Potty Training a 1 Year Old.

S., My daughter has been trying to catch the time of day my 16 month old grandson has a BM. He hates soiled diapers, and doesn't mind pooping in the potty. She looks for the signs then puts him on the potty. He doesn't talk yet, and does a little signing for communication.

Age isn't the biggest reason to start potty training (unless your kid is approaching 5!), it's readiness. If he is holding it and looking for you, then by all means, go for it!
This is a different subject, but sort of the same philosophy. My sons are really into academics. They love letters and numbers and math. My oldest has a year until kindergarten, but is reading lots of words and is trying to figure out (all on his own) MULTiPLICATION!!!
I was really worried about him getting so far ahead that he would be bored in school. I actually considered hiding all our educational toys and videos so he wouldn't get anymore exposure to letters and numbers.
Then I realized that it's stupid to hold a child back just because he's not the right age.

S.,

Of course it is fine to start helping your son to the potty. The great myth of "potty training readiness" is an interesting one. In many parts of the world, infants are held over a potty from birth. This method is often called Elimination Communication or Infant Potty Training. Only with the advent of cheap, disposable, super-absorbent diapers have we been able to put potty training off for years on end. The idea that children develop bowel/bladder control is pure medical myth. There is absolutely no scientific evidence that this is true - it is simply something that has been repeated and taught, and everyone believes it. Again, the majority of children in the world do not have diapers and they do not soil either themselves or their mothers. Many of our grandmothers will tell us that their kids were potty trained by a year of age, but our generation brushes it off as an impossibility.

The concept that a child will regress or be emotionally scarred from early potty training is tied to the forcible training that was done in the 50's. Children were literally strapped to a potty chair until they "produced." Many mothers were even told to go so far as to give their children daily enema's to "train" their bowels to move on schedule. Yes, that is horrible and scarring, but it bears absolutely no resemblance to you lovingly responding to your son's desire not to soil himself.

Trust your gut. If your son is interested, then give him opportunities to sit on the potty. People seem to have this idea that it's not "real" potty training until your kids walk to the potty, pull down their pants, produce, wipe and redress. If you are putting your son on the potty and he gets it in there, who cares about the semantics? Just don't push try to force him when he doesn't want to. If you google EC or IPT, you should get some great websites. Many of them have sections for starting out with older infants. No matter what, just remember to follow your son's lead. If he is aware and willing to try for the potty, then help him. If he decides he isn't interested, then don't push. It will all work out fine.

Best of luck,
S.

that's interesting, and i think i like the idea of what you're doing with your one year old.

I dont know if this helps but my 3rd child was one of those boys that really wanted to be trained. He would take his poopy diaper off and smear it all over the walls. Take his diaper off to pee all over. I tried putting him in clothing that he couldnt take off but it only took a month and he figured that out. So we just continually put him on the potty and I watched the signes. He was 17 months and potty trained (a better option than our poop smeared house. He was day and night trained by 19 months. It was great. He wanted to be like his two bigger siblings. Then with my other 3 kids- not so lucky. they were all 3 years old before I could get them to cooperate.

I have a 9 month old who is starting to walk by himself. I am planning on starting potty training more when he turns 1 (or starts walking more, whichever is first), but I have started taking him to the potty when I hear him start bearing down to have a BM and praise him when he poops in his potty. He smiles big when I do...then I show him his poop and we flush it down the toilet. I also take him in when I go to the bathroom and tell him everything I am doing and then we clap and get excited for me too! As I said, I'm not doing anything real consistant right now, but I'm at least getting him used to being in the bathroom. The book I am using is "The Everything Potty Training Book". It has a few different ideas for potty training both infants and toddlers. I am also going to look at some of the sites someone else suggested. Good luck and you can always write me and let me know how it's going and we can always trade suggestions!

Oh, BTW, my step-Mom had good luck training all of her kids between 12 mos and 18 mos...all before 2- boys AND girls!!! She said she just waited until her kids could walk and pull up and down their pants on their own. She took a week when she could be home with the kid all day and every 30 minutes put them on the toilet for a few minutes (enough for them to go) and then would praise them for sitting well and then if they went, would get really excited and celebrate. It was a matter of training Mom and catching them in the act. She said after a week they were trained (with occasional accidents of course, but not many!) That's probably what I will try since I stay at home and will just set a timer on my watch every 30 minutes and will have him sit on the toilet for 5-10 minutes reading, singing, playing until he is going consistantly. I have also bought training pants (not pull-ups, but regular training underware) (since they don't make baby underware) and regular jeans and shirts for winter so he doesn't have to be trying to undo overalls or onesies. Anyway, good luck and hope this helps!

S., 25, mom of Tyrrone, 9 months

At some point the time for potty training changed LOL. Both my kids and boy and a girl potty trained around one. And I think its ok :) Of course you dont want to push, but if they know whats going on go for it. Ok you werent looking for that kind of advice and are getting alot of it LOL. Your son may assositate potty training with you bc you helped him with it and Dad hasnt yet... Personally I think when they take their diaper off and have an accedent on themselves and it upsets them its a good sign they are ready to learn to use the potty. They understand they dont want that on them any more in or out of the diaper. LOL. :) Keep the potty avalible with something he likes around it and it will be a happy positive thing for him. My daughter at one walked up to me pulled me in the bathroom and then patted her hip for me to put her on the potty and went! I couldnt believe it! :) So we got her a little potty and it was a done deal LOL. Best Wishes

Ok, so I have NO experience (other than watching my nephew resist and fight with the potty training his parents are doing with him so he can go to pre-school full time - sigh...I won't comment on that right now) - BUT of course, I have an opinion.

But I won't share that either because, honestly, who cares? Just wanted to see if you've heard of EC (elimination communication). I just read "diaper free baby" and I plan to incorporate some of the ideas -depending, of course, on how our daughter reacts.

Basically it sounds like you're getting some clear communication from you son and that's just amazingly cool! Check out the book or go online and search for EC and just see if there are any strategies that could be helpful for you.

Yea potty!

Hi S.. Have you read any of the baby whisper's books? She talks about starting toilet training at 9 months.