she may be dirty, and sure enough, she needed to be changed.
So.
The child took 15 months to walk, but is maybe showing signs that she’s ready to potty train at 17 months? Seriously – walking for only two months and now this?
I potty trained Oliver when we turned two. It took about two months for him to be accident-free, but still, that’s 7 months from now.
When did y’all potty train your kids? Should I give it a whirl? Am I over-thinking these “signs” and just setting myself up for frustration?
I know there are a ton of smart Mamas out there – y’all have given me lots of good advice in the past. So, what do you think? Heed her cues or write them off as a fluke?
>I remember my kids doing this at a very young age. I would get all excited thinking that they were ready to potty train and then it wouldn't work. You could always try, and maybe you'll be one of the lucky moms with a very early potty trainer :)
>Girls are much easier when it comes to potty training. I think you should take her cues and roll with it. What could it hurt?
>Yay! (grumbles to self as I am having the.hardest.time. getting my THREE year old completely potty train…) But seriously, I don't think it would hurt to take her to the potty when she says the word. Even if she goes only once a week, it would surely help when she's ready to be 100% trained, right? I say take her and see what happens!
>My daughter was two, but one of my BFFs trained her little boy at 18 months! So maybe she's ready!
>Heed her cues. If it works out, great! If she decides she doesn't want to anymore stay relaxed about it and let it go for a while. My so did that, really wanted to potty train for a few weeks and then went 2 months where he wanted NOTHING to do with it. Then one day he decided he was ready and we never did any training, he just did it and never had another accident. He was about 2 1/2 though. The girl I babysat was doing what Hazel is hoever and at 18 months her parents did a 3 days program with her at home and shes been trained ever since. They do say (whoever 'they' are) that girls are easier than boys and train earlier. Good luck!
>Sounds like she's extremely intelligent AND ready! For the nighttime messes though, my friend bought one of these for her daughter:
http://littlekeepersleeper.com/store/Default.asp
>I just started potty training my 2.5 year old. and it took you two months with oliver! not what i wanted to hear. I'd say if she seems interested go for it and just be flexible to put her back in diapers if it isn't working out.
>My daughter was about 17-18 months old when we started. And I just put her straight into panties. She only had about two accidents in them before she realized she did not like feeling yucky like that! So, we went to panties full time! Except at night, she still slept in a diaper until she was about 2 or so. Good luck!!
>Totally try it! You dont want to give her the wrong impression that when she has to go and is trying to tell you,that your not going to do anything about it. Then when you do try she maybe wont want to tell you thinking you wont take her or dont believe her!! Girls are so much more mature! I say give it a try!!!!
>Definatly listen to her clues. My oldest was 3 and it took forever, my youngest started talking about the potty at 15 months. I would let her sit on it all she wanted and listened to her but I never pushed. I kid you not, that child potty trained herself by 18 months and hardly ever had accidents. If she is talking about the potty, by all means introduce it, let her sit on, talk about it. You never know when you'll shock a pedeatrician with an 18 month old in panties.
>I don't have any motherly advice…but my mom said that when I was just shy of 18 months that I told her I wanted to wear big girl panties…and that was all it took. I have an older sister too, so maybe that was all the push I needed. Good luck!
>It couldn't hurt anything. Alice has a potty that is right beside luke's. At the moment, she is more interested in it then Luke is. If she does well for a bit then loses interest, well, at least she has an idea of what it is all about when the time comes again.
>Definitely give it a shot because she's showing those signs and knocking off her diaper… give it a whirl! :-) Good luck!
>Absolutely try! Girls definitely (usually) potty train earlier than boys. You don't even have to do the hardcore potty training yet with her yet, just let her sit on the potty before and after naps and bedtime (and if she asks… Wow!). We had been letting Brynlee at least try for a long time before we got serious about it. I think it helped her get into the habit. Now she's all into giving people (and getting) "privacy" while using the bathroom… Too funny. I think it's just awesome that Hazel is telling you that she wants to go… Sweet girl!
>Take her cues and roll with it.
