I've always envisioned Jacen being potty trained early. It wasn't because I wanted him to just be ahead of everyone, but it was also for monetary reasons and facts I knew before I researched the topic. Therefore, for his birthday, I went out and got him a potty, and he got it as a birthday present (here's a picture of it to the left).I knew potty training early could be done. My paternal grandma, for example, potty trained my dad when he was just 6 months old!!! Although I think that's a little extreme (it was, however, exciting for her- she didn't have to wash any more nasty cloth diapers!), I researched early potty training. I even read a book about it, which my co-workers will testify of it!!! As I combed the internet looking for answers, I found the facts about potty training and its history.
So it looks like back in the 1800's parents potty trained their kids when they were very young, between 6-12 months of age. That's just how it got done, and it was all hunky doorey. There was no such thing as a disposable diaper, and who wanted to be washing cloth diapers without the amazing cleaning products we have on store shelves today?! Not me, that's for sure! So it just happened early for everyone. THEN in the mid 1900's, the disposable diaper was invented. ALELUIA, praise the heavens, right?! Well, yeah, but then parents figured "why potty train when you can just change a diaper? It's so much easier!" Also, about that time, the women began going out into the work force, so it just didn't really get done as early as it had been in the previous centuries. Research has been done on this, and they have found that as the disposable diaper became more absorbent, the age of babies being potty trained was even older! You can do any research on this and find the average age babies are beginning to potty train are 20 months for girls and 31 months for boys. WOW!!!
There was a pediatrician back around the time disposable diapers were invented (for the life of me I cannot remember his name, and I can't find it on the internet for some reason), began saying that we needed to wait until kids showed interest and some signs of wanting to potty train. That's awesome because then you KNOW for a fact you won't be wasting any time with the process, but then why is it back in the day it was done early, and now it's not? Interesting, eh?
I could go on and on about this, but to make a long story short: I even took the time to ask people on message boards on parenting and potty training about potty training early. I got criticized and ridiculed for thinking such things! Then I asked a few people I knew about it, and I even had people laugh at me, or just go very quiet because they really thought there was just NO WAY I could EVER get my baby to potty train. Right?! Uhhh... no!
I decided to show people I really could get my baby to go on the potty. The first day (Easter) I had him look at it and even sat him on it while I was getting his bath ready for him. He absolutely LOVED it!!! We took pictures but decided not to post it- one day it WILL be used as black mail though LOL. Anyway. He obviously didn't do anything in it. The following day, Monday morning, I took him right after breakfast, and lo and behold: #1 and #2!!!! Then in the afternoon, #1 again! Tuesday we didn't have much luck, but wednesday we got #2 in the morning then #1 in the afternoon! Well, you get the point, right?
So my question is for anyone who's willing to have a discussion about this because I know it can become a heated topic: why is it that in these past few decades we have been potty training our kids later? Is it because of what society is doing or is it because we're just waiting and waiting for those signs to show up?
At this point I'm not being very agressive with the process quite yet just because really getting a child to potty train involves having naked time around the house, and it's just not warm yet. So I'm really gonna try hard this summer to have him mostly potty trained by Christmas. Call me crazy, but I'm going to try!
11 comments:
I don't know the answer to your question and I just barely started potty training Brooke only because she's VERY interested. She's 20 months old. She hasn't done anything yet but she loves sitting on the potty, wiping, flushing the toilet and washing her hands. Oh, by the way, I bought her the same potty you have. She hates it, though! She has to feel like a big girl and sit on the real potty and not let us touch her so she's almost fallen in a few times. I think it's great that you're trying. You know you're baby better than anyone. I think you have a great attitude about it. I think the problem is when parents force it on their kids and then become really disappointed when it doesn't happen. I haven't been very aggressive with Brooke just because I've been so busy lately and I'm not a huge fan of potty training so I'm just going with her flow. Good Luck with everything! I miss you!
I'm impressed that you have the ambition to try, I don't think either Alex or I are close to ready yet. Good luck, I'll be anxious to hear how it all goes.
That's interesting about kids being potty trained from 6-12 months. Good luck with the whole process. Let me know how it goes...I just might want to try it on David.
