Too Young to Potty Train?

Updated on July 09, 2011
L.H. asks from Oklahoma City, OK
22 answers

My daughter is 14 1/2 months old and has recently started taking her diaper off whenever it's "dirty". All the no's and "don't take your diaper off please" don't seem to deter her. She isn't walking without support yet, so I'm wondering: Should we start working on potty training or should I just duct tape her diaper shut or just make sure she's always wearing pants that she can't easily take off? If she was walking I'd be all for starting the potty training process, but as it is I'm a little lost.

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So What Happened?

As for immediately, we're just keeping her in pants that she can't remove and if she figures that out we'll have to try out duct tape. She's able to walk just holding on to one of us with one hand so it won't be very long before she's walking on her own! We've decided to wait until she walks to start any real attempt at potty training. But we're going to go ahead and get her a potty and I'll take her in the bathroom with me so she can start feeling comfortable sitting on it. Also, thanks to the responses I've been narrating what I'm doing more when I change her. Just in the last 2 days she has learned to say "diaper" and "poop" and understands what they mean. Hopefully that'll make things easier when it is finally time to potty train! Thanks for all the helpful suggestions!

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K.R.

answers from Seattle on

she seems eager so go with it!! At least to start learning the basics, introducing the chair could be a fun idea for her, This could work out really well!!! Wearing pants like you said in the meantime could help with keeping the diaper on until you start really getting into the training (once she is a stronger walker)... But she is probably ready to start trying and learning some of it :) Best of luck! I LOVE the duct tape thought!

6 moms found this helpful

C.M.

answers from Washington DC on

I started my daughter at 16 months old, so 14 1/2 months old I think is fine as long as she is ready. My daughter was fully day and night time potty trained by the time she had her 2nd birthday. She has never had an accident at night even and she is 6 years old now.

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A.A.

answers from Las Vegas on

It's time:)
I had my daughter potty trained at 12 months....
Good luck!

4 moms found this helpful
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S.W.

answers from Minneapolis on

Try it with no pressure. Some are ready really early. She'll be walking very soon!

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K.U.

answers from Detroit on

If she's not even walking independently, I wouldn't even bother - she would need to be able to get herself to the potty, be expected to pull her pants down, seat herself, to a reasonable job wiping, and then pull the pants up. And be able to hold her pee and poop until she got there. I think it will be an exercise in frustration and will turn into one of those "I've been potty training my kid for 2 years and she still isn't trained yet!" posts that are on here sometimes. I would use duct tape and onsies or pants that she cannot easily undo herself - and change her as soon as there is a mess in there. Hopefully it's just a phase that will pass and she'll be ready for true potty training when she is between 2 and 3.

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J.C.

answers from Anchorage on

I started with my boys when they expressed an interest, but for this they need to be able to talk (at least to say potty) and to walk. Once she gets the walking down than I think you should be good to go.

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S.G.

answers from Dallas on

I'd say she's old enough if she's acknowledging it!

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V.M.

answers from Cleveland on

my grandma used to always tell me --(grumpy old lady voice)--people wait too long these days to potty train kids, IN MY DAY there were none of these manby pamby disposable diapers, We'd hold their little butts over the pot if they werent' walking yet.grumble grumble grumble.

I say go for it. I'm guessing she will start walking very soon, and it's a heck of alot easier to flush poop than have to deal with disposign of a messy diaper. Keep it low pressure and I bet she'll be fine.

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C.P.

answers from Provo on

The main thing with potty training is that you need to let the kids take control. My daughter was not even a year yet and she was using the potty. I kept her in diapers though and then when she started walking all of her previous knowledge came back to her and everything went really fast.

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L.G.

answers from Detroit on

I think this sounds like she doesn't like the feeling of a dirty diaper, but she is too young physiologically to potty train. That combined with her not walking, what's the point? You'd still have to take her to the bathroom, and she most likely cannot communicate with you about it either. She may be ready at a younger than average age, but I doubt she's ready now.

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K.W.

answers from Seattle on

Yes, you can potty train her. Sounds like she's ready and interested. Check out the book "Elimination Communication: the gentle wisdom of natural infant hygiene." My daughter pooped in the toilet for the first time at age 3 days and was out of diapers at 15 months.

A.D.

answers from Norfolk on

i think it would be a great time to start introducing her to the potty, but keep it VERY low pressure (meaning don't expect her to never have accidents--she will have tons of them). We started introducing my son at 12 months by getting him his own little froggy potty and putting him on it whenever he followed us into the bathroom. At home, let her run around naked so she gets used to the feelings of NEEDING to go and actually seeing it coming out. You will probably be setting yourself up for a lot of frustration if you go diaper-free on outings for a long time though. My son would always use the potty at home and is just recently completely potty trained (at 2.5 years old) and hasn't had an accident in a month. Hope this helps!

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B.G.

answers from Birmingham on

If you decide not to potty train yet and want to keep her diaper on her, put her diaper on backwards. That should be enough to keep her from taking it off!

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G.B.

answers from Oklahoma City on

No, put a onsie on her. She does not have the cognitive ability to do anything more than perhaps get lucky every now and then. All kids start discovering their diapers around this time and it is not a sign of being ready for potty training.

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K.A.

answers from Enid on

This sounds like my son at that age. I introduced him to the potty and kept him in onesies. He couldn't take them off and they also didn't interfere with the training. It was a win-win situation!

C.S.

answers from Kansas City on

Well since she isn't walking yet, I suggest that you go ahead and tape the diapers on. It may not be that she's ready for the potty and may be just that she's realized she knows how to remove them and thinks it is fun. :) HTH

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P.M.

answers from Portland on

ere's a wonderful, informative website you might find helpful. It gives a few variations on"readiness" checklists, plus tips on various training strategies, the best ages to start them, and the advantages and disadvantages of each approach: http://www.parentingscience.com/toilet-training-readiness...

M.L.

answers from Houston on

My kids (or most i know) weren't ready at that age. But I do know maybe one or two children that were. You could always try it, but I wouldn't force it. Especially since she isn't even walking yet.

B.W.

answers from Minneapolis on

Heck not its not too young! Do some research on elimination communication. With our oldest son we started at 18 mos nad he was out of diapers and bathroom independent except for wiping after #2 by 24mos. With our younger son, we started much earlier, by 6 months he was only pooping in the toilet (not a diaper) and by 9 months he could sign potty and was dry all night and slept without a diaper, by a year he could get himself into the potty to pee (he was walking and used a step). He was totally out of diapers day and night by 15months, at home and out of the house.

our daughter came home from Ukraine at 3yrs old totally not potty trained. We waited a month and then started an while she had the concept down itw as miserable training her. The earlier the better!

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J.S.

answers from San Francisco on

That might be a bit young but it all depends on if your daughter gets it or not & as long as you do not force it on her then you should be pretty good. Here is a great potty training guide you can refer to though if you need some ideas:

http://www.skinnyscoop.com/list/eden/tips-for-potty-train...

B.C.

answers from Norfolk on

Some kids go through a getting undressed stage.
They seem to be able to bare it all in no time flat.
Try putting the diaper on her backwards.
You can also put her in a onesie or overalls that she can't get out of.
Some kids train on the early side, but it's rare.
I just never wanted to deal with poop/pee everywhere so I waited till they were potty training in day care before I started dealing with it at home with my son.
He was trained at 3 1/2.

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S.L.

answers from Savannah on

i at most would buy a potty and introduce it casually (put her on it several times a day). if she catches on, then great. but if not, then just wait another 6 months till she's walking atleast. i personally never thought of potty training before 24 months.

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