Potty in Da House
About three weeks ago, Gracie started telling me when she had to go potty. It took me a day or two to figure out what was going on, but she was pretty clear.
“POOOOOOPY!” she’d yell, and then she’d grab her bottom and start dancing around.
After the third time, I finally caught on. (I’m slow on the uptake sometimes…) She wasn’t able to tell me before she actually went, though. Usually, she’d tell me just after and she would demand a diaper change. “Poopy, Mommy. Poopy die-py.”
I started praising her like crazy when I realized what was going on. I remembered that this was the first indication that a toddler might be ready to start potty training. She’s becoming aware of the sensation – all good.
So, she’d tell me she had a dirty diaper, and then I’d go sit her on the potty before I changed her. Sometimes she was okay with that. Sometimes it freaked her out. Though, she does do better when Bean’s in there. I think he keeps her entertained while she sits there. I’m not expecting her to go yet, but I want her to get the feel of sitting on a potty and Bean really helps that.
Last week, I started noticing that now when Gracie tells me she has to go potty, she hasn’t actually gone yet. Which means she is inching closer and closer to actual potty training because she can tell when she needs to go potty now. I’m getting ready to buy her a little potty training seat for Christmas. I threw out Bean’s a while ago, and she doesn’t like sitting on the big potty by herself. I’m hoping a good little Elmo seat will do wonders for that part. Gracie is a sucker for Elmo.
I’m seriously contemplating potty training her for real the week after Christmas. We’ll be home, company will be gone, and I really don’t think it’s going to take Gracie a long time. She’ll be 21 months old. I actually have no idea what the legit age is for potty training. I haven’t looked that up yet. We go with the theory that kids pretty much let you know when they’re ready, and I think Gracie is letting us know.
I’m beyond excited. It will be the last baby expense we cut from our budget. (And all God’s children said, “AMEN!”) I’m also excited because I’m tired of washing Spider Man and Thomas the Train underwear. I’m ready for a few princesses and Care Bears in my white loads! Pink makes everything more fun!
10 Comments
Breann
My son just turned 2 – and sometimes he will say “Poop!” but nothing has happened. Other times we can ask him if he pooped and he will say yes or no (but he isn’t always right.) I know the school is sitting him on the potty at each diaper change. I wonder if it’s time for us to start? Any advice on potty training boys????
Mae
I’m so excited for you (weird I know since we don’t know each other)! My daughter started telling me “poo poo” when she was around 18 months, but after she went in her diaper. Like you, I’d sit in her on the potty, but she never went. She has since stopped telling me and often runs away from me when I tell her it’s time to change her diaper. She’s 19 months old now, but I think (or rather hope) that by March she will be ready. Crossing my fingers for Gracie and you!
Christy
Girls are so advanced in that area… Before you know it, everyone in the house will be taking care of business independently. Time flies…wasn’t Gracie born like, yesterday? (sorry….that’s how I feel).
Katy @ monsterproof
My 18m/o son has had a lovely habit for a couple months, actually of holding it, telling you he has a dirty diaper, then as soon as he’s naked, he runs away and pees or poops on the floor. I have a potty sitting out, and we talk about it, but it seems so early, and we’ve had no success (he did pee on TOP of it once, but….yeah). Need to start trying.
Julie
Do it! I potty trained my daughter at 22 months. She was ready earlier but I just had my son. It took her about 3 days and she was trained. Good luck.
Amie C
Good luck! I think working with her after Christmas while you’re at home and can focus on it is a great idea. My second daughter turned 2 in October and has been talking about and asking the sit on the potty for months, so I decided to go hardcore with it at Thanksgiving when we were mostly home for several days. She says she needs to go potty, tells us when she needs to be changed, and sits on the potty really well–but has only actually peed in it like 3 times. I was a little heartbroken that she didn’t take to it as quickly as I thought she would, but you’re right, they’ll do it when they’re ready and not a moment before. I’m not sweating it. For now, we do our best to drop everything and take her when she says she needs to go potty, and we’re using pullups to make that a little easier, but we’re not forcing it.
Kat
P tells us when she has to go poop mostly because it’s hard for her to pass it, overshare and totally something we’re trying to work out with our pediatrician. But being preggers and all I’m just not ready. Is that mean? To make her wait to go to the potty until I’m the one that’s ready? I hope not because I’m totally not potty training her.
rachel
Both of my kids (girl & boy) were potty trained before age 2. We have video of our daughter dancing & cheering because she went on the potty, and she has a cast on her leg in the video. She wore a cast for about 2 weeks when she was 18 months old. I remember being surprised that my son was done by 2 because I had heard boys were harder to train & don’t even think about it until he’s 3. Neither of my kids were hard to train, and I didn’t stress about it (which I think is key). When they’re ready, they’re ready. Of course, it’s been over 10 years since either of them was in diapers, so my memory may be foggy. =) Good luck! What are you going to do with all the $$ you save on diapers? hahahaha
Lori @ I Can Grow People
Don’t go by age–go by when she is ready. I started pushing Porter around age 2 and he just ended up fighting me really hard (he is SO stubborn and my pushing made him rebel.) She sounds like she is ready (and I hear girls are far easier to train than boys!)
Susanne@babyhuddle
Yay, clever girl! I just got one out of nappies and have one left to go- well, she’s only 9 months so I have a while yet 😀 I found my first 2 to be so different. My eldest was dry day and night by 18 months but my son was 2.5 before he would even think about it!
xx