That was a very informative Post! I had no idea that kids were potty trained much earlier back in the day. That definitely changes the way I think about it...You have inspired me to go out and buy a potty. If Devin shows any interest in it, we'll give it a try--If not we'll just try again in a few months. My son is one of the most stubborn creatures on this planet, he does things on HIS TERMS ONLY. So we'll see. Thanks for the info!
I'm not a parent or anything, but I do have nephews and a niece. I think parents are waiting longer because they want their child to be walking before they potty train because then it isn't such a hassle for the parents...then the child can just walk in the bathroom and take care of everything themselves, not having to wait for someone to help them. Plus, I think it's just a lot of hard work trying to potty train and baby, so people just wait as long as possible to avoid the hard work. Just some thoughts...but I don't really have any good answers
Oh no I LOVE your answers! It is a hassle to potty train Jacen just because he doesn't really know what's going on and he can't really tell me that he needs to go. But I think the more we do it, and if we do it regularly, his body will get a clue and will start emptying out at regular intervals (that's mostly for BMs), then I'll be able to take him when he does need to go, until he's able to tell me he needs to go. At first I didn't even want to try a potty because I didn't want to have to clean it up, but I figured how in the world will he get all the way up on the potty if he can't climb? So I gave in and bought a little potty. And it's so cute, I couldn't resist!
Also, replying to Kim's comment: it does backfire BIG time if you force it down, and one of the things I learned to do is to be so positive about the whole thing. If he ever shows signs of being upset or starts whining while we are on the potty we're immediately outta there. I dont want him to associate potty time to being upset.
Potty training is the worst. Having a new baby in the house has set us back a little. Camille was doing so well with it until we brought Lynsie home. I think I will start earlier with Lynsie, and I am hoping that Camille will see that her little sister is going in the potty, so she will want to go in the potty all the time too.
My potty training days are long gone LOL but thought I would share some of my good ol ideas... we had a favorite small treat (M&Ms work great) that were kept up high in the bathroom and everytime my little ones would sit on the pot I would give them one little M&M (that way if they do it a lot they arent on a huge sugar high LOL)
I think part of the reason babies train later is because the diapers and pull ups take all the wet feeling away and that does not give them a chance to realize what they are doing. When I potty trained I did not use pull ups or diapers I used the thick baby underpants (yep they still sell them) and plastic pants to go ever them just in case and everytime we went out I ALWAYS took a change or two of clothes with me- worked great. For Boys they also like to make bubbles with dad in the pot standing up... LOL girls like watching baby dolls drink from a bottle and go pee on their potty ;) hope my ideas help. I have no doubt you can do it by Christmas most of it is up to you spending time to teach him and he is just the cutest lil guy~
Love you guys see you in 2 months!! Cant wait!!
Diana
yeah... I bet bringing another baby home would set anyone back, really! It sucks but I'm sure, Andrea, that if you start Lynsie in the potty then Camille will start going too.
The thought of using cloth diapers has crossed my mind, and in fact, I want to do it, but to get started it's so pricey we just can't afford it now. But Jacen's been going through a LOT less diapers since we started so we'll see how it goes. And yes, I did think of giving hima treat every time he goes but then he'll whine for more and I don't think he should become dependent on a treat for going to the bathroom- it's a natural process and we surely don't get treats as adults when we go! I usually give him a toy he really likes while he sits there and he plays with it for the duration. It works!
So Ethan is almost 4 and is doing really well with the potty training. Honestly, it has taken so long because I was lazy and tired of fighting him to go to the potty. Myron sometimes goes potty, but I always wait for him to tell me and it is usually just after he has finished. I really believe that just being dedicated to taking them to the toilet every 15 minutes or so when they are young is a great way to potty train them. Now that school is done, I can focus more on things like that. I don't think Myron will be potty trained by the time he is two, but I do think it will be this year. (Just because I am lazy about it).
That's funny Becca! You're not lazy! that's for sure! I'm so excited you're done with school BTW! We should get Myron and Jacen together and be potty training buddies LOL
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