Comments on: How to Potty Train Before Age Two

By: Michelle

Michelle — Wed, 26 Aug 2020 19:29:00 +0000

In reply to Tera. I am so glad I was able to provide some encouragement, Tera! Hang in there! I know she will get it before you know it and any struggles you're experiencing now will become a distant memory. Good luck!

By: Tera

Tera — Wed, 26 Aug 2020 17:50:58 +0000

Thank you for this! I have been trying to introduce the potty to my daughter since she was 17 months. I wanted to get her comfortable with her little potty but used it more to climb than sit. Now she is 20 1/2 months and I am going full throttle on getting her trained. But I still feel myself losing patience with the process. I don’t want to say my daughter is above average, but she follows very specific commands, gives very specific commands, reads aloud, says her ABC’s, and counts, so I thought she would grasp potty training easily. I was wrong. Like Channon’s son, she will sit on the toilet but wait until she is away from it to start going, She did make poop on day 1 but day 2 has been more of a struggle. Her little toilet is Elmo so I am grateful for the Elmo Potty Time DVD suggestion! I purchased it as soon as I finished the article! I did try that method, today on day 2, to let her watch a cartoon and sit on the toilet until she went, but I didn’t take it away when she wanted to stand. I will definitely add that to my process. This is by far the best and least judgemental article I have came across (and I have read so many), and wanted to say THANK YOU! I also wanted a place to share my struggle without hearing the negative remarks I’ve been getting from family. I know every toddler is different, but with consistency, as you mentioned. I know we will get there too!

By: Michelle

Michelle — Fri, 17 Apr 2020 20:51:10 +0000

In reply to Robyn. You are so welcome, Robyn! I hope some of our experience helps. Your son sounds adorable! I think it is great that you are taking a gentle approach. I'm sure he will get it before you know it. Good luck!

By: Robyn

Robyn — Mon, 13 Apr 2020 23:08:58 +0000

In reply to Michelle.

Thank you for this! While in lockdown, I’ve been trying to encourage my 18 month old to use the potty – I’ve been so discouraged reading all the “children can’t potty train until they’re ready” articles. I know mine isn’t and I’m hoping to gently encourage him to readiness over the next few months. We’ve got so much time on our hands and I thought a gentle transition may help. I’ve been letting him “play” on my phone when he’s sat on it (a free numbers app, he doesn’t have a clue what to do but it’s got cartoons and an annoying song so he naturally loves it) but often doesn’t do anything, and yet will pee on the carpet 5 minutes later (pee is sterile, so I really don’t mind – a quick tea towel and some Dr Beckmann when we can). The potty book sounds fab, I will have to order that. It seems to me like he doesn’t understand weeing and pooing just yet – he stares at his pee stream like he’s completely confounded. And he got scared when he pooped in the shower today. So we’ve been letting him go around with no bottoms so he gets to see it, if that makes sense. He’s got very few words under his belt just yet so I think for us first, the most important thing is getting him to understand what we’re asking, before moving onto phase 2 :)

By: Michelle

Michelle — Sat, 16 Nov 2019 22:01:03 +0000

In reply to Channon. It sounds to me like you are on track. I would be encouraged and continue, at least for awhile. As long as you keep it low-key and he seems like he is improving, I think he'll get there before you know it. However, I should point out that even once he fully gets the concept, it will probably not be completely independent for awhile. Best case, he will be able to hold it and tell you when he has to go, but he still might want you to go with him and help him get his pants off. Even my 3 year old almost always asks me to turn on the light for him when he goes, even though he is capable of reaching the switch with a stool. It's not really an issue for me, because I 100% trust him not to have an accident. He might just have to wait a minute if I'm busy. That being said, the third trimester and having a newborn are difficult times to be potty-training. I remember being so exhausted. If you wanted to wait until life settles down for you, that would be totally understandable. Good luck!

By: Channon

Channon — Fri, 15 Nov 2019 12:31:34 +0000

Thanks for this resource! I’ve decided to try potty training my almost 23-month old and I have a few questions if you don’t mind. He was telling me when he went in his diaper and was wanting them removed quickly. We have been explaining his potty to him so he was familiar with it when we started, though had never gone in it. I am in my third trimester with second baby, so I was hoping to start this before the newborn comes because I know I’ll have my hands more full then.
I am on day four today and I’m not exactly sure where to go from here. The first half of day 1 he was interested because we got him a second chair to use that he liked. Then the second half of the day 1 and day 2 he was refusing to sit on the chair. If I asked him if he wanted to try to use it, he would kick it. I have had him naked from the waist down and we caught a few pees in the toilet, but most times he would stop his stream when I got him there and refuse to finish. When I put his diaper on before bedtime, however, he would run to the chair and talk about doing pee pee and sit on it willingly. On day 3 I laid back about it a little more, I put on pants and no diaper and if he peed I would say “it doesn’t feel good to pee in our pants does it? We pee in the toilet.” And put him on toilet even though he went already. We also did this with diapers and he seemed more responsive.
Today on day 4 things seemed to have turned. he is telling me he has to go and if I ask him to try using the toilet he will sit on it even if he doesn’t go. I thank him for trying. I am catching him peeing (we are naked again today) and he is not withholding and is willing to finish on potty when I put him there. He washes hands and participates in flushing the contents. If I ask him where his potty is he points right to them.
It seems like we have made some progress today, however I am wondering if I should continue? He is definitely not going to it himself when he has to go, he is just starting to go wherever he is and then I catch him. If he tells me he has to pee, he won’t go even if he sits on it. He’s only using the potty when I catch him midstream and finishing. I think it’s good he is willing to finish there, but I am definitely having to clean up 100% of the time still. I’ve never potty trained before, and I have family telling me it’s too early so I am sometimes in doubt and I know that won’t help the process. Does it sound like we are on track or should I try again later since he isn’t going to it to pee himself and just let him explore it more? If I should continue, is it better to stay pants free for now? I know every child is different, but at what point should I be expecting him to go to it himself? I realize I am only four days into this. Thanks!