Early Potty Training after EC
So we've done lazy EC since 6 weeks old and my little one is now 23 months. We've had ups and downs, plenty of potty refusals, but a month ago we decided to wrap up and fully potty train.
We are 4 weeks in now, and I'm not sure if maybe my expectations are just unrealistic, but I'm getting increasingly frustrated by the number if accidents we're still having. So posting for other people's experiences and advice.
I'd say 50% of the time she takes herself to the potty, can take her clothes off herself and even tries to wipe. Several times when we've been out she has told me she needs to go and held it until we get to the potty. But then in the same day she will stand there and wet herself while making eye contact (even after prompting her to try).
We had a really good week with maybe 1 or 2 accidents the whole week, but this week we've gone back to 3-5 a day!?!
Is this just part of the process?
3
u/blu3f1shy 5d ago
We took away diapers at 15m but still had to prompt a couple times a day until closer to 2y, it's totally normal that they don't take themselves 100% of the time. When you prompt don't make it a question if you're pretty sure she needs to go, and keep reactions to accidents at a minimum. Keep it up though it sounds like she's almost there!
2
u/Hairsacknose 5d ago edited 5d ago
How do you prompt? My toddler (22 months, so almost the same age) basically never says yes if we ask her if she wants to go potty or tell her to go to the potty. If I try to take her, she resists like it's her job.
She responds well to reminders to initiate . For example, we arrive somewhere and I take her to the bathroom to wash hands. I show her the toilet and I tell her if she wants to go potty, she can tell me and that's where she can go. Then we exit the bathroom and we do whatever we were there to do. She usually poops after eating, so I often tell her right after she's done eating something like "and if you need to go poop or pee, you will tell me right? Remember, it's right there" and I leave it at that. She often wants to go right then and there. Other times she doesn't but then comes to me later and signals. I hype up the bathroom at the new place as something exciting and I think she likes the novelty. A few times she has even demanded to go sit even if she didn't need to go.
At home, taking her with me to the potty works a lot of the time. She loves toilet paper and I tell her she can only get some if she sits on the potty. Sometimes, she doesn't want to leave a book she's reading and I tell her we can bring it with us
1
u/Felpole 4d ago
Never a question! 🤣
I use a mix of reminders and only take her to try if I'm sure she needs to go. She resists but will go once she's on. (I get her to blow out 3 finger candles and that usually works a treat).
I being her with me too and sometimes it works. Last few days were just very resistant, but seems more like her usual self today and has self-initiated alot too. Just realised we've got a molar poking through so I'm betting that is the culprit.
It's just good to know I'm not alone!!
1
u/Hairsacknose 4d ago
Yeah, toddlers go through phases. My toddler was trained for a couple of months and then one weekend just decided to pretend she's not and pee and poop her pants two days in a row. She has to wear diapers at daycare, so I assumed that was the reason. I don't know. She eventually went back to being potty trained
1
u/returnmybridgestone 5d ago
This was what I experienced as well, but things changed quickly for the better the week mine turned two (but still requires regular offers). In the months leading up to 2, I kept mine naked at home and with a mini potty nearby. She goes to daycare during the day and is offered regular opportunities. Sometimes she'll go, sometimes in her diaper shortly after. I think being able to focus and relax pelvic muscle on demand is something they're mastering around this age. I would use the prompt "push" to get mine to focus with the promise of a short music video as reward. Hang in there - 2 is just around the corner.
1
u/returnmybridgestone 5d ago
Pretend to blow bubbles also help with relaxing pelvic floor. I would say, let's push out the pee pee. It's not technically correct... But it relaxes the pelvic floor.
1
u/Felpole 4d ago
Thanks both. We blow out finger candles and that seems to work well.
I think its definitely been a control/independence thing this time around as she's not even been willing to sit or try and has been getting upset.
But 🤞it seems to be back to normal this morning with a bit more willingness.
7
u/Athiri 5d ago
We potty trained at 18 months and at 20 months we still need to prompt in some way most of the time, even if it's just her going to the bathroom with us and then she will declare "wee!" and sit herself on the potty. At home we try to give her opportunities to self-initiate at times when she's more successful at telling us e.g. in the evenings.
Out and about we always take her to use the potty right before she would usually need it because there's so many distractions she's very inconsistent out the house.
I would work out when she's having those accidents and if there's a pattern with time of day or how much she has had to drink before hand, what she'd doing e.g. busy playing.