So, it has been awhile since I did an update on potty training. When Caroline was 15 months old, we decided to go all in with potty training! This post describes our method of choice, but basically we stayed home, she was naked, and I put her on the toilet frequently.
She did really well. She peed and/or pooped in the toilet most times that I put her on. She had a few accidents here and there, but all was going really well. The only hold up, was that she wasn’t really able to tell me that she had to go. She doesn’t have many words, so we tried teaching sign language as well. She was confusing it with “all done” and it just didn’t take. Plus, in the rush of the potty moments, it just wasn’t a priority- the priority was getting her to the toilet!
Because of the communication issue, I decided to stop the official, focused potty training, and wait until she could communicate better.
She is now 17 months old. She still can’t/doesn’t say “potty”, “pee”, or “poop”, but she is able to get her point across when she has to go poop. She makes little grunting noises to tell me that she has to go. She waits until we can get her to a toilet and she really no longer wants to poop in her diaper. So, as far as number two is concerned, she is pretty much potty trained!
Caroline also answers me if I ask her if she has to go. She tells me yes or no. Once on the potty, she tells me when she’s all done, and helps to try and wipe herself. She is doing so great!
With regards to peeing on the toilet, Caroline does so when she is on it, but she is not yet getting my attention on her own in order to go pee on the toilet, instead of in her diaper. I put her on the toilet in the morning after she brushes her teeth, if she asks to go poop during the day, and once before bed. She pees in the toilet all of those times!
I am still holding off on doing our official “pee” training, until she can communicate to me that she needs to go. As soon as she can say the words, we will be back at it! In the meantime, however, she is very accustomed to going on the toilet when it’s offered, and I have no doubt the transition will go smoothly for her.
Another exciting thing to report, is that she pooped in a public toilet for the first time a couple of days ago! This is HUGE! If she ever asks to go while we are out, we go to the bathroom, and she shakes her head and says “no, no, no” and won’t let go of me. She’s been very scared to go. Sometimes we don’t bother trying and I just tell her that it’s ok to go in her diaper, or she can wait until we go home (if she doesn’t want to try in the public bathroom). Other times, we put her on the toilet. She usually just sits there, but doesn’t feel comfortable enough to go. A couple of days ago, however, she asked to go, I put her on, and she went! Such a big success!
On the home front, we’ve just been holding her on the toilet. Little miss independent wants my hands off, however, so I decided to get her a seat that she can use on her own (but still on the toilet). We have tried others that we didn’t like, but found this Munchkin potty seat that I am in love with! Caroline loves it as well! It means hands free for Mama, independence for Caroline, and it doesn’t attach to the toilet, so adults can just move it and still feel comfortable going!
Again, as soon as Caroline can express to me when she has to pee on the toilet we’ll be full throttle ahead once more! I am so impressed with the progress that she’s made thus far!