Potty training for a 13-month-old boy
As a stay-at-home dad, I have a few hours each day when I can jump online and connect with the world. One of my favorite spots, including this site, is AtHomeDad.org. Here I am able to discuss issues relavent to parenting (e.g., dynamics of play dates, eating (or not)), or issues relevant to stay-at-home dads. Well, I happened to come across a posting last week entitled, "distress on the changing table." Essentially, dad was having a hard time with a rambunctious child. Many of us chimed in with advice; yet, one post struck me the most. There was one dad who decided to give potty training a try for a child that was roughly less than 1 year (I think...).
Anyway, I was quite skeptical since most children are potty trained between the ages of 18 mos and 3 years of age. Besides, at our 12-month ped visit, our ped suggested that we try when our son reaches 18 months. Yet, I couldn't get this notion out of my head. Is it possible to train a child so young to use the toilet? Hmmm. I was intrigued.
After coming back from breakfast yesterday, our son appeared to be having a BM as we were getting him out of the car. I checked his diaper, but it was clean. Just for the heck of it, I took the diaper off and placed my boy on the toilet. After about 15 to 20 seconds, he pooped! I couldn't believe it...
I haven't had an opportunity to place him on the toilet again. After yesterday's "event," we were either too busy or he was too tired. Today, I plan to place him on the toilet for a few minutes every couple of hours to see if he gets the idea.
I will keep you posted on our progress.
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Potty Training Program for babies as young as 12 months
Hi Mike and Michael!
Until the invention of the disposable diaper, 95% of all American babies were potty trained by 18 months. The comfort and convenience of disposable diapers made it easy for parents to wait. Pediatricians were lobbied by diaper companies to support the "wait until your baby is ready" approach to potty training. Today, most children don't potty train until they are 3 - and 25% are still not trained until they are 4. The diaper companies just released a size 7 diaper to fit a child who is over 40 pounds. That's the average weight of a 5 or 6 year old!
So your hunch about early potty training is right - and I am happy to see that you are giving it a try! The truth is that babies are physically and emotionally ready to potty train before they turn 2. In fact, it's much easier to potty train when your child is naturally more cooperative and likes to imitate adult behavior. Potty training is much harder after the onset of the "terrible twos".
Early potty training can save you money and help the environment, but best of all, it will give your baby's self esteem a huge boost as he takes this important step toward becoming a big kid.
There's a new program designed especially for potty training kids before the age of two that utilizes simple sign language to help your baby "tell" you when he needs to go. For more info, visit www.PottyTrainWithBabySigns.com.
hey...thanks for the feedback!
It is not surprising to hear that the diaper industry would go as far as creating a market for itself. However, given the trend over the last 30 to 40 years of having two working parents, or single-parent homes, it's not surprising to see this market create itself out of necessity.
Potty-training Update: we sit on the toilet two to three times each day. The second day, we had a little trickle of pee, but nothing significant. Fortunately, I am patient.
18 Months I wish
I too am now a stay at home father/Dad. I have a 7 (very soon to be 8) year old that has austim. After getting her in Dec of 07. I made it a point in my life to teach her. 7 months later she is now going to bed without a diaper and for the most part dry. I have learn that if she asked for a diaper just givn in. She seem to know when she is going to wet the bed.
When I got her back in Dec she was using 18 a day, I got it down to 3 a day 3 months ago, then 1 a night, till last month. I did this by using a timer, every hour on the hour it would go off and the potty would talk, saying it wanted to eat. Ya Ya hay it work. I took it off after what happen one night. She went to bed and I forgot to turn off all the timers. The timer went off, I got up to turn it off. She got out of bed and was on the potty and the potty talked to her. After that the potty never talked again (yes I had to replace the potty).
One last little bit, after going a week without wetting the bed. She got me up to say I am dry and wanted to call everyone in the family but one person. I need to now work on what to do with that one person.
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