>Owen completely potty trained at 19 months in two days. He was just ready. Give it a whirl! We did the stay downstairs with no pants on and eat lots of salty snacks so he would drink lots of sugary juice (makes for lots of pee pees :) method. Good luck! Might me a bit of a challenge, but at least you might not have to clean poo after naps anymore.
>I think "potty training" includes a lot of things. Not necessarily putting them in underware. I started my son on the potty when he was 18 months. I would put him on quick when I knew that he was pooping and eventually we got "scheduled" to visit the potty everyday after lunch. But I didn't put him in underware until 3 and a half cuz he just didn't get it and I was so sick of cleaning! So, just because she is interested in the potty doesn't mean that you have to put her in undies, but if I were you, I would start putting her on the potty and seeing if she will go and then see if she will keep her diaper dry. After a bit of that, maybe she will be able to learn to keep her diaper dry and then I'd go to undies. My baby girl is 16 months and at bathtime we sit on the potty and sometimes she will go pee. I say the earlier the better, as it helps them to not be so anxious about the toilet or the experience of using it!
>I've heard there are two potty training "windows," and that the first is around 18 months. Other friends have said that their second child was ready earlier than the first because they want to do everything like their older sibling. So maybe she's ready!
>No–go for it! I often think that changing years-and-years of diapers is parents' way of punishing themselves for some perceived wrong or something.
None of mine were *quite* so young (I think the youngest was ~19 months when she started indicating that she was "ready" and more like 20 months when she was really potty-trained), but I've potty-trained all 3 on the younger side (20-23 months).
Good luck!
>Totally go for it, My daughter was by far tons easier to trin then my 2 boys. and i mean TONS!! good luck :)
>Susan – I love it when you comment and I wish you lived closer! I want Oliver to be friends with Sam and Lucie! And I think Hazel could give Fiona a run for her money! Move here please. :)
>My niece started walking just before 12 months and shortly thereafter would bring my sister a diaper every time she needs to be changed. I would say she was completely potty trained by the time she was 18 months… go for it!
>My daughter is 16 months and at her well-baby checkup a month ago the pediatrician said because of her vocabulary and motor skills to go ahead and try! We haven't been super committed to it (1st trimester exhaustion is taking me out!), but the few times we've put her on the potty, she's gone. The trick is getting her to stay on it long enough. Too many times I'll turn around to wash my hands or something and turn back around to see her standing on the rug, peeing. Sigh.
>I don't think it would hurt to try, as long as it's low-key, no pressure. She is young but hey, maybe you're going to get an awesome blessing! :) And if it's not working out, you can always back off for a bit, and then do it again a few months down the road.
>My niece started doing the same thing Hazel is at 15 mths. So we ran with it. She was potty trained by 18 mths pretty much accident free except like once in a blue moon. She had very consistent BMs usually right after dinner so it was easy to predict too. Her younger sister on the other hand never even mentioned when she had a poopy diaper at 3 yo. She is now 4 and although potty trained still has one accident a week, so I say it all depends on the kid. But go for it if it doesnt work then revisit in a couple months. If it does…thats less diapers!
>I certainly hope my boy isn't harder than my girl, because she didn't have ANY interest until she was 3 1/2. Of course, by the time I figured out the right motivation to get her to WANT to go, she was completely trained day and night in 3 days.
I say heed her cues, like the others have said. She may surprise you.
>One of my friend's little girls potty trained herself at 18 months, just like that. Another's did it just before 2. Girls just seem to "get it" a little quicker than boys. . .
>I would go with her cues and if she does well, she might be ready, but don't expect too much at this age. My daughter did the same thing, but only wanted to do it on her terms at that age, and wasn't ready to fully train until she was 2, and it took 6 weeks. Good luck!
>She's ready. My second trained herself!!!!!
>Start putting her on the potty (keep it pressure free) and see what happens. My 2nd started going on the potty at 13 months. We would put her on in the morning at night and whenever she asked for the potty and she would almost always go. We kept in her diapers during that time. At about 20 months we did something very similar to the "3 day potty training" technique and it worked pretty well. She was able to be in panties full time (although at 3 she still has an occasional accident when she gets to engrossed. Go figure.)
