4 ms·

I don't understand people who potty train that late. What are you, masochists? You can start potty training around the time they can sit, probably 6 months. Bab

I don't understand people who potty train that late. What are you, masochists? You can start potty training around the time they can sit, probably 6 months. Babies have a pee-reflex, where they start peeing as soon as cold air hits their genitals. So as early as 4 months, our son peed in the potty almost every time we sat him there. Also, the regular poops are actually a thing among many babies. There's an app for that: lots of apps allow you to track diapering. You'll see patterns, and you can start putting your baby on the potty more frequently then. It requires involvement and patience, but you didn't just get a baby because you wanted to plop them in front of the TV until they're ready to move out, no? The further advantage is that the baby does not experience potties as a novelty, but as a fact of life as it grows into consciousness. This way, it has a lower chance of rejecting them outright. Also, use cloth diapers, seriously. It's not that bad. And the cost you pay for plastic diapers, both monetary and environmental, but also developmental, is very high.

ljf 7y ago
While I would agree with the above, remember a large amount of what your child does will be in spite of how you try to shape them. I remember a friend telling me all the reasons their first two kids turned out to be so relaxed and happy - until they had a 3rd an all the same tricks didn't work. Our data set is always going to be small (and our reporting skewed) when it comes to our children. Doesn't mean it isn't worth trying to shape them, but don't be shocked when not everything works for every child. Or maybe I'm just trying to make myself feel better for my relaxed training of our kids ;)
hazza1 7y ago
Potty training at 6 months sounds like the masochists approach. Why would you train before they can physically get on a potty? Yes, they pee all the time at 4 months, do they really gain much being held on a potty? I don't want to plop a baby in front of TV but likewise I wouldn't want their early months to be all about the potty. When they're ready, if they've had a rounded start to life it's a just another simple transition.
- adimitrov 7y ago
  You've got to change them anyway. Might as well sit them on the potty. It adds maybe a minute to the whole procedure. And every time something lands in the potty, you'll be overjoyed (and your baby just might pick up on that, too. Maybe. Depends on your baby!)
- loganwedwards 7y ago
  +1. For our family, it is not worth the stress of enforcing this new behavior until our child actively exhibit signs that they are ready for this endeavor. Maybe we have late bloomers, but it’s on average around 2 or 3 years old before they become potty trained. Yes, it is expensive and not great for the environment with the mountains of diapers we consume, but this method is still worth my sanity.

ljf 7y ago

While I would agree with the above, remember a large amount of what your child does will be in spite of how you try to shape them. I remember a friend telling me all the reasons their first two kids turned out to be so relaxed and happy - until they had a 3rd an all the same tricks didn't work. Our data set is always going to be small (and our reporting skewed) when it comes to our children. Doesn't mean it isn't worth trying to shape them, but don't be shocked when not everything works for every child. Or maybe I'm just trying to make myself feel better for my relaxed training of our kids ;)

hazza1 7y ago

Potty training at 6 months sounds like the masochists approach. Why would you train before they can physically get on a potty? Yes, they pee all the time at 4 months, do they really gain much being held on a potty? I don't want to plop a baby in front of TV but likewise I wouldn't want their early months to be all about the potty. When they're ready, if they've had a rounded start to life it's a just another simple transition.

adimitrov 7y ago
You've got to change them anyway. Might as well sit them on the potty. It adds maybe a minute to the whole procedure. And every time something lands in the potty, you'll be overjoyed (and your baby just might pick up on that, too. Maybe. Depends on your baby!)
loganwedwards 7y ago
+1. For our family, it is not worth the stress of enforcing this new behavior until our child actively exhibit signs that they are ready for this endeavor. Maybe we have late bloomers, but it’s on average around 2 or 3 years old before they become potty trained. Yes, it is expensive and not great for the environment with the mountains of diapers we consume, but this method is still worth my sanity.