Potty training DD! Sorry about length!

I need the wonderful expertise and advice of you ladies in regards to potty training my DD. She is turning 18 months in 3 weeks and is recently loving all things potty related. She likes to watch DH and I use the potty, gives us toilet paper after we go and say "all done", loves to flush the toilet as she waves and says "bye bye" to the pee. She also will tell me when she poops and pees in her diapers. She'll point to her vagina when she peed and will point to her butt and say "poo poo" when she makes a BM. I think she's ready to be introduced to potty training but I have no idea how to do it. I know there's a 3 day method many people use, but I have so many questions! Do I put her in underwear? Pull-ups? Do I buy a mini kid potty that goes on the floor of the bathroom or should I just buy something for her to be able to use our toilet (I know they sell the small kids seat that goes under the seat for their teeny tushies). In that case do I just pick her up and put her on the potty? Or is there like a step stool to get herself up there? So sorry for all the questions. I was anticipating that I had more time to look into this all and am surprised at the fact I'm doing this with an (almost) 18 month old. Thank you so much, everyone!

Potty training DD! Sorry about length!

The 3 day method is recommended for children 22 months and over. As for her interest, that's normal at that age. Doesn't necessarily mean she's ready for potty training. As for the potty, that's a personal pref and you'll have to see what your dd likes. My dd would only use her mini Elmo potty and wouldn't want to go on the ring that goes on the potty at first.

We did the 3 day method. It worked bc she was ready. We took her to store to pick out her underwear. Then 3 days of just underwear (or none) in the house.

Re: Potty training DD! Sorry about length!

At 18 months old I'd probably just buy a potty seat and let her sit on the toilet before bath time just to get her interested in the idea. Likely she's still too young to really try potty training, but she should be in a few months. For now, just make it a fun thing to try...and if she really does pee in the potty, make a big deal of it so she knows she did the right thing.

Re: Potty training DD! Sorry about length!

Potty training DD! Sorry about length!

The book oh crap potty training is fantastic. We trained dd a week before she turned 2, but that was more so bc of our own needs with timing (me finishing the school year, a 9 hour drive to Maine for vacation). I think she would have been fine in the 18+ range.

Eta: we never used pull ups, and we skipped a kid toilet. I also didn't push for sleep training her-she still wear a diaper at night and if she takes a nap.

Message edited 10/18/2016 10:43:44 AM.

Potty training DD! Sorry about length!

I'm on take 2 or 3 with dd today. She'll be two next month. I would say take a casual approach as a pp suggested or if you're going to go all in be patient and pick a time where you can really be dedicated and focused 100%.

With my first, I went with the casual approach and nothing came of it. She was ready physically and verbal enough to do it but taking her lead didn't really get us anywhere and she ended up training easily but not until 3.

With my second I'm trying to take advantage of her interest and the fact that she's easier to tell what to do than a 2 or 3yo! We're on day one with some decent progress already. We had a good breakfast and I do regret not getting myself ready first lol. She's in just a shirt so I can catch her going easier and I have a small potty nearby. I'm watching closely nonstop to learn her warning signs and get her to the potty quickly. She gets praise and a treat for each time we get any in the potty. Hopefully tomorrow we can add undies. Early, we had a lot of little pees bc she wasn't fully releasing but now she's getting it. I sat her on the big potty (we have the built in seat) during one pee and she loved it. She released more when I prompted her a few times so she definitely has the control to go on demand which should help. If she likes the big potty that's fine by me, easier clean up. We have the fp froggy potty which is great too bc we travel with it for car emergencies.

Re: Potty training DD! Sorry about length!

It's tough on a parenting forum because everyone is going to have different experiences they used. There is no right or wrong way to potty train your child.

because she is young I think you can kind of gauge it as you go. Definitely start with getting either a small potty or a ring for your potty. Ask her if she wants to go, but only if it is going to be a positive experience. My DD showed interest in us going to the bathroom way before she was ready to sit and go. I listened to her. Because I did it slowly, over several months, when she was ready, she was ready! She has had 3 pee accidents total.

Poop has been a different animal all itself because before she was potty trained she got a terrible rash which hurt so bad she started to withhold. She can still withhold for 5-6 days and then go 4-7 times on day 6-7. She has a lot of poop accidents because she is trying not to go and just can't keep it in any longer.

Potty training DD! Sorry about length!

My daughter was the exact same way at that age. She even went a couple of times but she was definitely not ready. We did keep a potty in the bathroom for her and she used it primarily as a stepstool to brush her teeth.

At 28 months (beginning of July), I got her a new potty, one she picked out herself, and made a chart, got stickers, a treasure chest that I filled with cheap little prizes and small pieces of candy (this was her favorite prize bc she never gets to eat candy). 5 pees or 2 poops = prize of choice. She did really well but she still had accidents in her pull-ups or if her underwear if she was wearing them. She eventually stopped asking for stickers or prizes when she went potty and we were stuck. Then my dad got her a potty watch when she was just about 30 months (September). She went from partially trained to all but nighttime trained in a week! The potty watch was a total hit. We started off at 30 mins, then moved to 60, and then 90 minutes. She suddenly started telling us when she had to go, even while playing or in the car. It's been 6 weeks since she got the potty watch and she's had maybe 1 or 2 accidents and wakes up dry about 75% of the time (still in pull-ups at night). She's even woken up a couple of times at night to go to the bathroom. She stopped wearing the watch about 2-3 weeks ago.

Praise also worked really well, just as well if not better than stickers and prizes. We make a big deal whenever she goes.