tell me about potty training...

[v-girl]

I suck at potty training. Oldest was 3.5 yrs old. Second was 2.5, but will need therapy at some point since I used the "don't pee on the princesses" method of potty training. Third (the boy) is almost 49 months. And still in pull-ups. We're getting there though. We have good days (only wets his pull-up 1-2 times) and bad days (goes through 5-6 pull-ups).

[alison]

So it is definitely very early.

Dd poops twice a day, so when she was trying to get up the stairs by herself and telling me "poofa," that meant that she needed to go poop a third time today. I brought her upstairs because I thought I'd smelled something in her diaper (a fart most likely) and when I opened her diaper up, there was nothing--and then it all started coming out. Lovely.

I wouldn't even know where to start... Do I buy one of those potties

[alison]

Oops--clicked on submit before I was done.

I guess I'll read up on potty training and just call this all a fluke for now!

[diggitydot]

We initially bought and tried a small potty and DS haaaated the thing. He quickly refused to use it and would only go on the big potty.

[migirl]

That's funny, 'cause I started with one of those seats that fits over the big potty (didn't really have tons of space in the bathroom for a little potty, plus I really didn't want to have to clean the thing!!), but ended up inheriting a little potty chair from a friend which DS#1 ended up liking better.

Just like everything else in parenting, every kid is soooo different!!

[houseelf]

Wow, some of you all have some potty training prodigies. Mine have been more than happy to sit in their own excrement until an almost embarrassing age.

[spotty_dog]

Take my two cents for what they're worth, which is about $.02. After a huge sample size of two, I've formulated a theory of potty training: introduce a little potty (Baby Bjorn or IKEA) early, like 18 months unless you're doing EC, then start when they can sit up. Start using potty words when you see them going, so that they can associate the action of voiding with the vocabulary. But *don't* push it until they're getting closer to 3 and/or are motivated by "being a big kid". Do give them plenty of chances to sit on the big toilet as well as the little potty, because they need to learn to balance up there if they're ever going to use guest bathrooms and public bathrooms.

That said both of mine potty trained between 2 and 2.5 with minimal active input from me. (We got a video from the library called Potty Power that jump-started N). They used the toilet more and the diaper less until they were either refusing the diaper or keeping it dry in between potty breaks. Then I put 'em in underwear, at which point it was two steps forward and one back: accidents enough to make me revert to diapers for a while, then weeks of dryness.

We are changing a LOT of pants lately even though N has been "trained" for over a month, but at least it's only wet and not poop pants! *knock wood* She's hitting a phase where it's a control issue and she doesn't want to go to the potty when I tell her to, but instead has an accident as she rushes to the bathroom 15 minutes later. Sigh.

[alison]

What am I looking for?!?!
There are so many potties out there--my head is spinning!

Do I get her a small pot? Or a bigger chair-style potty (I've read reviews for the Bjorn chair that says the rim of the seat digs into the tushies of smaller toddlers. And my toddler is itty-bitty. She's the weight of your average 13-month old).

Am I putting too much thought into this...?

[v-girl]

Target has a cute one that looks like a frog. It's cute, cheap, and she can use the bowl as a hat if she doesn't want to sit on it.

[diggitydot]

Way overthinking it. Our DD2 is itty bitty (she's 11 and the size of the average 2nd or 3rd grader) and she was fine with a regular-sized training potting or a smaller toilet seat insert and a step stool to hike herself up there.

Do whatever will work best for your amount of space.

[alison]

Ok, ok! I'll stop obsessing!

There's a small bathroom next to her room, so she can pee all over it if she wants. I think I'll get her a potty for now, since I'm not super comfortable with her getting up and down from a step stool. She just learned how to walk 3 months ago, after all.

[SuzySunshine]

Take her to the store and let her pick out the potty whatever that may be. My sister has one for my niece that plays music, that would have driven me nuts. A used the little potty for about a week and then she wanted to use the big potty so she does. Do whatever is comfortable.

[MrsK]

Somehow, a potty that doubles as a hat does not sound like a plus for me.

[v-girl]

He didn't actually use it as a potty. My boy is too big for the little potties. LOL

[DCJenn]

I'm still scarred from the potty-training issue. He was just about 3 and a half when it finally stuck. Mrs. Cindy, she of the long blonde hair at Crunchy School exerted her magical ways with him and he was putty in her hands.

Jenn