Potty Training and Age?

K.,
Wow, twins...working outside the home and you still have time to get on the computer-what's your secret.

About the potty training (mother of 3 boys & 1 girl all under 6 years). You will know when your child is ready. My mom made us sit on the potty when we were young-to me that's like just trying to catch it...This was not the way I wanted to go.

Pull-ups delay the process (in my experience-with my kids) I like the cold turkey method (just let them have underware. When they are ready they catch on real quick. My son used a potty chair, daughter didn't like the chair preferred the toilet. I only train in the summer months cause if we are out and about I didn't want them to get cold (if they had an accident). I even let them wear underware at night, there were a few accidents but they catch on real quick when they are ready. If you think they are ready go for it otherwise your just catching poop and pee (that's my theory and I'm sticking to it)
So glad your premees are doing so well
R.

I bought a potty chair when my daughter was about 15 months old. We just set it in the bathroom and she would sit on it or play with it from time to time. We'd ask her if she wanted to go potty when she was on it and if she said yes, we'd take off her diaper and let her sit on it. She NEVER went potty in that chair once, but she was fully potty trained at 21-22 months. Once we felt she was ready to use the toliet we went cold turkey...no diapers at all (less confusion for the child). They learn quickly that they don't like to be wet (let them help take off the soiled clothes too). We had a full month of accidents every day, but that was it...no more diapers after that which is soooo nice!

Some say this is crazy, but we also special ordered a mini potty (it's 10 inches high) from Home Depot for our spare bathroom. It's the same height they use in daycare centers. It really helped that our daughter could walk in and sit down on her own without us lifting her and holding her. The toliet was a couple hundred dollars, but they can use it until they are at least five...and with two of them, you really get your use out of it!

Good luck...it's not fun, but once they get it, it's soooo wonderful!

Hi K.,
Sounds like you are a mom who likes to be prepared - good for you! I have 3 - all late teens. I have also work have worked with children in a childcare setting for the last 12 years or better. This is a huge ongoing topic and debate among the childcare field.

Yup- your a ways away from the the potty training. What I can suggest is: There are lots of great books you can start to read to your children at about 1 1/2 - 2 years about using the potty. Some great ideas I have recieved from parents included allowing the child see you use the potty yourself. And announcing, "gee, I think I have to pee- I'm going to potty". Your pediatrician should have parent information about potty training as well. The best thing you could do for yourself is learn the signs of potty training readiness. Good luck and have a wonderful day.

First off, congrats on your healthy twins! And good luck in this new challenge:)

Potty training in many cultures begins at birth. I heard about this when my younger son was 6 weeks old, and was amazed at how often he would "go" on cue once we learned the tricks. The site I explored first was www.diaperfreebaby.org. I decided to try it, because my older son had such difficulty training. (He would hold it for hours and scream with embarassment when he finally peed...I didn't want a repeat.) My little guy still uses diapers, because I work and we can't devote our full attention to training. We do what we can, and best-case scenario, he'll be trained around age 2. But I think there's a good tip on the site you could begin right away, even if you don't do the whole shabang.

Try to notice when your babies go (how long after waking, or after drinking). If you can "catch" them going, make a "sssss" sound. It feels really silly, but it calls attention and lets them notice what they are doing. Eventually, you can place baby on the potty and "sssss"...and they may go for you. I think of it as an untapped instinct, because most of us hear running water and feel the need to go. Plus, the hiss is an easier sound for toddlers than the word "potty"...so if they catch on, they can easily "hiss" communicate their need. Oh-and after watching 'John and Kate Plus 8' on TV, I say two potties:)