How long do you wait when trying to potty train?

Question

What I mean is, how long do you wait before stopping your attempts when your toddler shows every interest in being potty trained but just won't do it? My brat is 19 months, and we bought her potty months ago so she could get used to it. We sit her on it before tub time, but she has yet to actually pee in it. But she tells me when she's gone potty, and when she poops she squats like shes on a toliet and grunts, so we know when shes going. Now she goes to the bathroom everytime I do and opens her potty and sits on it, and asks for potty at random times. She also goes 3-4 hours without wetting a diaper. So we've got Pull ups, and have been putting her on the potty everytime she asks, but she never goes on the potty. We tried letting her run around naked and pee, but all she learned from that was to not sit on the couch again after she peed there, lol(stubborn little brat :D ) She hates getting a diaper on, but doesn't mind wearing them if their wet. Any ideas, do I give it up for now?

Answer 1

Well first off, 19 months is pretty early to potty train any child.  Girls tend to potty train sooner then boys, but the normal time frame when most people kick it off is at least 2 and most have success around 2.5.

So calm down and use diapers.  She is not ready.  She is interested, my 19 month old loves pretending.  She says I pee pee, but the deed has already been done. We take the poo poo from her diaper and put it in the potty and she squeals with delight and gets to flush it.

But she is not ready.  She is not developed enough to understand the feeling means it is coming.  She gets that pee pee came out but not to time it and go to the potty.  Mine to has many hours of dry diapers.  

If you make this such a struggle as is sounds you will be doing this for a very long time.  She is not having accidents on purpose, she is too young to do it on purpose.  

Of course she "goes potty" when you do.  She wants to be with you and copy you.  That is how they learn.  Just let her pretend.  One day she will surprise you, but again based on what you said she is not going to do this for quite some time.

Why stress her and your self (and everyone around you) out so much and force something on her she is clearly not ready for.  Make learning to go to the potty fun and not a fight.  It will benefit you in the end.  The harder you push now the harder she will fight you later on this.  

My mom said kids do not go to kindergarten in diapers so relax, she will get it.  Do not embarrassed her about this.  There is no reason to. If she really hates the diapers then stick with the pull-ups.  They work fine.

Again, she is not doing this "to you" on purpose.  You really need to back off and give her time to learn.  You have probably another year of diapers. (And then it could take 6 months to a year to really get trained - some kids pick it up in a few weeks and some don't but that does not mean anything - pluss she will still have accidents even when she is potty trained - Haven't we all had those!)

Answer 2

She sounds like she's ready.  It's just a matter of her "taking the plunge" and actually doing it.

My older son was potty trained at 3 yrs old.  My 2 1/2 yr old was just recently trained.  I stopped using diapers.  I used training pants for over night.  During the day, he ran around naked, and that worked for him to pee, but p**p was another story.  He would always p**p in his undies.  Here's what finally did the trick ...

Get some marbles and an empty shot glass.  Fill the shot glass with marbles (so you know how  many will fill it).  Then empty the marbles into another small container.  Tell your child that every time they go potty, they will get to pick a marble and put it into the shot glass.  When the shot glass is full (all the  marbles are now in the shot glass again) your child will get to go with you to the store and pick out what ever "surprise" they want...any toy.  I took mine to Dollar Tree and it was a treat for him.

All the Best!

Answer 3

Stop putting diapers on her. It will be a lot of laundry, but it will work. Diapers are not uncorfortable for kids, going potty in their pants is. It will work, just by some cheap underwear that you can wash and bleach and throw away if necessary. Pull ups don't work. They don't give kids the idea of cause and effect. Good luc.

Answer 4

oh i've had the same exact problem!! try elmos potty time!

it helped me sooo much!!! it took my son to learn in just one week!!

Answer 5

A few things you could try is to have her sit on the potty and try to go every 20 - 30 minutes. This will get her in the routine of knowing when she has to go to the potty not to go in her diaper... Even if she doesn't end up going every time you sit her on the potty she will get used to it and feel more comfortable the more times she sits on it. Also I would defiantly recommend that you keep using the pull ups but make sure you tell her that they are her "big girl diapers" Another thing that helped me a lot is find a little snack or treat that she loves... Such as fruit snacks. Whenever she goes to the bathroom on the potty give her a treat. And if she tells you she has to go and then goes give her two treats. Kids will do anything for their favorite snack and this really helps get potty training along! This worked out well for me and helped me out a lot! I wouldn't give up if I were you... keep going with it and eventually she will get the idea! Good luck!

Answer 6

You should start potty training when the toddler starts not to wet themselves while sleeping so until then stop!!!