2 Year Old and Potty Training

J.,
If she says she's ready I would let her try, sure it'll be messy but it will probably only last for a short time. Watch her and help with the reminders, keeping after her is the key. Both my boys were done potty training at 2 and 2 1/2 and neither one of them seemed old enough to me, but when they show interest you gotta give'em a chance! Just you watch...one day you'll be thinking she's not ready and the next day she'll just get it! Especially if she is instigating it on her own, "You go lil' sis!!"

K.

J.,

Your daughter sounds like my uncle. When he was two, one day he pulled off his diaper and said, "no more diaps" and that was the end of it for him.

As I type this I'm sitting staring at one of my daughter's favorite books. My Big Girl Potty by Joanna Cole. It covers all the stages of potty training and the hang ups that happen along the way. There is also a list of tips to successfully potty teach your kids.

The interesting thing about younger siblings is that they want to do what the older one is doing. Encourage her, praise her, and let her do it in her own time. One thing that worked for my son was have him try to go every two hours. I also noticed that a lot of his beginning accidents happened about 30 minutes after he ate a meal.

Good luck,
Melissa

My son at 25mo did the same thing! Just let her pee he pants over and over again for a few days, and at each accident take her to the potty, eventhough she already went. Also ask her often before she pees and take her to the potty. If she truly is ready and this not just an "I do myself" two year old thing, she will get it pretty quick. I couldn't believe it with him myself and didn't think that he was ready, but he was. He potty trained himself, he is my potty training abnormality. Good luck!

I know this has got to be frustrating for you! Sorry about that. How often do you take her to the restroom? I think if she can have some success and at least figure out what it is that she needs to do, she can be the "big girl" that she is trying so desperately to be. The more often she goes and the longer she sits, the more likely this is to happen. I know that a lot of potty-training Mamas spend many hours in the restroom with a stack of little books. Maybe not the most fun time ever, but it might get the job done. Also, have you tried any of the training pants that have a plastic liner? You could also check out the many options that are used to cover cloth diapers, wool soakers, for example. I think it would be fair to tell her that she can wear panties, but she needs to wear a cover until she actually goes potty in the toilet. That isn't being cruel, it's just reality! This too shall pass... Blessings to you and yours! :)

I agree with the timer suppestion. My daughter did this too, and so I made sure we had nothing going on for a few days and we stayed home so we could focus on the potty. I started out with 10 minutes, and then go from there to increase the time. Her reward was if she went potty she got to help me reset the timer (the minute timer on the microwave), if she didn't no reaction either way. My girls called it the "potty beep" and knew when they heard it to stop everything head to the potty. They still head in when dinner gets done and the timer goes off :), so it obviously worked.

For accidents I leared a technique from a book called "Early Start Potty-Training", and it only suggests this once your child has "Uh-oh it looks like Suzy had an accident. You don't go potty here, you go in the bathroom. It looks like you need somemore practice." Then you walk them to the potty pull down their pants and sit them on the potty, telling them, "This is where you go potty". Then you pull their pants back up (yes they are wet) go back to the spot where the accident happened and repeat th process for a total of 3x. You say all of this very matter of fact, without any emotion. I know it soulds weird, but with both of my girls I only had to do it twice and that was it.

Also, for on the go with girls the best thing ever is the "Potette" it is a portable potty that you can use on the go, and it folds flat. I got it at Burlington Coat Factory. My girls prefer that to going to public restrooms.

Good luck!

My daughter just turned 2. We let her run around naked if we are at home, and then she will use the potty if she needs to go. We haven't had very many accidents. However, if we try to put pull-ups or panties on, she always has an accident. Part of the problem in my opinion is remembering to go and trying to pull down their bottoms. I figure that until she can pull down her own pants and pull them back up that I am not going to worry that much. Developmentally, yes I think that they aren't quite ready. Hope this helps...

Maybe try panties over the diapers? Then she has the look of panties so she fits with her sister, but the function of diapers.

She sounds very ready. Purchase lots of panties and spend a good week focused on her progress w/o going anywhere to throw you off. Tell her if she wants no more panties she has to go in the potty.
I agree w/ the other girls, only I would put her on the toilet much more frequently. We always made a pitcher of Koolaid (I used less sugar)... and then gave my kiddos lots to drink. We would set a timer for every 20 minutes. Eventually they would accidentally pee in the potty. When they did, big praise and out would come the m&m's for a little treat. 2 for pee, 5 for poo.
I've read that if you put them in pull ups, then back and forth to panties, this can confuse them, so try to hang in there at least until bedtime. Usually a child her age can stay dry most of the time, with only occasional accidents.
And remember she is growing and exploring, even if it can get exhausting and frustrating for you, for her it a new and exciting experience. Best wishes.