How do I know when my LO is really ready for potty training? Any good resources to read or help prepare me?
-
Oh crap potty training! This book is easy to read and has great insight on not only timing but the logistics of potty training. You can get a kindle version on amazon for $10 or less. I read the whole thing in like 1-2 hours.
-
We knew my oldest was ready because he started taking his diaper off and pooping on the floor! I googled 3 day potty training for ideas and went with it. Luckily it was summer and he trained in no time.
My second would tell us he had to poop and would go on the potty if we put him there at 18 months but it was late fall so we only put him on if he asked and before the bath. He potty trained same way as his brother once spring rolled around.
I think the biggest thing is you have to do it when YOU are ready because it will be more work for you in the short term and you have to be consistent to get it to stick. Good luck! -
My oldest just decided that she was ready! Personally, to successfully potty train, I think kids need to know how toileting works, to be able to get their clothes on and off and to be able to toilet reasonably independently, wanting to do it also helps!
-
Another vote for Oh Crap!
-
Another vote for OCPT. There is a section on readiness which helped me realize LO was ready, but I needed to get ready so PTing would be a success.
-
Oh Crap Potty Training is a great book, but definitely don't listen to it's gloom and doom about how you HAVE to potty train before 30 months!
We were preparing to potty train Xander over a long weekend when he was 30 months, but the weekend before we were going to do it, he asked if he could fore-go the diaper and pee in the potty, so we were just like "Sure!" and immediately started potty training.
-
@Adira: Umm, K is 28 months and if she's not ready in 2 months, I'm not pushing it!
-
I didn't push it. I knew she was ready when she started asking to go at home pretty frequently and then as soon as she also started asking to go at daycare I knew it was time. Our daycare had us do the 3 day method so we did and it worked out pretty well. She was a little afraid of pooping so she had poop accidents the first week but then decided it was better to go in the potty. So other than that we've been mostly accident free (here and there, usually at naptime at daycare when it does happen). She still wears a pull up overnight though. She was just shy of 2.5 and she is 3 now. No regressions either, and we went straight to underwear (except overnight).
-
@snowjewelz: I wouldn't push it either! Logan's 29 months and I don't think he's ready yet, though he's close! But at this point with Xander, he was in a different room in daycare that did constant visits to the potty. I don't think Logan's current room does that, so until he moves up, he might not really be ready. I need peer pressure to make it happen!
-
@LindsayInNY: Following! We're in the same boat!
-
I read OCPT too. It does not recommend slow training. But that's what we have been doing with our 25 month old for the last few months. She's been asking to go poop on the potty with some success. We blocked out a week in June to stay home and really go for it.
-
We tried OCPT, in dec when DD was 20 months. She was showing many signs of being ready but it just didn't click. She's back in diapers now and we'll try again in the summer.
-
@Adira: K is in a room where all the kids are older and mostly potty trained! She was going for it more before and recently just isn't interested!
-
@youboots: A friend is reading that book too but someone else said they didn't like it. I don't know!
-
We ended up doing a slower method where I just got him used to the potty at certain times in the daily routine, did diaper free time at times I knew he had just peed, and then went from there. We have had a hard time going from pants free diaper free (at home) to undies and pants. He is totally independent about using it for pee and poo at home... as long as he doesn't have anything on waist down! He's only two though so I am not too worried.
-
My two main child-ready signs were 1) them telling me they had just peed/pooped in their diaper and 2) could get their pants up and down by themselves.
Other than that, it was mostly when it lined up with our family schedule -- no big moves or travel upcoming for at least a month, no other big changes on the horizon, a free weekend to stay at home, and at least a half-hearted desire to do it!
-
@KayKay: The pants up/down is still TBD - I need to watch and see how well she can or can't do it. She went from being interested in the toilet to not liking a dirty diaper at all (and staying dry for some time). I just don't know where to begin... Should I ask her to start telling me when she has to go or something?
-
@lindsayinny: totally personal pref. i mostly watched how she did with clothes on/off while we were getting dressed for the day or into pajamas at night. or if she took her clothes off during the day of her own accord
basically i just didn't see much of a value in potty training her if she couldn't at least get her pants down and go on the little potty without my assistance!I also didn't really push it with either kid. They would just start telling me "I peed" or whatever. Never before, sometimes during, usually after. So they were at least feeling what was going on.
My older had only ever peed in the potty like 2x (EVER!) before we decided to train her. My younger was going on the potty fairly often (at school when they went as a class, before bed, etc) when we did. They both trained in about the same amount of time anyways!
Reply
Subscribe to our newsletter
- Google Plus
- Stumbleupon
- Twitter
- Facebook
- Pinterest
- Favorite0
18 comments