Seeking Potty Training Advise (Im into Week 4 of Training)

Hi, E.. Well, Sweetie, she's not ready if she's not ready to communicate about her bodily functions.

How much does this little girl talk? Does she carry on conversations in full sentences? If you ask her questions, can she give you an answer that you will understand? These are all things to take into account when potty training. She might not understand what you want her to do at all, when it comes to having her warn you about needing to pee or poop.

Some kids have a hard time knowing what they are feeling in their bodies when they are about to pee and poop. Maybe when you have her sit on the potty, you can talk to her about what it feels like. Also, there are special Pull-ups which change color when they are wet, so that the child can get a visual signal when she wets herself.

She's not ready to take responsibility for going to the potty yet. Keep working with her, gently and patiently, and she will eventually get it, but she's not there yet.

Peace,
Syl

Instead of just putting her on the potty, ASK HER constantly if she needs to go potty. That way, she will start by saying yes or no (more often no, of course) but it gets the idea out there of verbalizing about the potty. Be sure to ask CONSTANTLY, like every 5-10 minutes. Every time she says no, say, "OK. Just be sure to let me know when you need to go."

i personally think early potty training is over rated!!!
i had 3 sons that were potty trained over night at 3 1/2.
i would try but they just would not do it my way. making them sit on the toilet for extended periods of time just makes things worse.
i had shared this with my daughter in law and she listened. and my grandson decided 2 weeks ago it was time and was totally out of diapers in 2 days........he is 3 1/2!!!!!!!!!
let her go and i will promise you she wil not go to kindergarten
in diapers.

Hi E.! I also have a very smart, and potty trained two year old. My view was to just go with the flow. I started at 15 months...just left it out, and put it on her now and again. Somehow, time just made it all come together. My effort was VERY minimal. You know, my daughter also didn't tell me she had to go, until recently. Again, I just let that happen. For a few months, I would just put her on the potty every few hours, b/c she would always say no if I asked..but then would pee or poop on the potty. I still just let her know when it is time to go. You get to know your child's pattern. And like I said, now she is adding in her own request a few times a day. I feel like I have been 100% successful. She now, at 2, uses only the adult potty ( has been for months), and with the help of a stool, goes in alone, opens the toilet, sits on it, wipes, and flushes. I NEVER pushed her once...maybe pushed her to sit a few more moments to wait for the pee...but I was so mellow, I think the lack of pressure made it "her thing", and I have no issues. Good luck!!
A. :)

I used the reward system. Set up a sticker chart and when she fills it up, she gets a special toy. Or, you can just give an M&M each time she goes/tells you she has to go.
Blessings, S.

This has been my biggest issue with potty training my son. I can't wait to read the responses. Good luck with the potty training!

You have to find an incentive for the child. You may want to use cookies or M+M's or stickers or whatever. (I prefer stickers because I don't like them to learn to reward themselves with food, but you do whatever works!)
Also, buy them some new "big girl panties" to wear, preferably with a character they like (Dora, Pooh, etc) and as soon as they wake up, put them on the potty, then put on their big girl panties.
You will probably have some accidents the first day or two, but just be 'sad' that they ruined their big girl panties and remind them to use the potty instead.
And every time they do use the potty, of course you must clap and praise and make a big deal of it - and follow up excitedly with their reward.
I'm training my granddaughter right now and she has a large poster board next to her potty chair that she gets to put a sticker on every time she goes. I started it a week ago, and now the only time she wears a diaper is at bedtime. It only took a day or two and then she would get all in a hurry and tell me she had to go potty - and RUN for the potty chair or toilet! lol
Just be patient, and remember that kids love getting praise - so make a VERY big deal of each accomplishment!
Good luck!
~ M. ~

Being very smart doesn't make her ready. If it has taken this long already, it's time to back off and wait. She is obviously not ready. I have 4 kids of my own also and each one of them, no matter how smart they are, learned to use the potty at different ages ranging from 2 to 3-1/2 years old. You must wait until they have an interest in learning the potty and then let them lead the way. "Potty training" is actually more suitedly called "Mommy training" b/c the Mom has decided that it is time for the child to be out of diapers and they run them to the bathroom every 30 minutes to see if they have to go. However, a child has a built in radar that tells them to make the changes when they are truly ready. At that time, they will begin to take it upon themselves to use the big potty. I have seen it work time and time again. You just have to be available when they tell you, and they will tell you. It usually only takes 1-2 weeks for them to wean from diapers. I haven't had to "train" a child yet. No child will be in diapers forever, but they could end up in them longer if they are "pushed" to use the potty too soon.
My suggestion is to relax, and let her get ready in her own time. It will happen...don't worry.

T.
Child of God
Wife of a wonderful husband
Mom of 4 wonderful children
Ages 20 down to 2

There is always the sticker chart idea. Aside from the reward of pottying (which is more for you than her, right now) it will provide an incentive for her to go. If you and her mother agree on any other type of reward (a single M&M for example) that might work, too. She would only get the reward (sticker or M&M or whatever you use) when she actually USES it successfully. In other words, no reward for just going and sitting with nothing happening. Don't make a big deal if she goes a LOT with no results at first. That is her being excited to earn the reward... but as she is thinking about using it, her awareness will grow, and she will begin to go only when she thinks something might actually be going to happen (pee or poop)... and reward for EVERY time it does... poopy dances are fine (actually they are great) for kids who tend toward negativity about using the potty. But a tangible reward she can earn with stickers, or instant gratification with a small treat, will get her motivated to think to go on her own without you being the one to instigate each and every trip to the potty. Reward only when she pees/poops in the potty.. just trying without accomplishing anything should only get praise for the attempt and a "better luck next time" comment. Good luck. She sounds pretty bright. My daughter trained early and quickly too. She was just "ready"...