>My youngest daughter hated having a dirty diaper pretty much from the time she was born. She would scream as soon as she finished her business. She didn't walk until she was almost 15 months, but she was potty trained at 19 months. It was a totally different story for my oldest daughter. Each child is different. If she is following you around with wipes, it's time to give it a shot.
>She is such a genius!! Yay Hazel! Did you think you'd be out of diapers this quickly?! (And yes, go ahead and heed her cues. At her pace. When people say girls do it faster and easier than boys, they are so correct. J and B are JUST NOW getting out of diapers at nighttime, but still with occasional accidents, even after potty training 2 years ago. King Peter trained beautifully at 2 and was accident-free immediately.)
I'll say it again: Yay Hazel!!
sumphors!
>My second born potty trained himself. He saw his older brother going and being independent and he wanted to also. I say go for it!
>My oldest son, now 13, "trained" himself around age 18m. My middle child – boy, very strong will – is 3.5 yrs and still has occasional accidents and FILLS his pull-up up at nap and night time. My youngest – girl, 16.5m has also started letting me know when her diaper is dirty or too wet. She's never done anything, but we put her on the potty often. I just ask if she needs to tee-tee and she runs to the potty. We (I) plan to do a little more with it once she hits 18m – unless she starts doing more before then.
I definitely say go with it – but don't make a big deal of it. just set a couple times a day that you take her and go from there.
Good luck and keep us posted with any tips!
>My thoughts…
heed her cues and go with it since she seems interested, but also be prepared for stretches where she halts the potty training.
I worked hard to get my first born potty trained at 18 mo (in hopes of having this accomplished by her soon-to-arrive brother), only to work many more months to ensure accidents were kept to a minimum. For my boys, I adjusted my definition of "potty trained" to: a child who can recognize when they need to go and get to the toilet in time and even wipe themselves (except for a little help with poop) and pull up their pants, etc.). So potty-trained for me now means waiting until almost 3 yrs, but it's been so much less stressful.
P.S. I love the expression on Hazel's face in the picture :)
>My little B tells me when she poos as well (started at 14 or 15 mos). I don't want the hassle of training her yet…we did my son at 2 yrs 8 mos, and he took to it right away(dry in the night even). So, do it as you wish! Good luck sister!
>Go for it! Don't be too serious and crazed about it because you might just set yourself up for frustration, but there is no problem getting her on the potty if she tells you! If anything it'll familiarize her with it so when it *IS* time {if this isn't it} she will know what's up.
My son did this too BEFORE he could walk {he walked at 17 months…} but doesn't so much anymore. It was still REALLY nice for awhile!!! :)))
>I knew of two moms with girls the same age as mine who potty trained their girls at 18 months. They had a few successes, but A LOT of accidents. As I potty trained my girls at 2.5, they were still cleaning up accidents.
I think it's worth a try, and worth getting a little potty out, but I would keep my expectations low and keep the diapers on!
ps – just bought those same shoes in hot pink today – love them!
>I have 2 girls and 1 boy. The girls were potty trained early and easily; both 17-19 months because they were doing just what Hazel is doing. My little man was just over 2 and was a little monkey about potty training, it took me about 3 months in the end. I say . . . go for it!
>I think she is ready! Put her straight into panties that she picks out at the store. Set a timer at least for the first two days to go off every 30 minutes, put her on the potty and even if a little bit goes in make a HUGE deal out of it, clap, cheer, praise. There will be accidents but each time tell her "pee pee goes in the potty" and take her directly to the potty and have her sit. At night I would still do a diaper. By the third or fourth day she should be getting the hang of it. When you brave stores and what not have her sit on the potty before leaving, go to the potty at the store (or wherever you go) as soon as you get there and as you are leaving. In about a weeks time she should be potty trained!!
>It sounds like she may be ready. I would totally give it a try and if it doesn't work out, no problem.
>I would let her try and if she loses interest or balks then let it go. But it sounds like she understands and is interested so its not going to do any damage. Good luck!!
>go for it!! a child that already recongizes that he/she has a dirty diaper &is uncomfortable with it in their diaper will ,make the process SO much easier, methinks!
way to go, Hazel!