Tuesday, April 17, 2012

It is time....

It's starting.

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I think that I am a little stupid. I'm not 100% sure if its the right time.... But I've decided to start to toilet train Georgie. I must admit, it feels a little early, she's only 21 months old. But I've seen kids toilet train at 15 months, and others wait until they're 3. I know children toilet train when they're ready, regardless of age. And it does seem like she is ready, even if I'm not.

I've helped toilet train many children before when I worked in childcare. But it's a whole different kettle of fish when its my child. When it's all on me. It's hard when we have to do it in real life. Not in a controlled child-centered place. But everywhere. In the car, over at a friends house, when we're shopping.... when it comes to that I have no clue.

Basically I thought we would just try for a month, before it gets too cold. Hopefully it will happen quicker than that. My plan is to put Georgie in undies just at home for the beginning, but when we go out, she can wear pull-ups. I will take her to the toilet as often as she wants to. I will ask her if she needs to go often, and I will try really hard to watch her for signals. I know it could be hard with a baby as well, but I'm determined to try.

We will use the potty at home because that's what she's used to, and she's already been using it with a little success, and she is still quite little to reach the toilet. Plus if I have my hands full with Charlie there is less risk of her falling off the toilet and hurting herself.

I would use treats, but Georgie isn't really into 'treat food'. She's not a big fan of sweet foods like chocolate or lollies (no idea how that happened!). Her favorite food is probably cheese. But I thought I might get some stickers to use as a reward and see if they work. I have no idea how this is going to go, but we can only try right?

 So do you have any toilet training tips or advice for me? How did you toilet train your tiny people?

I'm linking up with the awesome Jess from Diary of a SAHM for #IBOT. Why not come check out some of the other bloggers who blog on Tuesdays? And say hi to Jess while you're at it!





Just as a side note, did you also imagine the baboon from the Lion King saying 'It is time!' when you read that title? I totally did when I wrote it. (Yes, I am nuts.)

10 comments:

  1. Let her eat cheese then!
    My biggest tip, is to try and do it intensively at home for 2-3 days. Tell her what's going to happen with a teddy or doll and put them on the potty, and reward the doll (but she gets the reward.) Then make her as thirsty as possible. Cheese, chips, juice, whatever, just so long as she is drinking a lot so you get lots of chances to practice.
    If she is ready, she will have it down pat in three days, if not, then just wait a few months and try again. She may even start going on her own because she will understand the whole idea.
    Good luck! I tried with Ava a couple of weeks ago but she wasn't quite ready yet. I'm not too worried. She will get there in her own time. :)

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  2. Oh wow!!! I was going to start toilet training this week - MissC is 2yrs 8 months. However she is going through a biting, pinching, hitting stage (mainly directed at her lil brother) so the constant getting upset because she's getting in trouble is making toilet training hard. Plus with MasterS in the crawling/getting into everything stage having a potty is just out of the question. So I am having to wait until things calm down - she stops being so naughty and Im not telling her off 90% of the day and then I will train her straight with the toilet. I do plan on having her toilet trained by the time she is 3.. but odds are I might start when she is 3.

    Good luck! Be patient and praise her often!


    #teamIBOT

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  3. We have just started a "Special Toilet Chart" that sits on the back of the toilet door. Every time she uses the toilet/potty she is lavished with praise and gets to choose a "special sticker" to put on the chart. To begin, 3 stickers means a "treat" (like a relatively inexpensive little toy, or a set of crayons or something she likes), then we're stretching it out to 5 stickers before a treat etc... We're doing the same - she's just in undies round the house. I sometimes feel like I am cleaning up more pee than is going into the toilet... but it's for the greater good!!! Good luck :)

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  4. Oh I so know how it feels to think they're ready, but be unsure. I thought my Miss 2 and I was ready, but I discovered neither of us are- so I am waiting.

    Good luck on your toilet training adventure, from a new reader thanks to IBOT.

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  5. I have boys, and we taught them to wee on the lemon tree - once they could wee standing up, it was quick!!

    Also, every child is different. With my first we had a start chart, but that didn't work with my second. With my first, we talked to him & let him choose the reward he earned, that way it was a real incentive for him.

    Good luck.

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  6. I use rewards - an M&M or even a stamp on her hand. This is my 4th that I'm toilet training, and I am very, very relaxed this time around! With all mine, I've always done a few intensive days at home - make sure they're thirsty, give them drinks and then regular times on the toilet. I never used a potty - I wanted them to learn on the toilet from the start. Good luck! And if it's too stressful, stop and wait a few weeks before you try again. She'll get it soon enough.

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  7. Gosh, I just gave us on this today. I've been trying for a few days with my 3.5 year old (my first three were 4-4.5 when they started using the toilet). The reason I stopped with my 3.5 year old is because he seems to know who to hold it in - he's a master at that. But he doesn't seem to know how to 'let it out' when he needs to. We were both getting a bit stressed about it and everything I read said it's hard for kids to go when they are stressed. At least I did get him to wee on the loo (a few drops each time) three times, and we've never managed that before (I tried a year ago, and six months ago)... I expect it'll all click before Christmas though... He's hoping because by then I will have been changing nappies EVERY DAY for 13.5 years... Hmmm...

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  8. Apparently, I've toilet trained 3 kids, yet I've never really known what TO DO. There's a lot of info on readiness, and also a lot on what NOT TO DO when there's an accident, but rarely do you see suggestions like, "Try undies for a few hours, explain to them that undies don't really like wee in them and we try to put all our wee in the potty/toilet, then sit them on every X minutes ..."

    However in my research I have realised why there's so much info on readiness. You're right - it seems that kids won't be trained until their urinary systems are matured enough. So I love the comments from parents who say, "We tried, but he/she didn't seem ready so we stopped and we'll try again in a little while."

    Some of these No-Fail Toilet Training routines make it sound like if you do it right, you will succeed, regardless of readiness. Bunch of dummies. Georgie could well be ready though - all the best to you both!

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  9. Your daughter sounds like she is ready so just go with the flow (no pun intended LOL).

    My son was just over 2 1/2 before he potty trained - it was just after his sister was born and hubster was on holidays for 6 weeks - hubster was actually the one who trained him!

    Daughter would ditch her nappy at about 18 or 20 months so I trained her. I think girls are quicker to develop the necessary control, plus she had the example of her big brother to follow ...

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